They should have bought the 767 AWACS, Japans have been in service since 2000 and they have 4 of them.
As you pointed out. Australia didn't want the crap rotodome.
Counter option: Australia goes for the A-310AEW, which also means buying the 7-8 A310MRTT down the track. With the A310MRTT in production EADS concentrates on marketing that in competion with the Boring 767A for the USAF contracts
The EADS bird is still better, but not by so much that the "buy American" lobby can't push the contract to Seattle.
Boeing wins.