This week, the AFL website ran a piece about State of Origin and how players really like the idea of representative footy.
I think there is a need for representative football.
Yes, I do know our great game is, at its heart, a club game and unless matches are played for premiership points, some people don’t see the point in risking injuries for a showpiece event.
Others say it would be great to see the ‘Big V’ go up against the ‘Croweaters’. Some are unsure but inquisitive about when and where the event would take place, and others are simply against the idea.
But the players would love it, they’ve certainly been a part of it before during the Under-18 Championships and there’s enough state rivalry around for the public to become interested.
Personally, I can’t stand Victorians. They stole the Grand Prix, they’re trying the steal the Tour Down Under (good luck guys, it will never happen), they wouldn’t be able to tell a good drop of wine from a bottle of passion-pop and they pronounce Melbourne, “Malbourne”.
I remember seeing an advert for West End Draught a couple years ago, and it really spoke to me.
The idea was that Victorians are latte-drinking hipsters with ridiculous hair and South Australian’s are down to earth normal folk.
And although I can’t stand West End’s piss-water, I find giving crap to our interstate neighbours endearing.
So while my insults toward Victorians are aimed jokingly, I still think there is enough interest to start up State of Origin again.
But the question’s still remain: who plays who, at which venue, at what time of the year? And that’s the thing.
If poor old Western Australia is left out, I’m sure secession plans will come to the boil again, which isn’t good, because the rest of Australia needs to exploit Western Australia for their resources and give them nowhere near the amount of public funding they deserve!
And where would it be played? The Melbourne Cricket Ground, Football Park, Adelaide Oval?
What game format would take place? It could be just one game between South Australia and Victoria, a best of three series like the rugby league State of Origin or a knockout competition between all states and territories.
It’s hard to make the event a success but still make everyone happy.
Rugby league’s State of Origin is easy to sort out, because Queensland and New South Wales are the two dominant states for rugby league.
But this is a completely different situation.
There’s no doubt that Victoria and South Australia are the biggest footy states, but Western Australia and Tasmania aren’t far off the mark.
When you also look at the increasing popularity of the game in Queensland and New South Wales, it could be feasible to hold a knockout competition between all states and territories.
Sadly for Western Australia however, they might have to miss out on another event again.
The idea that all states can participate is a far-fetched notion and would mean that the competition would drag on far longer than necessary.
The concept of a West versus East game is too American and doesn’t even remotely encapsulate the idea of State of Origin.
There needs to be one game; Victoria versus South Australia, in the middle of the year when all teams are on a mid-year break.
One year it should be held at the MCG and the next year at the Adelaide Oval in rotation.
I’m sure most will agree that when it comes to interstate rivalry in footy, nothing beats Victoria versus South Australia.
The Victoria-South Australia rivalry is akin to an episodic soliloquy involving John Dorian from Scrubs: It’s been great for a long time, it will continue to be great, and it sure as hell never gets old!
Richard
Guest
No , keep it we have clipsal 500 You broke it lol
Roly
Guest
knockout competition between all states and territories. 8 teams 3 weeks. Smaller states and territories players will gain more exposure as will the game in these areas.
Brewski
Guest
That brings me to Tom Outridge, WA football hall of famer. A great example of the movement of people between Ballarat, Bendigo and in particular footballers. Born in Ballarat in 1898, moved to Coolgardie as a young boy and was schooled there, represented WA 27 times, inaguaral winner of the Sandover, played 300 + games with Mines Rovers, Subiaco and Perth. A street in Subiaco is named after him, the clubs B&F is named after him. In 2004, Cazaly Resources, an Australian gold exploration company, named a discovery near Kunanalling "Outridge Prospect" after him. One of his sons, Thomas Michael Outridge, played cricket for Western Australia.
Steele
Guest
Bring it back ASAP, one of the reasons I loved it is because I support the dees, and let's face it, dont get to see a whole lot of success. Therefore state of origin brings another avenue of viewing for me. I also think just having one main prize?(the premiership) is short sighted and not with the times. I think WA would put up a better team than SA looking at current players and also would be the most passionate crowd. Subi would go off!
Timmuh
Roar Guru
This seems to pop up every few months. Sadly I just can't see it happening. After the GF is the only tim they clubs might allow players to be available, every second year in place of the Ireland games would be ideal. That is rare enough for players to want to pull on the state jumper, and allows the IR to continue every second year with a four year cycle. Host Ireland, SoO Preliminaries, Visit Ireland, SoO Finals. Finding a workable format with no Allies, All-Stars, etc is the tricky part. Qld, NSW, Tas and NT must be stand-alone teams, but the 3th team (Qld) is miles behind the third (probably SA, maybe WA). TV will not want any part of a match that doesn't involve Victoria, and certainly not a Tas v NT game (even pay TV wouldn't bother showing that) - making it even harder.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Fair enough.
checkside
Guest
It seems evident that players (except a lot of Victorians) are very proud to be selected and play for their home state. I also feel sorry that when a Victorian state team gets on the field and win the general feeling in Victoria is - "no big deal, they should win" and if they lose - "well it doesnt really mean anything", which doesnt really encourage the Victorian players that are keen to represent the state. It is a pride thing I would suggest and it was something the late and great Ted Whitten was all about, but he has gone now sadly. Yes it is a big deal for us outside the big fishbowl.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
I should have been more specific by noting that I'm speaking more about the time of the year when the team is announced. It's true that it doesn't necessarily come up in general day-to-day conversations, however neither does most other awards, the Brownlow aside.
