State of Origin will NEVER work for AFL

[m7jebus]

Dream team is a hallow concept. Doesn't reflect on the potential peformance of state sides in the slightest.

Im pretty confident that WA is producing perhaps not the volume of footballers but developing more quality footballers per capita than Victoria over the last five drafts.

Paper teams mean nothing, do unless we see SOO it's safe to assume nothing.

Not far off the mark there. Certainly from an Essendon perspective, we've recruited heavily from WA in recent years (Hardingham, Pears, Ryder, Jetta, Hooker, Howlett, Gumbleton, Myers, Reimers, Colyer)...

Still, I can't see SoO ever getting off the ground again unless the QLD and NSW production lines begin to match up with the traditional states'. And as others have said, coaches (and plenty of the players) just wouldn't want it back; it's not unlike what's been occurring in international soccer.

 

[Ed_Gein]

1. Clubs/coaches hate it.

IMO, this is the one of the bigger reasons why SoO dropped off.

When you look at the SoO in the NRL, the players have one eye on the game before the season kicks off, players are fighting week in, week out trying to play well to get selected to take part. To put it simply, the players and the coaches in the NRL are all passionate about it, it's talked up in the papers and the game is the talk of the town in the build up to the match.

Maybe if players, coaches and the media starting taking an active interest in wanting to play and for the sake of it, talking about how much they'd love to get one over whatever state they're playing. Maybe, just maybe that might start filtering down through to the fans who might end up slowly starting to take more and more interest in the game.

AFL SoO is never going to be a success overnight, i get the feeling it might take a few years of playing it yearly to start getting players and the likes passionate about it. But at the end of the day, they are just 'curtain raisers'. The players take it easy like it's some sort of sideshow game. In the NRL, it's war.

That's the way i see it though.

 

[gaelictiogar]

league needs the SOO concept to get a really big crowd and a real athmosphere. Footy doesn't.

The concept is not attractive to a game with a hugely attractive main league. League needs SOO. Footy doesn't.

 

[Roddy]

league needs the SOO concept to get a really big crowd and a real athmosphere. Footy doesn't.

The concept is not attractive to a game with a hugely attractive main league. League needs SOO. Footy doesn't.

And that just about sums it up.

 

[Fire Storm]

...and have it cost Storm a premiership!!!!!! You can't be serious??

That's part and parcel of Origin. If it wasn't Origin, it could be a Test match. Every year us RL fans fight over whether our club players should've been in Origin. That MY club's fullback, half etc is better then the other teams player that was or will be picked. Bragging rights.

Playing rep football has always been a part of RL culture though. State games have exsited for a long time - not the Origin concept but still representing their state. Playing for Australa etc.

So if our star player get's injured during a rep game, yes its sucks for our club team, but thats part of the deal.

 

[PieNSauce]

SOO in aussie rules is a dead issue and is likely to stay that way for quite a while. Maybe in 100+ years time when/if AFL is firmly entrenched in the psyche of New South Welshmen and Queenslanders then it may stand some chance of rising from the ashes but until then I can't see it getting off the canvas. As many have said, rugby leage's SOO works because there are really only 2 states who support it in any real way.

Let's be honest, there's a deep and passionate rivalry and parochialism between Victorians and New South Welshmen but can anyone honestly see a SOO match between them gaining any interest? Not a chance in hell! It would attract 3 men and a dog.

 

[jackster83]

Can't see it coming back anytime soon. It used to be great watching Wanganeen, Hart, Bradley, Darren Jarman and Modra all running around together.

I'd rather have SoO than the International Rules series.

 

[Alexwce]

Doesn't bother me either way.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Lets face it if the League promoted it and made it out every year to be the biggest and ultimate test for a footballer then of course it could work.

Remember what ever the AFL tell most of us we all go yes Andrew.

If he tells you to back it in and we will have it every year, we will gag all club coaches. We will suspend players who are picked and do not play.

Then of course it could work.

Representative football is always the highest pinnacle of a sport. The AFL have promoted unfortunately that clubs and a premiership are the pinnacle.

To late to change it now.

But if they wanted to they would have no problem convincing the public.

We will do as we are told!!!

 

[lynchy magic]

is WA possibly catching up to VIC in terms of the quality youngsters being produced.
I mean you look through the last few drafts and WA has had three to four players in the top ten each year. They might not be producing the quantity but the quality is definately there.

 

[telsor]

Wont happen, for the reasons I mentioned before, but...


After round 22, each states selectors name a SOO team.

After the semi final, they get to drop/replace any players still in teams playing the prelim ( or injured ).

