Every winter, several weeknight games of football seem to involve sledging about cane toads and cockroaches, followed Victorians wanting their chance to stick it up ’em.
As a devoted Australian rules football fan and theatre-goer to the other three codes, I’m going to join in the chorus for the AFL to bring back the original State of Origin.
While Australian rules is the biggest game in the land, its roots are its biggest hindrance – the game is still too niche to expand beyond our shores. It’s no wonder those of us south of the Murray watch with jealousy every time Origin hits our screens or rolls into town.
League Origin works well for several reasons. The first is its simplicity. Every person in the northern states understands two wins out of three mean bragging rights.
Second, given the series is contested by two states that hate each other’s guts, there’s meaning to each game, including last night’s cracking dead rubber.
Finally, the players would crawl over glass for a guernsey. The best nearly always play the best.
Compare this with the various excuses trotted out by the AFL in recent years.
Keeping in line with the AFL’s wishes, the final years of State of Origin bordered on the pathetic. What were the players playing for? Who were ‘the Allies’? Why didn’t the superstars want to play?
It was a far cry from the packed houses hoping to ‘kick a Vic’, or the saddest day in football, where the late Ted Whitten took one final lap of honour as he battled terminal cancer.
I therefore propose an eight-team State of Origin knock-out tournament to be played over a two or three-week period in winter, once every four years. Acknowledging that some sort of break from the premiership season is required, this interruption would be welcomed compared with the rolling byes clubs and fans now despise.
The competition would consist of six state teams, with players representing their ‘state of origin’. In addition, I propose an Indigenous All-Stars side (acknowledging a culture that existed for thousands of years before the states), and a revived Australian Amateurs, comprising the best local talent from across the country.
To balance the competition, the definition of ‘origin’ could be broadened for the smaller states, such as ‘first senior game for a NSW or Queensland-based club’.
This would recreate the reasons why league’s State of Origin works well. An eight-team knockout competition is easy to understand. The lack of international football means state football becomes a rare opportunity. Holding a tournament infrequently means players will be more willing to take an opportunity that arises only every four years (to the relief of the clubs).
Finally, a tournament with an eventual winner has meaning, unlike the glorified exhibition games in years gone by.
Despite the years passing, there is still a sense of pride in pulling on the Big V, Croweater or Sandgroper guernsey, especially for our champions who will never taste premiership glory. Matthew Pavlich may not win a premiership with Fremantle, though he could’ve captained South Australia to a national championship. Nick Reiwoldt missed two opportunities with St Kilda, though a Queensland boilover would be a memory to cherish almost as much.
State of Origin will also provide an excellent opportunity to promote quality football in the northern states, something lacking in Queensland recently. The 1998 game between Victoria and the Allies doesn’t count. The underdog Amateurs even gives a local superstar or retired great one final shot at glory. Imagine the season-long trials for that team!
Importantly, there would be a huge sense of pride for our Indigenous players to play for a team representing the oldest known culture in the world, as the semi-annual preseason Indigenous All-Star games suggest.
In the non-Origin years, the AFL could follow the NRL and stage an All-Stars vs Indigenous All-Stars game before the season proper. It would encourage the spirit of reconciliation as only sport can. It would certainly be a cracking way to open the new Perth stadium as well.
What say you Roarers?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Fri STV #NRL #FoxSports #NRLDragonsTitans 152k Fri STV #AFL #FoxFooty #AFLFreoCats 271k Fri TV #NRL #NRLDragonsTitans Nine 312k (Syd 175k Bri 138k) Gem 30k (Mel 19k Ade 4k Per 7k) Fri TV #AFL #AFLFreoCats Seven 425k (Mel 318k Ade 108k) 7mate 188k (Syd 25k Bri 34k Per 129k) AFL 884 NRL 494 Almost double on a Friday night - in an SOO week no less. That is a huge disparity. Once again, it underscores the point that the NRL drops off a cliff in terms of public interest while SOO is on. At a guess, I'd say the AFL is the biggest fan of all of SOO (in its current guise).
rasty
Guest
Another Soccerina that never posts on the Aussie rules tab. :)
rasty
Guest
The goose post hoc who claims to never read let alone post on the AFL tab. Nice work dork.
