"The venue will have huge upside provided the AFL does the promotion well enough."

That's exactly my point and unfortunately I don't see it happening - it hasn't happened in the past and there are no signs of change.

I have to agree a bit with the sentiment expressed about the AFL's seemingly luke warm efforts in the past to promote the IC's. Unfortunately, I have this awful feeling that the AFL may even be a little bit relieved that IC20 isn't in Melbourne this year.

I really hope this is just the pessimist side of me coming out and that everybody concerned with running and promoting IC20 give it the status and promotion that it deserves.

Let's face it, the IC is in effect the non-Australian Amatuer World Cup of Aussie Rules. (actual National Teams playing). Whereas, I reckon the AFL tends to look at it as just another player pathway (unfortunately not a very bountiful one at that) to the AFL, ranking well behind the various Combines it carries out each year.

Lets just hope I'm wrong and we get hundreds of Queenslanders coming along as spectators and adopting and barracking for a country or two. Wouldn't it be great if we could somehow induce the QAFL teams/clubs all around Sunshine Coast/Brisbane to adopt and host a country for the time they are in Aussie. (a couple of dozen or more loud & rawcus supporters for each nation would add so much atmosphere to the whole competition.) Even umpire Yamug getting a bit of stick from the supporters wouldn't hurt either :-)

The organisers could be giving away several hundred free tickets to Suns/Lions matches to the locals as inducement to come and watch the IC matches.

Hope we'll continue to get all matches live streamed as was case last IC now that it is no longer happening in Melbourne (had a ready number of football commentators on hand then).

Despite all the above foreboding I am planning on driving up for IC20, just will take a day or two longer getting there.       Fingers Crossed.