News "State of Origin is back" - Eddie McGuire, March 2025

[jwikked]

They have picked just about the four best players in the league so far. So much for the assumption by some that none of the stars will play.

Yeah that's my point. They can't have WA picking spuds while Vic is picking the best. They need to have this more of an even competition.

If it's horrifically one sided, it'll disappear as quickly as it returned.

 

[Reservoir tiger]

They have picked just about the four best players in the league so far. So much for the assumption by some that none of the stars will play.

Games 3 months away… being picked and playing are 2 very different things

Plenty of time for injuries over pre season.. but hopefully most of the guns are available

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Dumbest idea since Abbott brought back knights and dames

 

[jwikked]

Dumbest idea since Abbott brought back knights and dames

And we haven't had an idea since. Shame, really.

 

[Cmarsh]

Games 3 months away… being picked and playing are 2 very different things

Plenty of time for injuries over pre season.. but hopefully most of the guns are available

Sure but they and their clubs are still willing to stick their hands up.

 

[GC2015]

Sure but they and their clubs are still willing to stick their hands up.

That's another misconception that's been destroyed with this first batch of names getting announced. People would say things like 'the clubs will never agree to it in fear of injuries' and yet we've seen players from the Bulldogs, Carlton, Fremantle, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide named. So at least seven clubs have already agree to release their players for this game and a lot of these are genuine superstars of the league that would heavily impact their club's season if they got injured. So clearly the idea that clubs wouldn't release them was a fallacy.

 

[Reservoir tiger]

That's another misconception that's been destroyed with this first batch of names getting announced. People would say things like 'the clubs will never agree to it in fear of injuries' and yet we've seen players from the Bulldogs, Carlton, Fremantle, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide named. So at least seven clubs have already agree to release their players for this game and a lot of these are genuine superstars of the league that would heavily impact their club's season if they got injured. So clearly the idea that clubs wouldn't release them was a fallacy.

But what people are saying is you watch if they have the slightest niggle or the tiniest bit sore the clubs will pull them

There will be instances where the clubs will pull them but if it were a home and away game they’d have played

 

[GC2015]

But what people are saying is you watch if they have the slightest niggle or the tiniest bit sore the clubs will pull them

There will be instances where the clubs will pull them but if it were a home and away game they’d have played

That's not what people were originally saying. They were saying they flat out wouldn't let them participate at all, which we now know is untrue.

There's probably an unspoken understanding between the clubs and the coaching staff to not risk injury if niggles do emerge during the game. Then again, I feel like a guy like Crippa will stay out there with niggles if he thinks they have a shot at beating the Vics. So it's all circumstantial.

 

[RUNVS]

The AFL doing their typical vic central thing and forgetting that states other than Victoria also exist.

 

[crowman2]

That's another misconception that's been destroyed with this first batch of names getting announced. People would say things like 'the clubs will never agree to it in fear of injuries' and yet we've seen players from the Bulldogs, Carlton, Fremantle, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide named. So at least seven clubs have already agree to release their players for this game and a lot of these are genuine superstars of the league that would heavily impact their club's season if they got injured. So clearly the idea that clubs wouldn't release them was a fallacy.

Clubs won’t have a choice if there isn’t medical evidence to exclude them and they are picked

The players will have to play

 

[GC2015]

Clubs won’t have a choice if there isn’t medical evidence to exclude them and they are picked

The players will have to play

As it should be. One of the biggest problems with State of Origin in the late 90s was the fact that a lot of the best players in the league wouldn't participate. You needed the stars like Tony Lockett to be playing for his state in the late 90s to really sell it to the public and he just wasn't. Seems like it's different this time around with both the Brownlow and Coleman Medallists being confirmed as participants.

 

[Bjo187]

As it should be. One of the biggest problems with State of Origin in the late 90s was the fact that a lot of the best players in the league wouldn't participate. You needed the stars like Tony Lockett to be playing for his state in the late 90s to really sell it to the public and he just wasn't. Seems like it's different this time around with both the Brownlow and Coleman Medallists being confirmed as participants.

The reason they stopped playing though is because the gap between the states was too large and Victoria were getting too good, so why risk yourself for a known result?

