I’ve reluctantly come to accept that State of Origin will never be meaningfully resurrected in the AFL.
The clubs won’t support it, no one can agree on the right format and it’s just too difficult to find the multiple weeks necessary in an already crowded and lengthy season.
But the players support the concept of representative football and I, for one, would love to watch a showcase of the best versus the best – so long as it doesn’t degenerate into a lightweight exhibition match.
The question is who are the two teams that play? Victoria v “All-Stars”? East Coast v West Coast?
Both are options that are commonly put forward and both are somewhat flawed.
In an effort to re-invigorate the Pro Bowl this year the NFL pitted two of the game’s great ex-players (Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice) against each other as coaches of the two teams. These two coaches selected their teams via a Pro Bowl draft where each took a turn to select players.
The two coaches concerned also shared one of the NFL’s great on-field rivalries when they played and the banter between them in the lead-up to the game and during the draft was highly entertaining.
Neither wanted to lose the match against the other.
On field this year the Pro Bowl looked to be a much more competitive contest and less the pale imitation of real football it had become in recent years.
I think this year’s NFL model is something that is worth considering by the AFL.
Imagine if two great rivals (Jakovich and Carey?) or two great champions (Ricciuto and Brereton?) were to coach and they had to pick their teams by taking turns in a draft-like format where they had to pick 25 players each.
They would have to pick ‘real’ teams with the make-up of the 25 to consist of two ruckmen, three key forwards, three key defenders, five medium/small forwards, five medium/small defenders and seven midfielders.
It would be fascinating to watch that draft and the potential match-ups as they unfold on a TV special. Then the coaches talk up their teams and talk down each other until the match.
The teams could have a couple of light training runs together which would be more an opportunity to establish team spirit and give the players the chance to talk up the game to the media – for example, how much they’re looking forward to playing with Player X and against Player Y
Then make actual match performance a significant factor in All-Australian selection.
Surely a sponsor for the game wouldn’t be too hard to find.
Team names will be somewhat an issue, but the following year each coach would be allowed to preselect a certain number of players (say six) from last year’s team prior to the actual draft.
This allows for some team continuity and rivalry to develop over time. The original coaches would have to stay on for a few years to assist with that continuity and rivalry before passing the mantle on to a suitable replacement – maybe a recently retired player who played in his team.
I think the AFL can find space for one genuine representative match each year, or at worst every second year – all they have to do is get the format right.
And I think this is a different option that warrants genuine consideration and debate.
Al
Guest
Sick of hearing about how our game should adopt all facets of the nfl.
Slane
Guest
So deluded.
Al
Guest
And the AFL grand final is not as celebrated as the american game's version already in this country? What next, calling our premiers the "world champions" and giving out rings? Nah mate, shove your superbowl.
clipper
Guest
SOO is the very epitome of the saying 'you can't have your cake and eat it'
Emric
Guest
I'm gong to assume that your statement is purely about Australia. I suspect more people world wide would have heard the name George Gregan or Michael Clarke.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
ChrisB, Wrong. Check the NRL attendances around Origin.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Pot Stirrer, Again, you're mistaking a strength for a weakness. When people see the best of the best in Origin, or Test cricket, they look at their local club side and go 'nahh, I dont want to see third-raters' and they stay home.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
AR,Slane, Just admit it, your Jealous of SOO in the NRL. Theres nothing in AFL that comes close to it. How can you when with its expansion its continualy diluting the quality by spreading the talent further like the S15's. You have 1 grandfinal and its no greater than any other club game, same players bla bla bla.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Mal, I make my living finding out stuff other people havent noticed, or hadnt thought to be important. Im not big on conventional thinking, because that gives you the results everyone else has already found. And here is one for you, seeing as how big you are on rep games being such a critical part of a code succeeding - where are provincial-level rep sides important in association football ? They are a big thing in cricket. They are a big thing in rugby union. Bu, while I can see a lot of clubs in association football, and national sides that came later, after the code was a success, but I cant see anywhere that thinks rep sides that select the national team are a good idea. Well, except in one country where rugby union became the dominant code.
