The FFA has today announced an annual football match against the Turks to commemorate Anzac Day each year. It starts immediately this year with the young Socceroos playing in Turkey, and in 2010, a match will be held in Australia, with the hosts of the match to alternate from there - and depending on commitments in South Africa, it could be the full senior National Team that gets the guernsey.

Despite the cries of protest that you will hear from dinosaurs attached to the other codes over the coming days, weeks and on the weekend itself, you have to admit, it’s a pretty legitimate event and a masterstroke by the FFA- and not just financially.

This football calendar year, the Turkish Super Lig clubs poached players from around the football world, including names such as Roberto Carlos, Milan Baros and our own Harry Kewell, and spent upwards of 50 million pounds stirling in the process. The Aussie roll call extends to Bruce Djite, Mile Jedinak, Michael Petkovic and James Troisi

The Turkish version of Foxtel, Digiturk, bought the television rights to the league in 2004 for 135.85 million New Turkish lira (US$99 million). Did I mention the Turks are football MAD? No doubt there will be a decent attendance when games between the flagship teams are eventually played each year, and no doubt the FFA will earn some extra dough from the deal.

The big rub, however, is the geo-political advantage of having a mate (pardon the Anzac Day pun) on the border between Europe and Asia. As the SMH reports:

With Australia lobbying for the 2018 World Cup, this could prove vital given Turkey's influence on Eurasian football and the Islamic world.

Yes, Rebecca, we have bigger fish to fry than out-doing Rugby League, AFL and Union on a public holiday weekend. This is where the big boys play. It is the World Game after all ;-)