It’s time. After 15 years in exile, it’s time that the AFL brings back State of Origin football.
The debate has been raging on for many years, especially after the one-off Victoria versus Dream Team match in 2008, about whether representative footy should be brought back.
Yesterday, two of the game’s best players, Scott Pendlebury and Gary Ablett, gave a glowing endorsement for the return of State of Origin.
The biggest logistical factor previously, was that many of the elite players wouldn’t be enticed to play. That’s now be quashed, with not only Pendlebury and Ablett wanting to play but many more.
A recent survey was conducted by the AFLPA (Australian Football League Players’ Association) on 80 of the game’s most elite players, about whether State of Origin should return. The results were staggering – every single player surveyed wanted State of Origin back.
The fans have always wanted it, television broadcasters dream of it and now the players want it back, it almost looks like a certainty. Almost.
How awesome would be it to see Ablett, Pendlebury and Joel Selwood running around in the same midfield wearing the ‘Big V’? The West Australian team would have abundance of freakish talent with stars such as Lewis Jetta, Nic Naitanui and Lance Franklin all sharing a guernsey.
Or what about the monster forward line ‘The Allies’ could have, featuring the two Riewoldts, Kurt Tippett and Tom Hawkins. It’s just mouth-watering thinking about the teams and how good they could be.
It would also end the argument that modern day games are boring and ugly.
Bringing in only the best players into two teams would showcase extremely high skills and freakish abilities that would make for amazing viewing.
Back in 2008, it was a big success. Although it only had a mere crowd of 69,000 people, the television ratings were huge for Channel Ten, with almost 1.3 million people tuning into the match. During that week, the game was hyped up and promoted heavily.
Not only did it deliver to the hype that was expected, but it went an extra yard by producing a great game of football. Brendan Fevola went on a rampage, kicking six goals as the ‘Big V’ snuck past the Dream Team by 17 points. Many players that played in that game would still state the Hall of Fame Tribute match as one of the highlights of their careers, if not the highlight of their career.
With the players now being on board, how the teams are set up and the eligibility of which player goes to which team is going to be the biggest hurdle from now on.
The Victoria versus Dream Team or Victoria versus The Rest concept could be brought back, to try and diminish the dominance the Victorian team could have.
But if the AFL wants to bring this back, it should be brought back properly. Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Allies (New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, NT and Tasmania) should all be involved, just like it was back in the 90s.
Currently, the AFL is easily dominating the sporting war against the NRL. But one thing that the NRL has over the AFL is the State of Origin.
It makes AFL players and fans envious that the NRL has a State of Origin and AFL doesn’t. The NRL State of Origin is one of the most fascinating and hyped-up rivalries quite possibly in the world, let alone Australia.
It’s always a gruelling battle between two states that despise each other dearly. And, each year, it seems to get bigger and bigger.
Should the AFL bring back State of Origin, it will undoubtedly make it the greatest sport in this country.
Rosey
Guest
Perfect and make it QLD/NT and NSW/ACT Make it one week in pre season
Harvey Specter
Guest
AFL people just don't understand the passion/hatred the NRL State of Origin generates between Queensland & NSW. It's long standing and real. That's why it's so successful. One of the best sporting specticals in the world.
Matt
Guest
State of Origin Division 1 1. Victoria 2. Western Australia 3. South Australia 4. New South Wales Division 2 5. Queensland 6. Northern Territory 7. Tasmania 8. ACT Week 1 (after round 7) Game 1: 1 v 4 Friday Night Game 2: 5 v 8 Saturday Game 3: 2 v 3 Saturday Night Game 4: 6 v 7 Sunday Week 2 (after round 14) Game 5: Winner G2 v Winner G4 Friday Night Winner: Promoted to Division 1 next season Loser: Finishes 6th Game 6: Loser G2 v Loser G4 Saturday Winner: Finishes 7th Loser: Finishes 8th Game 7: Winner G1 v Winner G3 Saturday Night Winner: State of Origin champion Loser: Finishes 2nd Game 8: Loser G1 v Loser G3 Sunday Winner: Finishes 3rd Loser: Relegated to Division 2 for the next season • The higher seeded teams will play at home • Every team has something to play for with promotion and relegation and a second round match against a closer seed. • The AFL currently has 1 bye for each team over three 6 game rounds. State of origin provides interest for fans all year round and gives more than half of each clubs playing list two rests. Players selected will want to represent their state over a bye, which is seen in the NRL. • 176 of the current 720 AFL listed players will get an opportunity to represent their state. • It provides the AFL two more weeks of ticket sales • Provides broadcasters with two more weeks of high profile games that don’t clash.
Tommo
Roar Rookie
That's actually a great idea^
Cat
Roar Guru
Sure it does, you said you don't understand why a 5 week carnival wouldn't work at the end of the season. I explained why. Players wouldn't agree to make the season even a single week longer, no way would they agree to play 5 more weeks.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Doesn't. Negate. My. Point.