That's why the success of origin this time will depend on how competitive it is, looking at the teams though the gap might be even wider than in the 90s. W.A development is horrendous at the moment, so QLD is the one state that could compete against Victoria at some stage with their recent trajectory.

 

[Cmarsh]

The reason they stopped playing though is because the gap between the states was too large and Victoria were getting too good, so why risk yourself for a known result?

That's why the success of origin this time will depend on how competitive it is, looking at the teams though the gap might be even wider than in the 90s. W.A development is horrendous at the moment, so QLD is the one state that could compete against Victoria at some stage with their recent trajectory.

SA's development has come along well in recent years. Good crop in this draft and likely next as well.

 

[crowman2]

As it should be. One of the biggest problems with State of Origin in the late 90s was the fact that a lot of the best players in the league wouldn't participate. You needed the stars like Tony Lockett to be playing for his state in the late 90s to really sell it to the public and he just wasn't. Seems like it's different this time around with both the Brownlow and Coleman Medallists being confirmed as participants.

Mind you, it’s pretty easy to get a sick certificate from the doc whenever you want one

Isn’t it

 

[ptrg]

Afl club member's tickets go on sale at 9am - but I can't find any link to this.
Do you have to be an already paid up 2026 member? Or is it just a URL they send out?
Dees have sent me nothing..

No point signing up now for 2026, highly doubt they'd send it out prior to 9am

 

[JackFlash]

Has anybody thought about the real possibility that this game could end in a 100 point win for the Vics? I can't see the WA side scoring 5 goals? This could be a big problem for the AFL if this game is a total blow out and when you look at who will be selected, it's pretty hard not to see any other result eventuating?

 

[RUNVS]

Has anybody thought about the real possibility that this game could end in a 100 point win for the Vics? I can't see the WA side scoring 5 goals? This could be a big problem for the AFL if this game is a total blow out and when you look at who will be selected, it's pretty hard not to see any other result eventuating?

It is why WA vs SA or QLD vs NSW would have been so much better.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Has anybody thought about the real possibility that this game could end in a 100 point win for the Vics? I can't see the WA side scoring 5 goals? This could be a big problem for the AFL if this game is a total blow out and when you look at who will be selected, it's pretty hard not to see any other result eventuating?

Given its only happening because the WA government threw a shit-ton of money at it, I don't think the AFL have any real interest in reviving it as a regular thing. However, if the SA government want to throw a shit-ton of money at in 2027 .....

 

[Cmarsh]

Given its only happening because the WA government threw a shit-ton of money at it, I don't think the AFL have any real interest in reviving it as a regular thing. However, if the SA government want to throw a shit-ton of money at in 2027 .....

Yes that, but also if it rates anything decent then the AFL will no doubt be keen again as it means more content to sell to broadcasters at the next broadcast deal.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Yes that, but also if it rates anything decent then the AFL will no doubt be keen again as it means another offering to sell to broadcasters at the next broadcast deal.

That is true, but I suspect broadcasters know it would not be sustainable to happen every year so the league would probably throw in meaningless gimmicks instead.
Brisbane have won the toss and will kick to the Foxtel End.

 

[crowman2]

Given its only happening because the WA government threw a shit-ton of money at it, I don't think the AFL have any real interest in reviving it as a regular thing. However, if the SA government want to throw a shit-ton of money at in 2027 .....

Happy for the SA gov to sit this one out

 

[blueboy25]

Afl club member's tickets go on sale at 9am - but I can't find any link to this.
Do you have to be an already paid up 2026 member? Or is it just a URL they send out?
Dees have sent me nothing..

No point signing up now for 2026, highly doubt they'd send it out prior to 9am

I got a email yesterday with a link to tickets and logged on this morning and grabbed them.

My membership is on auto renewal so I take it that's why I got the email.

 

[Cmarsh]

Nick Daicos and Chad Warner

1

Chad Warner

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

2star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.0

1star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

2.5

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.5

4star

CL

0.0

1star

both named.

 

[RUNVS]

Nick Daicos and Chad Warner both named.

A bit late. I mean both of them were named by their parents shortly after they were born.

 

[Sherrinator]

Should’ve been QLD v WA or SA.

If they so desperately needed Vic in it, Metro v Country.