Although it’ll be a challenge, the AFL says it will speak with players over their push to revive State of Origin.
An AFL Players’ Association (AFLPA) straw poll indicated an interest in reigniting representative football, whether it be the traditional State of Origin or two teams made up of the league’s best.
“It’s great the players have an appetite for it,” AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said.
“Now there’s a challenge to sit down with them and find a way it could work.”
Carlton midfielder Marc Murphy was enthusiastic about the prospect.
“It’d definitely be great to represent your state,” Murphy said on Thursday.
“It all depends on when you can play – what suits best for the players. It’d be a great thing to come back into football.”
But former North Melbourne great Wayne Carey, a New South Welshman, said the best players from the minor states miss out under the traditional State of Origin format of Victoria playing Western Australia or South Australia.
“If you’re from NSW or Queensland, you miss out on the big game,” he told Network Ten news.
“I’d like to see it, but not sure what format.”
AFLPA president Luke Ball told the Herald-Sun newspaper the poll suggested a strong interest in reviving the format.
But Ball said there were many factors to consider, including whether to play the match pre-season, mid-year. end of season or as an alternative to a NAB Cup round.
If not the classic State of Origin format, Ball suggested a match following the US basketball system of East against West or an “old schoolyard selection process where you have two captains and they toss a coin to see who gets first pick”.
State of Origin was last played in 1999 when Victoria defeated South Australia by 54 points.
joe blackswan
Guest
I remember during the 90s that players from clubs were “injured” during the SOO period making themselves unavailable for state selection...it was quite the mockery. The AFL will not give it the go ahead unless it is highly profitable and you can guarantee they would never allow WA v VIC to be played in perth…. so VIC will always have home ground advantage (similar to melbourne football clubs come AFL grand final time). This SoO concept can not be introduced until next broadcast rights anyway….still another 4 years away. Overall players will not have a continual interest in the concept (i.e. play 1 game for the jersey so they can have it framed and put in the pool room). Nor will the regular AFL club punters want to see there teams' only good player/s being risked. It is NOT a workable concept in a professional era (RL SoO is an exception to this rule)….inter state rivalry is satisfied with the AFL club competition…just read the media in perth or melbourne for crying out loud. However, I do like the idea of EAST (qld,nsw,vic,act,tas) V WEST (nt,sa,wa) played every 3 or 4 years...this would then limit the amount of players exposed to risk, but also have high quality games with 2 ALL-STAR teams representing all the states/territories.