Rising Power
Guest
State of Origin can easily be brought back, just not at AFL level. The various state leagues play each other each year, for example the VFL takes on the SANFL at the MCG on the 31st of May. These days there are so many players moving from state to state for opportunity, money, whatever and we end up with the representative teams containing players from all over Australia. Using the SANFL as an example, Mitch Thorp of Glenelg could play for Tasmania, Trent Goodrem of Central District (and Delta's brother...seriously, he is) could play for the NEAFL and Nick Liddle of South Adelaide could play for Victoria. Simples!
Cat
Roar Guru
There is only about 2 months of offtime between GF and preseason training starting, your carnival would cut over half of that. Will. never. happen.
The Bush
Roar Guru
AFL has one of the shortest seasons in pro sport - their is plenty of time for rest etc...
Fernando
Guest
State of Origin in the AFL is just gonna be too complicated for it ever really to work well as it does in rugby league due to the number of states that would need to be included. How about a simple east v west all stars game that could be played in pre-season or a mid season break. The west would consist of SA, WA and NT players. Could then rotate the match between Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and maybe even Sydney and Brisbane.
Australian Football Fan
Guest
State of Origin in Australian Football needs to come back, the players want it, the fans want it, it would get big crowds and higher T.V ratings. It would be awesome!
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
I'd like to see the indigenous side play a match of some sort as a curtain raiser to the grand final . That's all. But that won't happen. These guys are on $4000-$20,000 a game now. The game when Ablett and Plugger both for played for Victoria should be shown every year at some time on 7mate.
Shmick
Guest
Oh no, not this again. Please stop. Unless you can work out 2 rep teams to cover the whole competition that people will care about in a one-off game on GF eve, please stop.
Tommo
Roar Rookie
join the movement: like this page to put pressure on the AFL https://www.facebook.com/pages/AFL-State-of-Origin-Return/1505520543008573
Steve of Blacktown.
Guest
Those who want to bring it back must be forgetting the reasons why it was stopped all those years ago. We get state vs state now. Kind of anyway. Plus imagine your favourite players playing state of Origin and getting injured and then this stops your teams chance of winning the Premiership? NO THANK YOU!!!! It works for the NRL because they only have 2 states competing but AFL would have 4 or 5 states wanting a piece of the action? How many damn games would that be then? Give up on this dream guys we have a great competition now as it is. LET SLEEPING DOGS LAY!
Garcia
Guest
It is simple 1st year VIC vs SA (Tier 1) WA vs TAS (Tier 2) NSW vs QLD (Tier 3) Each state plays the other state in their tier once home and once away. The Team who wins both games (or has the better percentage in case of a tied series) gets promoted to the higher level tier for next years series (or in the case of tier one stays in the top tier), while the loser of the series is relegated to the tier below (or in the case of tier three stays in the bottom tier). So in the second year for example it would be Vic vs WA (Tier 1) SA vs NSW (Tier 2) TAS vs QLD (Tier 3)
duncan
Guest
Until the players come out in force and say they want it back I would say no. You only have to look at SOO in league to see why. Cheapest ticket for game one here in Brisbane is $158 and most were over $200 and the last thing the AFL would want is what happened when Mark O mealy and Willie Mason and a few others were playing five /six years ago and just wanted to avoid getting injured. The whole idea of Origin just died for me then. I suppose the AFL might have given it some thought due to the sellout crowd at Etihad when it was played there. Lets hope it doesn't get any further then that. If they really are desperate for more footy do away with the NAB cup and play five more fixtures at the start and five more at the end. Brad Thorn when asked would he consider a return to Origin two years ago said he would love to but his Union career would be over because the intensity was so high that it was the equivalent of playing five matches at once and I"m sure that would apply to the AFL as well. The risks are to high given our low player base given the size of our population and the fact we play only twenty two fixtures a year so need our top players on the field
