HEARD the one about the Inuit trapped on an ice floe in 2012? When he is finally rescued, he shuns the medical teams sent to treat him and asks breathlessly: "How did West Sydney go against the Gold Coast in round 12 of the AFL?"

The AFL's expansionism is a rope ladder to a rescue helicopter: the indigenous Australian sport, frantic to climb to larger media markets, has embarked on a course of visiting schools in South Africa, staging a game in Dubai and promising two additional teams within four years.

But the AFL should have a close look at the north of England before it copies a policy of grand strategies, such as the English Premier League's determined intention to take the 39th step and play an additional round of matches in cities such as Hong Kong, or the National Football League's establishment of a European competition.

The north of England is like the west of Sydney. It's essential character hasn't changed in 50 years. Travelling with the Melbourne Storm to rugby league and soccer games in Halifax, Liverpool and Hull merely confirms that the west of Sydney, where I lived for eight years, moves at the same pace as the north of England that I first saw nearly 40 years ago.

Other than religion, sport is the most conservative force in society, and to expect a football fan to suddenly forsake Parramatta, Penrith, Wests Tigers or even the Bulldogs for the West Sydney "In The Reds", or to expect Titans rugby league fans to switch to the Gold Coast "Credit Card Chargers", is misplaced imperialism.

Rugby league in England has not moved 100 miles down the motorway in 100 years, other than for the creation of the London Harlequins. But London is so big, it probably supports a curling team and competes in the European underwater hockey league.

AFL bosses Andrew Demetriou and Mike Fitzpatrick, who have an entrenched distaste for rugby league, would argue that they can make more progress in four years in Australia than the English have achieved since the great rugby split of 1896.

The signs of sport's globalisation are everywhere, from the seven languages spoken in the players' lounge at Manchester United to the 30 Samoans playing in the NFL.

Fans of globalisation use the "rising tide lifts all boats" argument, saying a Manchester United game in Shanghai, rather then merely selling red T-shirts to Red China, will elevate soccer at all levels in the Asian country.

The counter argument is that the allegiance of Shanghai fans to Man U is likely to come at the expense of their allegiance to the local team.

And when globalisation affects the indigenous brand in its heartland, bosses of that sport are entitled to protest.

Rugby league is a niche sport in the north of England and has never pretended otherwise. When the Storm trained at Halifax, 40 children from the school travelled 1½ hours by bus to meet the players. Storm coach Craig Bellamy said he received letters from the kids after winning the National Rugby League grand final, and the headmaster said the Storm had become an internet project for the school.

York is entrenched rugby league territory, as is Hull, where some of the Storm players watched Hull Kingston Rovers play Warrington on Sunday. "If you were born on one side of the (Humber) river, you follow Hull," said former Great Britain and Hull KR great Roger Millward. "If you were born on the other side, you follow Hull KR. You never cross the river."

Similarly, West Sydney may prove the Rubicon the AFL can never cross.