Punter
Guest
I think you should check your records again; Sydney Cricket Ground Sport/Event Crowd No. Team/Artist Date Cricket 58,446 Aust v England 15.12.1928 Australian Rules 46,168 Sydney v Geelong 30.8.1997 Rugby League 78,056 St George v Souths 18.9.1965 Rugby union 49,327 NSW v New Zealand 13.7.1907 Soccer 51,566 NSW v Everton 2.5.1964
Steve L.
Guest
I wish people would stop upsetting the AFL's FTA 5 city metro ratings by quoting National regional ratings. I know AFL claims to be a national game, but those big northern regional centres when included really play havoc with the ratings.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
As a RL Tragic, i love the SOO but it is starting to get the point where fans are getting fed up with the lack of Weekend footy when Origin is Played.
richo
Guest
for AFL SOO to work it needs clubs and players to want it to work. They dont so it wont. Even if it was after end of regular season or before season starts
Agent11
Guest
Mister, its not all about crowds and ratings. Perhaps some people would like to see the best of the best play against each other in the AFL? Perhaps it would draw a lot more casual viewers from the Rugby states? Collingwood and Swans are popular teams but please, it does not have the intensity and atmosphere of an Origin game.
Craigo
Guest
@ Mister Football The fact that the NRL will still win the Foxtel ratings by the end of the year even more impressive! As The Wookie quoted, as at the end of the round before last (29 June 2016): NRL: 118 games Ratings: 58,314,000 AFL: 120 games Ratings: 56,226,000 Now that SOO is over the NRL will put the AFL back to second place on Foxtel and continue its domination. I must say there is nothing wrong with coming second. The AFL still rates very well compared to other sports just not the NRL. The AFL should be happy the NRL has SOO it give the AFL a sporting chance in the Foxtel ratings. AFL SYDNEY V HAWTHORN FOX FOOTY – 326,000 is National so not Sydney!!! Free2air in Sydney was 58k
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Unless something dramatically changes it aint gunna happen. It is played at the lower tiers, is needed at that level and works but not the higher ( AFL) I would rather see a midweek knockout comp played over the course of a season involving every club in Australia like soccer does, it obviously needs to be seeded but that would interest me more than SOO.
Craigo
Guest
It's looking that way Harry
Mister Football
Roar Guru
But it's one of nine games getting marginally above average attendances and average ratings - and that's happening 23 rounds per season - that's the point. That's why the annual revenue of the AFL and its 18 clubs is double that of the NRL and its 16 clubs. All this interest in SOO means interest in the NRL takes a nose dive at this time of year. You probably don't notice it in attendances because they are already smallfry, but it's noticeable in other areas. Here are the Fox ratings from last Friday night: 1. LIVE: AFL GEELONG V SYDNEY FOX FOOTY - 323,000 2. LIVE: NRL EELS V ROOSTERS FOX SPORTS 1 - 186,000 Here are the Fox ratings from last Satuirday night: 1. LIVE: AFL GWS V COLLINGWOOD FOX FOOTY - 246,000 2. LIVE: NRL BULLDOGS V TIGERS FOX SPORTS 1 - 242,000 3. LIVE: AFL BULLDOGS V RICHMOND FOX FOOTY - 223,000 4. LIVE: AFL GOLD COAST V BRISBANE FOX FOOTY - 219,000 Here are the Fox ratings from last Sundayu night: 1. LIVE: AFL CARLTON V ADELAIDE FOX FOOTY - 179,000 2. LIVE: AFL ESSENDON V ST KILDA FOX FOOTY - 175,000 3. LIVE: AFL WEST COAST V NORTH MELB FOX SPORTS 3 - 156,000 4. LIVE: NRL PANTHERS V SHARKS FOX SPORTS 1 - 151,000 And here are the Fox ratings for last night: 1. LIVE: AFL SYDNEY V HAWTHORN FOX FOOTY - 326,000 2. LIVE: THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTY ON FOX FOX FOOTY - 129,000 In other words, the total ratings for last night's game were almost one million (Fox plus FTA 5 city metro). That's just for one club game of nine this weekend. That's 23 weeks per year. That's why anyone suggesting that the AFL should interrupt its season to play games of zero consequence doesn't know what they're talking about.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
We know - Swans are a failure and GWS will soon move to Canberra, Thanks Craigo.