Brewski
Guest
There is very simple reason why the SANFL is bigger than the WAFL ...and that is money, more specifically poker machine money. There is more money ( not always, but it is not unusual) in the West in the bush, rather than the WAFL. And i don't know the numbers, but my guess is that WA has plenty more AFL club listed players than SA, which of course brings to my hobbyhorse, and that is ........ that ..... WA needs a third AFL side.
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
Essendon, Hawthorn and Carlton would make an argument for second-top but personally I'd agree with you on the Eagles being second largest. Will explode in 2018 with a new stadium as well. Certainly, outside of Victoria it is the largest - has eclipsed Adelaide Crows well and truly. However, SANFL is stronger than WAFL, so as far as states go, your mileage may vary.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
LROY, I remember Gary Ablett snr in that game as a mature aged recruit from Geelong via Hawthorn & Gippsland. First year in the big time. WA won from memory, but Gary Ablett left an impression that few have ever matched. 8 goals from a forward flank! One of the most natually gifted, and intimidating players to ever pull on a pair of footy boots I reckon. Maybe the best.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Can't agree with that. I don't recall anybody ever, in friendly (and not so friendly) arguments about various player's talent, referring to their inclusion in the All Australian line up as proof of their worth. But I'm now living in NSW, so maybe that's changed a bit in footy states. Cheers.
Lroy
Guest
Im sure the Vics could put a decent side on the park as well... ;-)
Lroy
Guest
Mate, I remember going to Subi oval in 1979 for the State of Origin carnival, won by WA, captained by Brian Peake (thats going to cause a google search I bet) For us it was a chance to see these VFL superstars that we only saw on TV live in the flesh... (Madden, Flower, Greig etc) The Vics always seemed like 18 sets of Darth Vader, given their black jumpers (OK, navy blue, but they look black from a distance) and freakish football ability... saw Ablett kick 8 goals in 1984.... man that guy could take a grab. The national comp brought the players over every second week, so it stopped being a "once a year" novelty. Having said that, they could play it as part of the pre season surely? No one gives a stuff about the NAB cup, but seing guys like Buddy, Jetta and Natanui in the same side, mate that would be worth going to see right?? So, as part of a pre season comp I can see it working.
Football Fan
Guest
Bring back State of Orgin the fan's want it. A All Start game won't work, after one year the players won't care about it and it will become a non competitive farce like it is in American sports. Play a few games each year and National Carnival every 3 year's.
Redb
Roar Guru
Japanese Super Highways, Incorrect the suburbs look nothing alike (except new estates and McMansions). Adelaide built out of sandstone. Melbourne bluestone.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
"We dont have players and spectators who really give a crap about All Australian honors simply because theres no one to play the team against to give it a quantifiable meaning, and the reality is its just a player marketing exercise to get more money into their next pay packet" I don't agree. All-Australian honors (whose meaning is based upon it being the Team of the Year) is one of the game's greatest and most prestigious awards. In some ways, it's more prestigious than club Best & Fairests, seeing as it's a league award. Not to mention that the attention paid to it each year is enormous.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
It comes from not really having to worry about serious National team or representative selection as well. A Biannual "International Rules" series hasnt really caught public imagination. We dont have players and spectators who really give a crap about All Australian honors simply because theres no one to play the team against to give it a quantifiable meaning, and the reality is its just a player marketing exercise to get more money into their next pay packet Perhaps we still go by the Philosophy espoused by the Argus on Jan 16, 1888 “We have the finest game of football and the finest players in the world, and we are so satisfied upon this point that we have no desire to put it to the test by playing against the representatives of any other country,even when they challenge us and are prepared to meet us on our own grounds"
Rodney Penny
Roar Pro
I'm sure if we did get it back, we'd do a better job at running it than you Victorians! I do appreciate the feedback from everyone, though. State of Origin is such a contentious issue that it won't be able to go ahead and still make everyone happy. We'll have to wait and see how it all folds out.
Brewski
Guest
Hi Floyd, indeed, one only has to look at Bendigo, Ballarat etc to realise what gold has done for the architecture of a place, without gold they probably would have looked something like Dubbo. :) Maybe Geelong would be bigger than Melbourne if gold was not found, but who really knows. Without gold West Australians would probably not be as keen on Australian football as we are. Just a interesting tidbit of info, in WW1, around 820 men signed on from the WA goldfields of Kalgoolie, out of those 820 men, roughly 280 or around 35% gave their birth address as Victoria or more precisely around Bendigo or Ballarat, and that amount would not include Kalgoolie men born in Kalgoolie of Victorian parentage. :)