AFL should be ambitious with Origin

I have never been a fan of State of Origin. My allegiance has never extended beyond my club and my interest in seeing Victoria beat South Australia or Western Australia is passive at best.

I was always happy for State of Origin to return as long as no players from my club were ever involved. Let other clubs risk their players has been my motto. Selfish perhaps, but it reflects the notion that the home and away season is king and nothing should ever compromise that. I am not alone in my sentiment.

But a lot of people think differently and yearn for the opportunity to once again follow their states, support the ‘Big V’, the Croweaters or the Sandgropers, and see the best of the best on display.

On a yearly basis there is discussion about reviving AFL State of Origin. State of Origin continues to be the pinnacle of the NRL season, surpassing both the regular season and the international games for the quality and passion of the spectacle.

But in the AFL it has become a mere afterthought, a symbol of a simpler time. State of Origin was played every year from 1977 to 1999 but since then there has only been a one-off Hall of Fame tribute match in 2008.

The popularity of State of Origin wavered noticeably over time, particularly once the West Coast Eagles and Adelaide Crows joined the competition in 1987 and 1991 respectively. Both teams featured a strong contingent of Western Australians and South Australians and suddenly state games were played on a weekly basis.

But if the concept was weakened by AFL expansion, it seemingly died with the passing of E.J. Whitten in 1995. Whitten epitomised the passion of state games and his lap of honour weeks before his death from prostate cancer remains an iconic image for a generation of football fans.

Since the final game in 1999 a variety of new formats have been suggested including biennial games or quadrennial games, and whether to include a combined ‘Allies’ team or not.

Most of the formats lack ambition. They are formats designed to fail, reflecting this administrations attitude towards representative football.

Nobody cares about an ‘Allies’ team and nobody will take the concept seriously if it is played every two or four years. Most suggestions give the impression that State of Origin is in the ‘too hard’ basket.

If the AFL ever decides to bring State of Origin back they need a definitive vision and they need the ambition to create a sporting event that fans want to be part of. It should not be narrow in scope but worthy of a national competition.

The AFL has proven over the years that it can create events: the Anzac Day and the ‘Dreamtime at the G’ games are two highlights of the season, drawing huge crowds and television viewers.

If State of Origin is reinstated then the AFL should direct its considerable resources towards promoting and creating the series as an event that is designed not only to attract the weekly football followers but also the theatregoers who may not watch another football game all season but would be attracted to a unique contest.

If I was on the AFL administration I would explore an eight team Origin concept involving four games played annually during the mid-season bye round (say between rounds 11 and 12). All the games would be played over a single weekend.

I would split Victoria into a Victoria Metro and Victoria Country side, consistent with their treatment at the under-18 National Championships. This seems fair given the number of players in the competition originating from Victoria compared to the other states.

Proposed Australian Cup:

Game 1: First versus second (Victoria Metro versus South Australia)
Game 2: Third versus fourth (Western Australia versus Victoria Country)
Game 3: Fifth versus sixth (NSW / ACT versus Queensland)
Game 4: Seventh versus eighth (Tasmania versus Northern Territory)

The winner of Game 1 becomes national champions and defends their title the following year. The loser of Game 1 is relegated to Game 2 the next year. The winner of Game 2 moves up to the championship game the following year, while the loser of that game is relegated to Game 3. And so on and so forth.

Obviously there will be some difference between the strength of some of the teams. The top four teams (Victoria Metro, Victoria Country, South Australia and Western Australia) would be noticeably better than the bottom four teams.

There are currently 51 players on an AFL list that would qualify to play for NSW and a further 44 players who qualify for Queensland. With rising participation rates in those states their share of AFL players should rise.

I believe that you could put together a solid line up with those numbers but I would also allow teams to find players from the various state competitions to supplement their rosters if need be.

Could you imagine the opportunity? NSW/ACT are playing South Australia and a 25-year-old from the NEAFL has an opportunity to showcase his skills against seasoned AFL players. A good performance might attract the interest of scouts and provide an opportunity to get on an AFL list. It is a great feel-good story.

Four matches and an ‘Australia Cup’ is a fine start but my plan is more ambitious than that.

I would schedule the annual EJ Whitten Legends Game on the same week. No Origin week would be complete without the presence of Whitten. This game is great fun with proceeds going to charity; being part of a larger football event would only raise awareness and crowds, and result in more money generated for charity.

I would also stage an annual game between the Under 18 All-Australian team (selected at the under-18 National Championships) and a team of AFL rookies.

This game would serve two roles, one it would be an interesting game between the best young players in the country and two it would serve a valuable role in AFL drafting since the prospective draftees are competing against AFL talent.

It is an opportunity for the fans to gain knowledge of the best youngsters in the country and a more knowledgeable fanbase would benefit discussions surrounding the AFL Draft.

Proposed events:

In my mind, the state of origin weekend should be about creating a week that is unlike anything else on the Australia sporting calendar. The ‘Australia Cup’ would be unique among Australian sporting events but I would supplement these games with two other events.

The first is that the AFL Hall of Fame Induction Night should be part of the festivities. I would stage it the night before the first game. From all reports it the night that former players appreciate the most, that rare occasion when they can catch up with old friends and legends of the game.

Although it has traditionally not been a television event, the event encourages the game’s great players and legends to be in the same place at the same time. I think any celebration of Australian football would be incomplete without the legends of the game.

This is important since my next suggestion is that on the weekend of the ‘Australia Cup’ the AFL should stage a football expo, providing an opportunity for children to meet some of their heroes, play football related games, and see and hold the Premiership Cup and Brownlow Medals.

One of my favourite football memories was attending an AFL football exhibition as a child and having the opportunity to hold the Ansett Cup trophy (unfortunately the Premiership Cup was too heavy!). I like the idea of rounding out the week of festivities with something directed at the children who will become the next generation of football fans.

Proposed schedule:

Wednesday night: AFL Hall of Fame Induction Night
Thursday night: EJ Whitten Legends Game
Friday night: Game 2
Saturday afternoon: Game 3
Saturday twilight: Under 18s/Rookie Challenge
Saturday night: Game 1
Sunday afternoon: Game 4
Saturday and Sunday: AFL Football Exhibition (different city each year)

Although I have never been a bit fan of representative football, I can understand why others have a strong view. I have approached this task with the idea of creating a unique event on the Australian sporting calendar.

The AFL should not try to recreate the passion and success of the NRL’s State of Origin. The rivalry between those two states cannot be easily replicated in the AFL. But the AFL should look at identifying the strengths of its competition and designing a representative system around those strengths.

The four game ‘Australia Cup’, the two additional games, the Hall of Fame Induction and the AFL Football Expo provide something for everyone. It reflects the growth of the league and the rising participation of traditionally non-football states in the AFL.

The AFL should embrace the national competition and approach the issue of representative football with the type of conviction that it has approached other expansion opportunities.

My system may be ambitious and will probably have its issues, but it represents a way forward on this issue.