I have to say this is the most pathetic piece of journalism that I have seen on this website and that is saying a lot considering the calibre of other writers that News Limited employ from Sports Writers who know nothing like 'Buzz' Lightyear and Rebecca Wilson to the redneck science-denying idiot Andrew Bolt and further afield the pathetic UK tabloids.
Interestingly enough the points you make in the paragraph "Then there is the spectacle itself" could easily be applied to Rugby Union and I would find it rather funny if you are a fan for AFL because you can denigrate the international aspect of Rugby League as much as you want because it beats the Southern States of Australia and the global sporting powerhouse of Nauru which AFL calls home.
Of course why should I be surprised that News Limited has printed this disgrace of an article, after all it loves to bite the hand that feeds, as Rugby League would count for a major amount of Daily Telegraph newspaper sales, and Rugby League would count for a huge amount of Foxtel subscriptions and of course Rugby League would count for the clicks to this very page and of course you'll be happy because someone will know who Paul Pottinger is.