With the prospect floated earlier in the week by Collingwood superstar Scott Pendlebury, the move for an All Star weekend in the AFL is beginning to gather serious momentum.
What intrigued me most about the ideas put forward was the push for a rookie game, comprised of two team representing the last two season’s drafts. With a bit of spare time I decided to select these two teams for comparison, with one of them looking a seriously stronger side.
First Year Team
Backs: Duigan (Carlton) – Watson (Car) – Puopolo (Haw)
Half Backs: Heppel (Ess) – Pedersen (NM) – Conca (Rich)
Centres: Polec (Bri) – Swallow (GCS) – Batchelor (Rich)
Half Forwards: Siposs (St.K) – Dixon (GCS) – Patrick (GCS)
Forwards; Matera (GCS) – Darling (WCE) – Liberatore (WB)
Rucks: Smith (GCS) – Curnow (Car) – Gaff (WCE)
Interchange: Wallis (WB) – Cripps (St.K) – Johnson (Syd) – Bennel (GCS)
Second Year Team
Backs: Tapscott (Melb) – Grimes (Rich) – Hardingham (Ess)
Half Backs: Duncan (Geel) – Stratton (Haw) – Pittard (Port)
Centres: Fyfe (Freo) – Martin (Rich) – Morabito (Freo)
Half Forwards: Barlow (Freo) – Reid (Syd) – Howlett (Ess)
Forwards: Jetta (Syd) – Crameri (Ess) – Menzel (Geel)
Rucks: McCauley (Bri) – Scully (Melb) – Trengove (Melb)
Interchange: Howlett (Ess) – Melksham (Ess) – Rohan (Syd) – Gysberts (Melb)
For the sake of fair competition, I chose not to include mature-age recruits such as Podsiadly and Silvagni, as the age of their bodies could distract from the intended spectacle.
On paper, one would suggest that the second year team would comfortably account for the first year side. Players of the ilk of Martin, Fyfe and Trengove would be dominant over the types of Polec, Swallow and Curnow.
With this is mind, I decided to create a third-year side to see if they matched up better with the second-year side.
Third Year Team
Backs: De Boer (Freo) – Davis (Ade) – Hunt (Geel)
Half Backs: Yarran (Carl) – Trengove (Port) – Schoenmakers (PA)
Centres: Hill (Freo) – Rich (Bri) – Sidebottom (Coll)
Half Forwards: Beams (Coll) – Hurley (Ess) – Sloane (Ade)
Forwards: Banfield (Bri) – Watts (Melb) – Garlett (Carl)
Rucks: Naitunui (WCE) – Hanneberry (Syd) – Hartlett (Port)
Interchange: Vickery (Rich) – Savage (Haw) – Blair (Coll) – Redden (BL)
This side competing against the second year team would be a mouth-watering contest. To see the likes Tom Scully taking on Dan Hanneberry and Anthony Morabito going head to head with Stephen Hill would please many a supporter.
This match would be a great way to promote the talent that is within our game. An All Star weekend is something that the AFL needs to seriously consider, and the future stars running around in these teams would be a great spectacle to witness.
Aware
Guest
Why should Collingwood players worry? They play every game at the MCG anyway. Their draw is a fraud.
Moonface
Roar Guru
Just how many AFL promotions do you want? The game is turning into an AFL marketing project. Let have a "What Can We Do to Get the Crowds and Revenues Up Round" next hosted by Eddie Maguire.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
I agree 'all star' teams are not what people want,...the Allies team tried in the past with the AFL version of State of Origin was a joke.... As for what people want...well I think there is actually a demand for a State of Origin teams from WA and SA at least, but admittedly less so from Vic (and even less so from the other states)....WA and SA are now represented by teams in the AFL but even so I think both states pride themselves on their football teams and state teams, and I can see the public in these states getting behind state of origin teams in significant numbers just as they have in the past.... I think if the AFL tries SOO again they to go back to a strictly state based format and stick with it...chopping and changing is no good....at a minimum there should be teams from WA, SA and Vic but perhaps teams from QLD, NSW and Tassie in a second division....those two divisions to start but an ability to relegate a teams from Div 1 based on result...I'd have 2 games within each division, a mid-season game and a game the weekend after the finals......each division has a defending champion (last year's winner) who defends their title plays at home against the winner of the two challengers (who meet at the home ground of the second ranked team from last season).....so the weekend after the GF there'd be two SOO games, a Div 1 and a Div 2 game......I think there would be pretty huge interest in WA and SA at least - if either of these states was the defending champion you'd expect sell outs at their stadium in the SOO final....
amazonfan
Roar Guru
"We want the AFL to increase the length of the season from 22 matches to everyone plays everyone twice! That is what we should be talking about." I don't want that. Furthermore, it's not going to happen. An 18 team competition would mean 34 games. That is far too many. Especially when you consider that teams are unlikely to play more than one match per week, which means a minimum of 35 weeks (that is if you only have the GF following the 34 week home & away season), and only the biggest football fanatics would want that. Plus, the players don't want it. They want the season to stay at 22 matches, so considering they don't even want to increase to 24 matches, you will never gain their support. The fact is that unless we reduce the number of teams, we will never have a situation where each team plays each other twice.
Uncle Bob
Guest
Please NO to any Yank 'all star weekend'. You had a sell out, Etihad Friday, MCG on Sat, Subi on Sun. Why do you want to screw around with what people actually want? All Star/State games have no passion. They outlived their purpose back in the 1980s when Vic/SA/WA had separate leagues. We want the AFL to increase the length of the season from 22 matches to everyone plays everyone twice! That is what we should be talking about.