Shanghai awaits first Aussie rules game

It's never been a more exciting time for Australian sports fans in China, as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would say (sort of). For the first time, an official Australian Football League game will be played in China.

I've seen the blank faces of non-Australians at the mention of Aussie rules, but trust me when I say this is a big deal. Let's say you're chatting to someone new in Melbourne, forget asking what they do for a living or what they have planned for the weekend. "Who do you go for in the footy?" is how you get to know someone.

To clarify, AFL is not soccer, not rugby, not football, but its own unique version of men or women trying to kick a funny-shaped ball through big sticks.

When the siren sounds at Shanghai's Jiangwan Stadium on Sunday, the players will run out before a full house. By the end of last month, the AFL announced, more than 10,000 tickets had already been sold - to a mixture of fans traveling over for the game, expats and locals.

The Chinese spectators may have no idea what's happening on the field, but they won't have a hard time deciding which side to support. The names Port Adelaide Power and Gold Coast Suns won't mean much to them either, but the team colors should make it an easy decision.

While it's Port Adelaide in the black and teal gear that has driven the AFL's push into China and is planning to return each year, the club overlooked one detail in their strategy for building a Chinese fan base. Their choice of opponent Gold Coast wears red and yellow.

It seems it was only in February that it dawned on Port Adelaide's head honcho David Koche that these are the same as China's national colors.

It's an amusing coincidence for everyone but Koche, who demanded they wear an alternative, mostly white jumper for the game. When he didn't get his way, he chucked a good, old-fashioned tantrum.

"We're the club leading the AFL into China, we have bought this game and paid good money for it, we're the ones that are committed for the next 10 years to play a game in China each year," he told Australian media.

Despite Koche's dummy spit, attracting Port Adelaide fans is not really the priority.

The match is being billed as a mini-Australia festival, with wine, food and tourism expos held alongside the match.

It's not all about dollars or yuan either, with hopes a bit of sports diplomacy will help bring the country closer to its biggest trading partner.

On his recent visit to Australia, Premier Li Keqiang seemed to enjoy himself with Turnbull at the opening round clash between Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans, even if he was a little hot. Not wanting to appear biased, he wore scarves in each of the competitors' colors.

If Li goes to Shanghai's match, I think he'd be forgiven for ditching the Port Adelaide scarf to cheer for the red and yellow.