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Won’t happen. Clubs are not interested in letting their players play meaningless games that may compromise their chances of winning the Premiership or their players training/recovery sessions. But just for fun how about the following fixtures in year one 1? SA v Vic Country Adelaide Oval Friday Night 7:40pm NSW/ACT v Queensland SCG Saturday Afternoon 2:30pm Vic Metro v WA Etihad Saturday Night 7:30pm Tasmania v NT Bellerive Oval Sunday Afternoon 2:30pm Year 2 could look something like this: Vic Metro v SA MCG Friday Night 7:40pm NT v Tasmania TIO Darwin Saturday Afternoon 2:30pm WA v Vic Country Subiaco Saturday Night 7:30pm Queensland v NSW/ACT Gabba Sunday Afternoon 2:30pm Anyone suggesting a state of origin series with a team called the “Allies” in it is kidding themselves. It is a stupid concept and in what sport are QLD and NSW allies? There is enough talent across the AFL that basing an Origin Carnival on the Under-18’s set up should be manageable and provide some drawcards for the games. VIC, SA and WA would have no trouble filling their teams with the cream of the crop from the AFL. For the others, they do have some handy players running around currently: NSW – Tom Hawkins, Jarrad McVeigh, Taylor Walker, Isaac Smith, Matt Suckling, Luke Breust, Hamish McIntosh, Phil Davis, Lenny Hayes, Kieran Jack, Ben McGlynn, Dane Rampe, LRT, Josh Bruce Queensland – Dayne Beams, Claye Beams, Nick Riewoldt, Kurt Tippett, Dayne Zorko, Daniel Merrett, Andrew Raines, Rory Thompson, Jarrod Harbrow, Charlie Dixon, David Hale, David Armitage, Jesse White They are two pretty competitive lists with a lot of quality to make a great match at either the SCG or the Gabba. Tasmania – Jack Riewoldt, Eli Templeton, Mitch Robinson, Grant Birchall, Nathan Grima, Tom Bellchambers, Ryan Harwood, Kade Kolodjashnij, Jake Kolodjashnij NT – Stephen Motlop, Matthew Stokes, Cyril Rioli, Shaun Burgoyne, Tom Logan, Steven May, Curtly Hampton While these two teams probably don’t have the cattle to produce a solid 22 man team (plus a couple of emergencies) why not top them up with players from the local leagues in Tasmania and the Northern Territory and give them a crack with the best in the land? The only time that I could forsee this game happening in the currently packed AFL schedule is either 1 or 2 weeks after the Grand Final. No team is going to release players from their current pre-season training and scheduled matches otherwise it could happen mid-year but it would need to be a full weekend of SOO matches and it then takes away one bye for the players and they have argued long and hard for the second bye. All in all while some players, Pendlebury and Ablett particularly, look back with nostalgia no one seems to have considered when these games could/would be scheduled.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Won’t happen. Clubs are not interested in letting their players play meaningless games that may compromise their chances of winning the Premiership or their players training/recovery sessions. But just for fun how about the following fixtures in year one 1? SA v Vic Country Adelaide Oval Friday Night 7:40pm NSW/ACT v Queensland SCG Saturday Afternoon 2:30pm Vic Metro v WA Etihad Saturday Night 7:30pm Tasmania v NT Bellerive Oval Sunday Afternoon 2:30pm Year 2 could look something like this: Vic Metro v SA MCG Friday Night 7:40pm NT v Tasmania TIO Darwin Saturday Afternoon 2:30pm WA v Vic Country Subiaco Saturday Night 7:30pm Queensland v NSW/ACT Gabba Sunday Afternoon 2:30pm Anyone suggesting a state of origin series with a team called the “Allies” in it is kidding themselves. It is a stupid concept and in what sport are QLD and NSW allies? There is enough talent across the AFL that basing an Origin Carnival on the Under-18’s set up should be manageable and provide some drawcards for the games. VIC, SA and WA would have no trouble filling their teams with the cream of the crop from the AFL. For the others, they do have some handy players running around currently: NSW – Tom Hawkins, Jarrad McVeigh, Taylor Walker, Isaac Smith, Matt Suckling, Luke Breust, Hamish McIntosh, Phil Davis, Lenny Hayes, Kieran Jack, Ben McGlynn, Dane Rampe, LRT, Josh Bruce Queensland – Dayne Beams, Claye Beams, Nick Riewoldt, Kurt Tippett, Dayne Zorko, Daniel Merrett, Andrew Raines, Rory Thompson, Jarrod Harbrow, Charlie Dixon, David Hale, David Armitage, Jesse White They are two pretty competitive lists with a lot of quality to make a great match at either the SCG or the Gabba. Tasmania – Jack Riewoldt, Eli Templeton, Mitch Robinson, Grant Birchall, Nathan Grima, Tom Bellchambers, Ryan Harwood, Kade Kolodjashnij, Jake Kolodjashnij NT – Stephen Motlop, Matthew Stokes, Cyril Rioli, Shaun Burgoyne, Tom Logan, Steven May, Curtly Hampton While these two teams probably don’t have the cattle to produce a solid 22 man team (plus a couple of emergencies) why not top them up with players from the local leagues in Tasmania and the Northern Territory and give them a crack with the best in the land? The only time that I could forsee this game happening in the currently packed AFL schedule is either 1 or 2 weeks after the Grand Final. No team is going to release players from their current pre-season training and scheduled matches otherwise it could happen mid-year but it would need to be a full weekend of SOO matches and it then takes away one bye for the players and they have argued long and hard for the second bye. All in all while some players, Pendlebury and Ablett particularly, look back with nostalgia no one seems to have considered when these games could/would be scheduled.
mds1970
Roar Guru
We all remember the emotion in 1995 when Ted Whitten did his farewell lap of the MCG. But when he passed away, there just didn't seem to be any point in playing State of Origin any more.