Why Israel Folau is worth the big bucks

Israel Folau’s defection from rugby league to the AFL’s new Greater Western Sydney club has given rise to the argument that the money the AFL have spent on landing NRL recruits should have been spent on grassroots or development. It’s a noble argument, but it needs to be put to bed.

I know, Michael Voss, Leigh Matthews and others have been freely trotting out that line. I know, the reported $4 million-plus contract given to Folau is a lot of money. But there’s a bigger picture at play here than just the money.

Folau’s signing on Tuesday was a message to the kids of Western Sydney – even those in their teens who’ve played rugby league their whole lives – that it’s never too late to pick up a footy and give Aussie Rules a go. That’s a pretty powerful message. And it’s one that carries obvious advantages when it comes to grassroots and development.

Just look at rugby league’s development approach in Victoria since the Melbourne Storm came into existence. They’ve put programs in place to get young kids to play the game and then nurture those kids to make it to the elite level. Eleven years after the Storm’s formation, we’re still waiting on a Victorian born-and-raised NRL star.

The AFL’s approach isn’t just limited to the kids, who they’ve been going after for years anyway. Instead, the AFL are casting the net wide. They want teenagers. They want athletes. They want Polynesians. They want Islanders. They want rugby league players. They want the youth of Sydney’s west.

Up until now, a talented boy from a rugby-mad Polynesian family probably wouldn’t have even thought of playing Aussie Rules. He would have now. A couple of years ago, a rugby league prospect from an NRL heartland wouldn’t have given it two thoughts, either. He would have now.

The potential of the Israel Folau signing, as far as grassroots and development go, is actually quite huge.

Even then, there’s still a bigger picture at play – the fact two new clubs have to emerge from nowhere and become a viable part of both the AFL and Gold Coast/Western Sydney communities.

The AFL have to get people talking about these new teams. Rugby league converts, like it or not, accomplish this better than any coach signing – although Kevin Sheedy hasn’t done too bad – or big-name player signing – Gary Ablett’s profile up north ain’t what it is in Victoria.

And it’s not just at the announcement, either. Look at Karmichael Hunt’s itinerary this week.

After meeting his new teammates, he’s done his first training session, been on the Matty Johns Show, been interviewed by Malcom Blight for Channel Ten, been interviewed by Liegh Matthews for Channel Seven, recorded an ad for the club at a local radio station, shot an ad for the club on a Gold Coast beach, been interviewed by a local radio station and replied to countless fans on Twitter.

Anyone want to put a dollar figure on all that publicity?

You can’t, really. Especially when you consider there isn’t a player on Gold Coast’s current list other than Hunt that would warrant a Matty Johns Show appearance, or any national TV interview, let alone would attract the media throng Hunt did at his first training session. Which leads to the question – where would Gold Coast be if they hadn’t have signed Hunt?

Chugging along nicely? Probably.

Making any real waves in the media? Being the subject of water cooler conversations nation-wide? Probably not.

The same equation will apply for Greater Western Sydney, which is why throwing so much money at Israel Folau isn’t such a bad idea.

Another line that’s been trotted out is that Hunt and Folau will be taking a spot away from someone who has been playing the game for their whole careers.

This ignores the fact Gold Coast will have a whopping 48 players on its senior list. We can only assume Greater Western Sydney will have a similar amount, too. That means that by the time these new clubs are in the AFL, almost 100 new senior list positions – positions that didn’t exist previously – will have been created.

Hunt and Folau won’t be taking spots away from someone playing the game their whole careers, because those spots didn’t even exist until now. And even then, Hunt and Folau won’t even occupy a spot on the senior list – at least to start out with – as they are outside the main list as non-registered rookies.

Finally, some have questioned whether Folau is the right man for the job and whether he can handle all the interviews and that stuff. But a look at his interview with the NRL Footy Show last week – before the code switch was announced – showed a man who can definitely handle an interview, and even throw in that warm Polynesian smile that will only endear him to fans.

The only point of the interview – which was conducted via video link, it must be said – that he struggled with was the one or two awkward, yet well intended, questions thrown at him by Wendell Sailor. But that’s forgivable.

Israel Folau’s the right man for the job, on so many levels. So, to answer that infamous question: Izzy worth it?

Absolutely.

For more of my writing on this topic, see Israel Folau signing another win for the AFL and The myths of NRL players moving to the AFL.