So Port after announcing a multimillion dollar sponsorship deal with a Chinese company has agreed to play an AFL game in China for 4 points next year.
Sounds cool but what is really fishy is Port are refusing to give up a home game to do so. Port stressing they would maintain all the benefits of a home team for the match.
So that leaves a huge question, which club is stupid enough to give up a home game for Port to make all the money?
It won't be a side that packs out their home games regularly, or brings in big numbers to the MCG.
That rules out Fremantle, West Coast, Adelaide, Sydney, Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn. Richmond could probably be added to that list, since they were doing reasonable well at the time the negotiations were ongoing - and their fickle fans were still flocking to their games. North Melbourne and Hawthorn have already tied up home games in Tasmania, and the same goes for Melbourne in the Northern Territory. St Kilda already have their New Zealand "home" game, and I can't see them giving up another one.
That leaves Brisbane, Gold Coast, GWS, Carlton, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs. GWS and GCS would surely be unlikely since they'll be too busy building up their own supporter base instead of aiming overseas.
If I were a betting man, I'd be guessing the Bulldogs since they seem like a progressive club. Unfortunately Lin Jong has a Taiwanese background, so they won't be able to use him to promote the game in China.