Craigo
Guest
@ Gyfox "40,000 last night at the SCG for a great game, compared with 60,000 for SOO says it all!" The SOO was a dead rubber and still pulled TV ratings of 839,000 just in Sydney alone!! add a crowd of 61,000 at the game FOR A DEAD RUBBER!! If you average the two SOO in Sydney thats over 70,000 fans for their home games and thats for a team that has only won one series in 12 years!! says it all hey Gyfox? The Swans who have been around the top of the table in that time played in Sydney last night and could only get TV ratings for 58K on FREE TO AIR for TOP THE TABLE CLASH. With all that money spent it's not a good look. Says it all hey Gyfox? Also, Wednesday nights SOO in Melbourne had 381,000 on TV the next night in Melbourne the Swans v Hawks only got 381,000. Says it all hey Gyfox? Thu TV #AFL #AFLSwansHawks Seven 483k (Mel 381k Ade 102k) 7mate 169k (Syd 58k Bri 32k Per 79k)
Tom M
Guest
Time to put this crazy talk to bed. Every year articles like this appear and for the love of god people wake up. Footy doesn't need representative games and footy people don't want them.
JohnDee
Guest
Don't get me wrong, you could pull some brilliant white players from the history books and they would be competitive, Bird would be the first one picked, then guys like Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitski, John Stockton, John Havlicek & Jerry West, though it woudn't be an overly big line-up. ... they would still struggle against a team made up of this seasons best black players. Would love to see that Lebron vs Bird matchup though!
Post hoc
Guest
You've got the only AFL game in the world, how can you consider it to be one of the best in the world LOL
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
JD - its a two edged sword with state of origin representation. Teams with a lot of reps like the Cowboys, Broncos and Sharks are disadvantaged in games where they have to rest players before origin games are played - but they get the advantage of origin reps returning to their teams and using their experience in high quality high pressure games for the final rounds of the season and the finals. I hated the selfish attitude of AFL coaches resting their best players for state of origin in the past. I used to live in Adelaide and saw some fantastic origin games between SA and the Vics back in the 80s and 90s. The standard of AFL matches this season has been superb - particularly those involving top 8 teams playing against each other - but the origin matches I watched back in the day were at another level completely - with 44 of the cream of AFL footballers playing at an intensity and skill level of the highest quality. The fact that they were playing for their states made the spectacle even more intense. I would love to see the return of origin to AFL but sadly the selfishness of the coaching staff and senior management of individual AFL clubs - plus the lack of foresight and support of the AFL administration won't allow it to happen.
Steve L.
Guest
I don't think SOO will ever be successful in the AFL due to the fear of losing players to injury. I think it just highlights the cultural difference between the codes. From it's inception, Rugby League has toured and hosted Test series with it's best players tied up for extensive periods in representative teams. The fans have always accepted this as part ad parcel of the game. Our fans find it a foreign concept and are not willing to risk losing our top players with injury from the weekly competition
Gyfox
Guest
You are 100% correct, Ronan! Whilst SOO is a great TV event, it affects the NRL competition badly. I was raised on the old interstate games, but those days are past. We have the best football competition in Australia in the AFL, & one of the best in the world - why muck it up with interstate games. They are irrelevant now that we have a truly national competition. Interstate games were great, but they are a relic of the past. As Xavier says, Rugby League needs them to promote their game & make it relevant to the rest of Australia. We look on with interest, then go back to what really matters. It is why AFL attendances leave the others for dead & are 4th highest in the world. 40,000 last night at the SCG for a great game, compared with 60,000 for SOO says it all!