The fourth edition of the AFL International Cup will start this weekend in Sydney, with the tournament's ambassador Brett Kirk dreaming big after his six-month global voyage.

The AFL may still be establishing its presence in western Sydney, but Kirk, who spent half a year witnessing the game's potential around the world with wife Hayley and their four children, has grand visions.

"We need to project more than just a few years ahead, you've got to set your sights high," Kirk told AAP.

"Whether it's another team outside Australian shores, whether it's getting an exhibition game in the Olympics, or something along those lines.

"It might be in a 15 or 20-year period, but I think we need to project.

"At the moment it's grown (globally) purely from people's love - they've found it on the TV, or the internet, or via a Playstation game, or travelled to Australia.

"At the moment there hasn't been a huge push, but I think slowly we're starting to realise it's everywhere."

The International Cup will feature 18 men's teams this year, including a Peace Team comprised of both Israeli and Palestinian players, and for the first time five women's teams.

Sides are comprised of amateurs and Australian expats aren't allowed to compete.

"An enormous amount of work goes in by these countries ... these countries have probably raised in the order of $4 million to get here and compete over two and a half weeks," AFL general manager of national and international development David Matthews told AAP.

"The AFL underpin a lot of the hosting costs and competition costs, which could extend to about $500 000, but to us it's a cultural and sporting festival.

"It's a key event."

Matthews said he wouldn't rule anything out when it came to the AFL's international development.

"We've had people from South Africa talk to us about whether we could see a team come from Cape Town," he said.

"It's not an unrealistic ambition, if there's really strong local support.

"I think there will be a real influx (of South Pacific AFL players), particularly if we invest in a pathway.

"We have great career opportunities but we've got to make them known, (Sydney's Canadian ruckman) Mike Pyke is a good example of somebody who found our game, we didn't find him."

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