The idea is to create a fanbase. And I think it can happen, just not in countries that already have mature and crowded sports markets and are already in thrall to some other sport with a passion. Not sure just playing a premiership game overseas is a good idea if people have no idea what it is, grassroots investment may be better.There is just no market for the AFL in other countries. Its not a global sport at all, its hardly played anywhere else. Its not like American football or NBA Baskteball who already have massive fanbases across the world.
Like I said earlier, we should be searching for a real up-and-coming country, where an investment in grassroots will go a long way because the game grows while the place is maturing and developing rapidly, like happened with Melbourne. Perhaps one where sport can do a lot to unite fractious groups of people, that'll generate a lot of goodwill like rugby did for South Africa in the 90s.
My suggestion is somewhere in East Africa. Yes, I'm serious. A poor region, but it has some of the fastest growing economies in the world, and since someone above made the point about players with foreign backgrounds being a drawcard in those countries, we have an increasing number of players with East African backgrounds.