During grand final week, 4 matches are played ( NT vs ACT, NSW Vs QLD, Tas Vs SA, WA vs VIC the first year, promote/relegate winners/losers ). As part of the lead up.

 

[telsor]

is WA possibly catching up to VIC in terms of the quality youngsters being produced.
I mean you look through the last few drafts and WA has had three to four players in the top ten each year. They might not be producing the quantity but the quality is definately there.

It's simply a matter of population and from that perspective, (from memory) VIC is ~twice as big as WA. WA is growing (relatively) population wise, so they probably are catching up, but they'd be a long way off getting level. WA might do better per capita, but not enough to make up the difference.

 

[Primetime Pricey]

as if Rats would play for those Victorian bastards. OP you are a disgrace

 

[Sttew]

Origin = NRL. The NRL home and away fixture is little league with little league crowds. Three times a year the state of origin is played to capacity crowds. Almost every round in the AFL fixture there will be a game or games with crowds well over 50,000. Put simply, we don't need a state of origin competition to tantalise supporters of Australian Rules. Without Origin, the NRL is completely lost.

 

[mulz]

the afl have the $ to make it happen, if their is big incentives to play for your state, and win, it could work. if players take it seriously the fans will pack the stadiums.
did anyone catch the 1987 sos game on fox the other day, was awesome to watch, footy park was going mental, great names on both sides giving their all.
i have no doubt that a fair dinkum vic vs sa clash at the g would get 80k +

 

[*Crash*]

Can only work at the highest level with genuine good will from Clubs, Coaches and Players. Will take lots of money to buy them all.

Could work at a sub AFL level (best of the rest) if promoted correctly with reality TV etc.

 

[pazza]

Platten never played for Victoria - Dunstall and Daniher did - but, that was because neither NSW or QLD weren't part of the SOO concept until 1990, where by Dunstall became part of the QLD team and Daniher, who had already captained Victoria (1986), would captain NSW. Not sure how Merrett captained QLD having also captained Victoria in 1986!

 

[MarkT2]

SOO is dead.
Collingwood is much more important than Victoria.

 

[Taylor]

If they had a State Representative Side named along with the All-Australian then it could pave the way for that team to compete against the other State level sides.

The Rugby guys can play for their club, but also their country. The AFL players top level is the AFL Premiership season, there's no national representation as an AFL football player besides some hybrid with Ireland. La-de-dah.

If Australia could play the USA in an AFL International match.
I think there'll be an international AFL rules match before State of Origin.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Never understood the fascination with state footy, even prior to expansion. The pinnacle is the AFL premiership; anything else is a mere diversion.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Seperate Victoria into Vic Metro and Vic Country and they can play against WA and SA each year

That fixes the odd number of competitive teams. But then you select a squad of 40-odd players from each of WA/SA/Vic C/Vic M and see how many play for clubs outside their state of origin. How would they train in the lead-up without severely disrupting their program with their club? That's the big issue and one I'm not sure how you get around.

I'd be for a ceremonial state team (from all states and territories) being selected at the AA awards and getting a state guernsey. I think that's as close as we can get for now.

 

[Thermo]

2 problems.

1. Clubs/coaches hate it.

2. Victoria produces ~50% of AFL players. Assuming the talent follows similar lines, the big V would usually win against anything other than a combined team (which would have little interest).

1. Isn't a big issue for me. If the public and players want it well clubs can deal with it.

2. Is the deal breaker. No one wants to play for the 'all stars' or whatever you want to call it. It is a shame because I do love the state of origin format.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

It's dead.

 

[R00StaR]

Yes its dead on a national level, i like the concept for the state leagues though. A great way to show case the talent there.

For the AFL we dont need SOO imo. From next year onwards with some use of byes and split rounds (or wait for 2 new teams 10v10) we could have 2-3 rounds dedicated to Vic clubs Vs interstate teams.

So we'd have all Vic people for example getting behind say Bulldogs V Port at the Dome, the game could even become a blockbuster if bragging rights hinged off it. That Sunday evening game, or even a Monday night game could be dead rubber or a massive massive game. Either way it wouldnt be any worse than just a plain old Sunday night game we have now.

So rather than 1 game, we have an entire round. A mini comp within the comp. With the right promotion it could potentially be huge.

 

[Go GWS!]

My quick SoO idea.

1. Vic, SA and WA would be interested.
2. Two games each year.
3. Year 1 - A plays B. C sits out.
4. Year 2 - C plays loser from last year for the right to play in the main game.
5. Year 3 - repeat process ad infinitum.

No allies. No dream team.

So for example: if Vics beat SA this year in SoO, the next year WA play SA for the right to play Vic. Winner of that game is SoO champ.

Simple format.

What do you think?