Shanghai awaits first Aussie rules game

It's never been a more exciting time for Australian sports fans in China, as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would say (sort of). For the first time, an official Australian Football League game will be played in China.

I've seen the blank faces of non-Australians at the mention of Aussie rules, but trust me when I say this is a big deal. Let's say you're chatting to someone new in Melbourne, forget asking what they do for a living or what they have planned for the weekend. "Who do you go for in the footy?" is how you get to know someone.

To clarify, AFL is not soccer, not rugby, not football, but its own unique version of men or women trying to kick a funny-shaped ball through big sticks.