No State of Origin next year :(

[Hawkers Hero]

http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/twogame-start-but-origin-dies/2007/10/09/1191695909388.html


- No state of Origin

- 24 week season

- Only 2 Sunday games in Rnd 22

- Proposed round 1 schedule

[Gary Shadforth]

For those of us who cannot get enough footy twenty four games is a boost. But one wonders about the thoughts of the players via the AFLPA.

Two-game start but origin dies
Caroline Wilson | October 10, 2007
The Age

AFL state-of-origin football appears dead and buried, with league bosses admitting yesterday the concept was now "unlikely" to be reintroduced into the 2008 fixture and would therefore remain a historic relic of the game's past.

The AFL could also abandon its controversial push to fixture a Good Friday twilight game next season in favour of a radical season-opener featuring back-to-back games the previous night — Thursday, March 20 — to launch the elongated football year.

Gillon McLachlan, the AFL executive in charge of the fixture, confirmed yesterday that the 24-week home-and-away season would start one week early with two mid-year breaks but that the 150th birthday celebrations scheduled for the Mother's Day weekend in early May would probably not involve a state-of-origin clash.

"As much as all of us would like it to happen it's looking too difficult at this stage and unlikely," McLachlan said. "The problems with clubs being unequally represented … and the prospect of just one game and not a series makes it too difficult, which is a pity."

The AFL Commission has brought forward its next scheduled meeting to Friday to rule on what could prove a historic decision regarding the once-sacrosanct position of football on Good Friday. Late yesterday the prevailing view was to retain the religious holiday as a football-free one.

With the AFL determined to launch the season with the now customary grand final rematch, Port Adelaide would host Geelong on Thursday night, with the Richmond-Carlton clash intended for Good Friday also mooted as a Thursday twilight game to be televised on Channel Ten immediately beforehand.

A first draft of the 2008 fixture released to the AFL's broadcasters this week revealed that the Good Friday scenario remained in jeopardy due to religious concerns and the fact that at least six clubs were fighting over the fixture despite Richmond and Carlton believing they were the AFL's first choice for the exclusive timeslot.

In other developments, The Age can reveal:

■The league has responded to the ongoing angst presented on the eve of the finals each year and scheduled only two Sunday games instead of three in round 22 in 2008 to allow for more flexibility in the first week of September;

■While there will be no football on the Mother's Day weekend (May 9, 10 and 11) a series of football celebrations could include an exhibition game, the annual hall-of-fame function and community-based football programs involving players from all clubs;

[Hawkers Hero]

For those of us who cannot get enough footy twenty four games is a boost. But one wonders about the thoughts of the players via the AFLPA.

I think it is only 22 games over 24 weeks with 2 byes. On a positive note - at least we only have to wait until Feb 15 for footy to restart :D

[ricta]

- No state of Origin



another reason Judd sucks, not that it was his fault, bit of support would of been better than what dribbled out his mouth