There’s no question Australian Rules football needs a genuine form of representative footy, but the player-driven idea of an American style East-versus-West “All Star” game is a mindbogglingly stupid way to go about it.
According to the Herald Sun, the proposal – which could get a run as soon as 2014 – will see the Melbourne clubs split on geographic lines and teamed up with four interstate clubs.
Hawthorn and Collingwood both fall to Melbourne’s east, so their team would have the likes of Lance Franklin and Scott Pendlebury joining Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett.
Carlton and Geelong would be on the west team, so they’d have Chris Judd and Joel Selwood receiving West Coast star Nic Naitanui’s hitouts.
At least, that’s how it will be sold. In truth, while all that seems relatively nice on paper, there’s one key element missing: passion.
Does it really mean that much to people whether they live to the east or west of the Melbourne CBD? Do the people of Western Australia and South Australia really hate the eastern seaboard, just not the part that Judd and Selwood are on?
Will the people of New South Wales and Queensland have any reason to think this is anything more than a gimmick?
Okay, it works – sometimes – in the United States. But a large part of that is because the teams are already divided by conferences, so it isn’t contrived to see the teams grouped together in such a manner. There’s also history behind All Star games in a way that doesn’t exist here.
Perhaps most importantly of all, east-west rivalries have also existed in the US outside the sporting arena. Biggie and Tupac come to mind.
Clearly, things aren’t quite on the same level in Australia.
The only way for representative footy to work is if there’s genuine passion. For that, State of Origin is the only answer.
It has authenticity, history and bundles of passion. While the Hall of Fame tribute game in 2008 had those things on the Victorian side, the fact a contrived composite team was their opposition meant it wasn’t anywhere near as successful as it could’ve been.
Origin will always have detractors, sure. They seem to think that because the wheels fell off when the competition first went national that the same circumstances exist now. So much has changed that it’s not funny. But you’ve heard all this from me before.
A new one came from an article in The Australian by Ross Fitzgerald in the lead up to last weekend’s Sydney Swans-Collingwood clash at ANZ Stadium.
The title of the piece, worryingly, was, ‘Who needs AFL state of origin when Magpies and Swans can ruffle each other’s feathers?’.
“Collingwood is the biggest club in the biggest sporting competition in the nation,” Fitzgerald wrote.
“It leads the way in every area fathomable. While it is a club that could hold its own in comparison with some of the world’s biggest, it is also deeply, proudly, Victorian.”
Call me crazy, but was he seriously trying to suggest all of Victoria rallied behind Collingwood last week just because they played an interstate team?
Did that really get published in a national newspaper?
Clubs are not substitutes for state teams. They were for a while in WA and SA, where for a brief period there was only one club in each of those markets. But those days are certainly dead now – and they’ve always been dead in Victoria.
(For those Aussies who’ve been living under a rock their whole lives, I now feel obliged to point this out: There are more people in Victoria that hate Collingwood than people that love Collingwood. Don’t ever forget it.)
Representative footy is a marvellous thing. There’s something special about fans of different clubs momentarily putting aside their rivalries and support the same team.
But it has to be done in that way. Rep footy that divides Victorians, Western Australians and South Australians internally once again is pointless.
And there must be passion. That’s a non-negotiable.
Of course, the players might be thinking that their idea only takes one week out of the footy calendar and that Origin could not achieve that. But, at the risk of repeating myself once again, it can be easily accommodate that way.
So, players, the equation is simple. If you are going to do it, do it properly.
Otherwise, Victorians better get used to decking themselves out in black and white. Apparently that’s “your team” now.
the rat
Guest
What anout an Indigenous All-Stars vs non-Indigenous All Stars game? Works well in the NRL and I'd pay money to watch an Indigenous All-Stars team run around.
Deep Thinker
Guest
It needs to be thought through - but AFL will be better for it with rep footy. It has to be a comp. 4 weekends during the year set aside, with each team (Vic, SA, WA, the rest) playing the other once with a final. All Star Game has nothing to play for - no passion, no trophy - will look like a dodgy marketing gimmick. But AFL is the only code without rep footy at some level - be it state of origin, all star or international. Perhaps the NAB cup should be done away with...
clipper
Guest
Correct me if I'm wrong, AR, but wasn't the thinking along the lines that most weeks there would be a 'state vs state' battle going on and to continue with just a couple of states in the SOO would be detrimental to the growth of the national game?
