RAAF test pilots rated the M2000 as one of the nicest aircraft they had ever flown during the selection process c.1979-1981. Other contenders were F-18L, F/A-18A and F-16A.
Trouble is, Australia had been burned by the French in refusing to support a Mirage IIIO deployment to SE Asia in the 60s, plus the M2000 was considered a little under-developed at the time.
The Hornet was the logical choice, as F-18L remained unsold to anyone despite its sparkling performance, and F-16A had no BVR AAM and they kept crashing.
Check out the book Hornets Down Under (McLaughlin 2005) and its sequel, Hornet Country (Moclair & McLaughlin 2014) for a great summary by the lead RAAF evaluation test pilot, WGCDR (later AVM) Bob Richardson.