It may not be time to don the black armbands just yet, but Australian football is looking decidedly pedestrian alongside rival sports of late.

It has been dwarfed by events on the international stage. Every which way, our indigenous game is under siege.

Eddie McGuire is both powerful and popular in the footy world and usually gets his way. Credit:Getty Images

Some of the game's wounds have been self-inflicted - the handling of the Essendon supplements scandal; the unattractive rolling mauls at some games; a transformation in the interpretation of the rules by umpires; and some befuddling adjudications by the match review panel.

But the latest malaise to afflict the game is bigger collectively than all of these. For the first time in this state, and we suspect in Tasmania, SA and WA too, Australian football is facing a genuine threat of being relegated to second, third or perhaps even fourth fiddle.