All Commonwealth / Cricket playing countries have ovals available in Winter. Maybe the AFL geniuses should start with them? They also have a sporting link to Oz via cricket... etc.
If the AFL were to offer $500,000 prize money plus low level club support for winners of a domestic AFL footy comp in each of the current Cricket playing nations (i.e. NZ, SA, India, Packistan, England, Ireland, etc...).
Perhaps then the premier clubs or the all-star teams of each nation could then come to Australia in September and play a multi-national competition around the final series.
But no, let's reinvent the wheel...