Australian Rules
Guest
It's not a matter fo copying Pete. I'm sure you're aware that the Origin concept was the AFL's to begin with, and the NRL copied it. That said, I'm sure the AFL looks on with some envy at how massive the NRLSoO has become as a money spinner. The calls for some form of Rep Footy comes, by and large, from the representatives in the Players Assoc, not from AFLHQ or the fans.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
I'll probably be in a minority here, however what I would love to see is a game that incorporates a 'schoolyard' selection process. So the two captains, and whom is appointed captain could be determined through a number of ways, pick their teams on television and explain why they select each player. A rule could be implemented that the captains can't select teammates. It would be interesting to see who would make Chris Judd's or Gary Ablett's ultimate team (or whomever is appointed captain.)
Pete London
Guest
Just because the NRL does state of origin doesn't mean the AFL needs to do it!
mds1970
Roar Guru
NSW v Queensland in pre-season? If such a game would ever draw a crowd over 2,000, I'll jump from Skoda to the SCG in a sack carrying an egg and spoon.
Hamish
Guest
I suggest NSW v Qld in pre-season to see if theres any interest and let it build or die from there... The NBL basketball tried East vrs West and it was a travesty from memory
Kasey
Guest
Nobody that really follows sport in America enjoys their all-Star game. For most fans its an uneccesasary interruption to the regular season, even when Baseball gave home field advantage to the winner of the AL v NL MLBASG it didn't spice up that event. I'm pretty sure the NFL has seriously considered scrapping its ASG: The Pro-Bowl, no more post season holiday to Hawai'i/Miami for the players. The only ASG I regularly watch is the MLS ASG, because it picks All the stars from that league and then pits them against a big-name European Club team like Manchester United(2011) orChelsea(2012) I think in all honesty, the advent of the AFL has drained the passionate desire for footy fans to see State teams Oh I, like hundreds of other Roarers look forward every mid-Winter to the oh so predictable AFL should have SOO as the NRL version carries on. Rep footy just doesn't fit in the AFL footy universe. If the fans aren't passionate about the game, the it just becomes a glorified training session and coaches will start leaning on players to withdraw lest they get injured mid season. The fans I know aren't really passionate about the International Rules Series and I honestly wonder how many more years it has in it.
Damo
Roar Guru
The one thing that makes this idea half decent is the fact that it's player driven. Some great things can come out of Player involvement- NRL Indigenious v All Stars Game was player driven. Other then that, lacks passion, vision, direction and sense.
Lux
Guest
I doubt either soccer or the NFL would be giving these sports a moment's thought.
Lux
Guest
Tobes as Ian says, absolutely zero chance of that happening. The AFL clubs could put out their bottom 22 players and still defeat these sorts of teams by 20 goals. It's a very different sport to soccer.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Passion can only really be derived from State of Origin football. Anything else smells like a marketing gimmick. If there is to be no State of Origin then stick with the club football which serves us so well.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Tobes, Theres a much bigger gap between the best of the second-tier sides and the first-tier sides than would be good for this kind of competition. In association football, you can park the bus, and limit the better side to, say, a dozen low probability shots, and therefore have a decent chance to score once to win on a counter-attack. In Australian Rules, thats about a quarter worth of a full flood, and the game has four quarters. Therefore, its very unlikely you'd get Claremont, Central Districts or the NT Thunder putting up a good game ... even if the AFL sides could be convinced to risk injuries to do it.
chris
Guest
Soccer and NFL must be laughing at all these silly idea's the AFL/NRL and Rugby Union keep trying out all the time.
Tobes
Guest
I'd love an FA Cup knockout style competition where Clubs from SA; WA; VFL; Tassie; NSW; QLD; etc build up to rounds against AFL Clubs.... would hold ore interest than some contrived SOO game...
Arthur Fonzarelli
Guest
I love this proposal - my only suggestion is play it EVERY year instead of every 2 years to really build momentum and a history quickly.. All it would take would be the Vics winning a few years in a row to build some genuine hatred. Also love the minor states getting a crack - NSW v QLD always has meaning, any player would love playing for NSW as opposed to an "Allies" concept. I believe all levels would draw crowds if marketed well.
ojg1997
Roar Rookie
This would be an absolute joke if they bring in East V West I would show 0% interest and there would also be 0% passion shown.
Dingo
Guest
There are as many cons as there are pros to bringing back State of Origin to our game but personally I would like to see it come back. However this proposal is just absurd, it's got Eddie Mcguire after 2 bottles of red written all over it. There is, in my opinion only one system that deserves recognition as the most plausible way for this to be done properly and that system should be called "The DiFabrizio System". Bring it.
Common sense
Guest
Wait iv got an idea... lets have a rep game where one team is made up of people who have pets and the other, those who don't.. or why not players who prefer chicken v players who prefer beef! What a great idea!?!!!