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Great outcome for Queensland footy! A Broadbeach/Southport junior only being eligible to represent Queensland and we avoid the absolute farcical situation that we saw in the 90s when Coorparoo junior Jason Dunstall played for Victoria. I assume this also means Sunny Coast junior Sam Marshall will be assigned Queensland as his State of Origin, despite moving to Victoria to attend Melbourne Grammar from 15 years of age like Will Ashcroft.

I'm going to guess Levi Ashcroft will also be only eligible to play for Queensland now and I think it's fair to say that he will want to play for the same state as his brother anyway. Like the father-son pledge, getting Will almost definitely means QLD gets Levi as well. Our state line up is actually pretty good when you add the Ashcrofts into the midfield! Keays, Fletcher, Uwland(s), Walter, Andrews, Hipwood, Chol, Read, Coleman, Payne, Patterson, Annable, Bowes, Lombard, Rogers etc.

We're actually pretty strong on every line and are probably just missing an x factor small forward (Charlie Cameron anyone?). I'd give us a chance against all states except Victoria and I reckon we play New South Wales in February 2027 when South Australia hosts Victoria. Vossy likely coaches our state team.
Not as farcical as when Peter Hudson [a born and bred Tasmanian] played FF for Victoria in the 1969 Carnival in Adelaide. Kicked 9 goals v SA to deafening silence from the SA crowd. Now THAT'S farcical.
 
Not as farcical as when Peter Hudson [a born and bred Tasmanian] played FF for Victoria in the 1969 Carnival in Adelaide. Kicked 9 goals v SA to deafening silence from the SA crowd. Now THAT'S farcical.
That was before the concept of State of Origin was established in 1977. Back then it was really inter-league matches between the VFL, WAFL and SANFL. Another Tasmanian in Royce Hart and ACT's Alex Jesaulenko also played for Victoria in that 1969 tournament and, unsurprisingly, all three were named in the All Australian team that year because they were stars in the VFL.

You can't really be too critical of state matches before 1977 because the concept of 'Origin' wasn't a thing yet and it was really just league vs league matches back then. The same can be said about Artie Beetson playing for New South Wales (which was really just the best players in the NSWRL at the time) before rugby league State of Origin was established in 1980. Beetson got to play for his actual State of Origin (QLD) in 1980 and suddenly the Maroons starting winning. Funny that.
 
That's not how it works. Current Brownlow Medallist Matt Rowell was born in Sydney, but has already been named in the Victorian state team for the match against WA in February. Birthplace is essentially irrelevant if the player spent the vast majority of their upbringing in another state/territory.

Sounds like it's not worth watching tbh.
 
Garry Lyon brought up Daicos when Will kicked a goal in the GF.
Just as Gerard Whateley brought up the daicos boys when Will kicked goal of the year (for the second time) in the prelim.

🤮

(Apart from that and Derm's obsession with bagging the umpires whenever a decision went our way, the SEN call was outstanding. Probably one of the best calls of any Lions game I've ever heard. They wrote us off at half time but then fully owned it and were more than glowing in their praise of the team by the end. If anyone would like a listen let me know... I may even sync it up with the vision, as Lace Out has done on Twitter now and then.)
 
Sounds like it's not worth watching tbh.
No one is forcing you to watch it, but if you do happen to feel like watching Hugh McCluggage and Charlie Cameron play a fortnight before Opening Round then the game will be shown all around Australia. I'll certainly be watching - I'm curious to see how Rowell and Anderson go after another solid preseason under their belt.
 

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This might be one of the few examples of it not being as much of a VFL competition anymore. The decision to align Will Ashcroft to his rightful State of Origin (Queensland) has hurt the Victorian state team to some degree and clearly helps a future QLD team tremendously. There's no doubt in my mind that Will would be playing for Victoria if he was playing in the 90s.

Anyway, I hope we get to a point one day where a Queensland team can hold its own against Victoria and we see the Ashcrofts potentially even led QLD to a win over Victoria. That would be the ultimate for state footy.

So who would we have available currently from the Lions? And who would be available from the Suns?

Andrews, Zorko, Fletcher, WAshcroft, LAshcroft, Gallop, Payne, Hipwood, Annable, Kiddy? Reville? Marshall?
 
Can't belive this is even a thing
I get Will is disappointed but there are bigger fish for him to fry next season than playing in a State of Origin match containing minimal intensity on a stinking hot late afternoon in Perth.