Slane
Guest
Do you have an example ChrisB? Just what would these players give? To my mind it seems like none of them have ever given anything in order to play a "meaningful game for Australia". Almost seems like they are happy enough representing their club and supporters. The AFL constantly tells us that these athletes are world class (and with each club spending upwards of 20mil on sports science/training I'm inclined to believe them), shouldn't some of these athletes be crossing codes in order to play rep games? There are scores of AFL players who played State level cricket, basketball or athletics but none of them chose to pursue those careers represent Aus.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Fans seem to disagree. Remember, by definition you have one national team, and that means one squad of players who can play once a weekend in one place at best. Cricket made a bad decision when it sacrificed 6-16 clubs in each of the major cities for the Sheffield Shield, and then when it sacrificed Shield (and County) cricket for the national sides. When you put rep sides on a pedestal, you are making the teams they are selected from second-rate - and despite what you and Mal like to think, most people dont love a code enough to watch second-rate sides to pay money to get through the gate. Rugby Union and Cricket both most heavily emphasised rep sides in their structure, and Australian Rules - which didnt - can spot either code everything east of Horsham and still get better crowds.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
The SAFA was formed 17 days before the VFA, but the game itself was relatively late to the state being played by jus relatively few clubs in the state, as opposed to more than a hundred in Victoria which had the game for nearly 30 years by that point, but played under the Challenge Cup rather than an organised VFA.
ChrisB
Guest
And if you actually knew the history it's international rugby league, not the club scene, that has been negatively affected by SOO. Once the ashes was the pinnacle of league, but English crapness for most of the time since the mid 70s, plus origin put paid to that, Years ago the club season used to stop early when Kangaroo teams toured the UK.
ChrisB
Guest
I was always under the impression the SANFL ore dated the VFA? That would indicate it was on the ground early in SA, but does that not fit the Victorian myth
ChrisB
Guest
May I ask why this is a problem? One would expect a representative competition, pitting the best players (or elite players) against other elites, to be the pinnacle. That is the whole point of state, regional or national sports teams Why does it matter that it takes some focus away from bloody local club teams? Why do all eyes have to be on one competition Anyway? Surely people have enough intellect to support Australia, their state And a club team ( or two if they follow multiple sports)
ChrisB
Guest
The problem in Aussie Rules (which is bigger than just AFL by the way) is the public obsession with club. It's a massive strength, but also a weakness when it comes to a meaningful rep structure. If there's no public will then it won't happen Fans of League, Union , soccer, cricket etc all demand representative games. Even in North American sports rep seasons have grown, well accepted in Ice Hockey now, and even baseball has its world baseball challenge for international competition (like a World Cup)? If the NHL and MLB, both long time enemies of rep comps can deal with it, why not AFL? The epitome of a parochial, local sport
ChrisB
Guest
What a thoroughly stupid view. There needs to be a balance between rep and club in all team sports. Agree cricket is too far one way, but at the moment AFL is way too far out the other way. Every sport needs some sort of rep honour. It can't or shouldn't be all about club competition. That's too closed and parochial
ChrisB
Guest
They may have "as many Aussie eyes in them" but I bet the vast majority of those players would give a lot to play a meaningful game for Australia.
Jorji Costava
Guest
Pro Bowl is a joke. The NFL is looking like getting rid of it. If they are going to do it there needs to be massive insurance for the affected clubs in case of player's going down due to injury. (That's another USA idea, so that will appeal to the bar-a-long US/wannabees we get to hear from on here all the f-ing time!)
Floreat Pica
Guest
I think this is an interesting model- but to me there remain several major flaws.. 1. one team in the 'final' would have played together previously and thus have 'practiced/bonded' while the other has not had the same conditions. 2. It would deny Tassie, Canberra, Qld, NSW and NT representation thus eroding the idea of the AFL being a truly National competition, or should they be merged in with 'stronger' states, it reduces the concept of it being truly SOO 3. ANZAC Day already has its own powerful showcase fixture which is frequently regarded as second only to the GF- why replace a tradition that grew organically with something else that may not work as well? I see the basic idea of a mid-season break for SOO still being very worthy, if tough to get past club list-management. It seems to fit with the players calls not only for a representational game, but also for some sort of mid-season break that they have been pushing for through the AFLPA. How could the AFL turn the biggest hurdle, securing the release of star players for a 'meaningless' match into a strength rather than a weakness?