Interestingly a lot of my friends have started following AFL. 5 years ago this would have been inconceivable. These are guys who have grown up on rugby league, 3rd generation supporters of their teams. We used to take the piss on our mate from the West Coast about his sport endlessly.
The NRL has become a product with clueless administrators chasing profits. These are guys who would not get a look in at any serious private company doing the same. The worst part is that they are turning their backs on their existing customer base in order to pursue this "entertainment". I actually think that the main goal of a sporting administration should be to facilitate a fair competition, with the emphasis being on sport. The money actually doesn't make the product better.