He can focus his anger on round 1.
 
ashcroft wouldnt be in the best 10 midfielders drafted from victoria currently

theres also the more pertinent question of who actually cares about afl state of origin

Vic Mids in the conversation:

Dunkley
Clugga
Walsh
N Daicos
Pendles
Sidebum
DeGoey
Merrett
Serong
Brayshaw
Dangerfield
Smith
Holmes
Rowell
Anderson
Petracca
Callahan
Kelly
Newcombe
Butters
Taranto
Reid
The Bont
Richards
Libba

For me I would Play - The Bont, Daicos, Rowell in the middle. Clugga and Merrett starting on the wings. Anderson and Butters on the bench.
 
So who would we have available currently from the Lions? And who would be available from the Suns?

Andrews, Zorko, Fletcher, WAshcroft, LAshcroft, Gallop, Payne, Hipwood, Annable, Kiddy? Reville? Marshall?
Yeah, I mean you've essentially just listed close to half the hypothetical QLD team. I'd for sure add in some other experienced Queenslanders around the league like Keays, Chol, Aliir, Bowes, Scott and Budarick. Jamie Elliott from Collingwood may also be eligible for QLD depending on the criteria. Walter and Read can team up with Hipwood in the forward line and I'd definitely add in the Uwland brothers. Davies would be a shout as big body protection for the mids too (he did a great job against Dunkley in our second last QClash). Plus, there's plenty of talented youth to throw in there like Annable, Patterson, Addinsall, Murray, Lombard, Rogers, Graham etc - they were all first round picks in the national draft.

It's obviously a state team that's going to look better in a few years from now given the talented youth we've seen get drafted out of Queensland in the last 2-3 years. We would have to work our way up by starting off against a state like NSW.
 
So Will is not a Queenslander but is at least playing for the Lions for now.


Will Ashcroft of the Lions poses with his 2025 premiership medal and Norm Smith Medal (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Will Ashcroft of the Lions poses with his 2025 premiership medal and Norm Smith Medal (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
And Ashcroft didn’t hide his feelings towards missing out on selection when asked about the matter.

“I like to think of myself (as a Victorian). I’ve played here since I was 14, I was part of a lot of Victorian teams all the way through and then was drafted out of the Sandy Dragons and St Kilda City,” he told Code Sports.

“Apparently, they’ve decided now that I’m not eligible, so I’m not playing, unfortunately.

“I’m pretty pissed about it, but I think there’s been some changes to the criteria.

“I would have loved to play for Victoria, but unfortunately, it isn’t happening.”
 

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So Will is not a Queenslander but is at least playing for the Lions for now.


Will Ashcroft of the Lions poses with his 2025 premiership medal and Norm Smith Medal (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Will Ashcroft of the Lions poses with his 2025 premiership medal and Norm Smith Medal (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
And Ashcroft didn’t hide his feelings towards missing out on selection when asked about the matter.

“I like to think of myself (as a Victorian). I’ve played here since I was 14, I was part of a lot of Victorian teams all the way through and then was drafted out of the Sandy Dragons and St Kilda City,” he told Code Sports.

“Apparently, they’ve decided now that I’m not eligible, so I’m not playing, unfortunately.

“I’m pretty pissed about it, but I think there’s been some changes to the criteria.

“I would have loved to play for Victoria, but unfortunately, it isn’t happening.”

Reminds me of Luke Keary writing a letter to the NRL CEO requesting permission to represent QLD because he felt like a Queenslander while growing up, even though the SoO eligibility rules dictated that he should play for New South Wales (see below). He got told no by the NRL and ended up playing for NSW years later. I suspect we'll see the same with W.Ashcroft.


Sorry Will - it doesn't matter how you feel - you're a Queenslander according to the AFL's criteria (that we're yet to see). I'm sure he'll embrace his Queensland roots once our state is permitted to play and he pulls on the jumper. In fact, Will may end up being the main reason a Queensland AFL state team is established because there's sentiment around him missing out on playing state footy in 2026. Maybe that's how the AFL will justify an extra game in 2027.
 
He’d be ahead of Daicos if the VFL didn’t control the media.
I’d have Daicos ahead of Will atm but there’s only a tally ho paper between them..going forward would rather Will on our list maybe a little more upside
 
He’d be ahead of Daicos if the VFL didn’t control the media.
The Melbourne AFL media is so feral that I'm glad we have nothing like it here (in our game, at least). Just look at the way they persecuted Conor McKenna for inspecting a house for sale when he didn't realise he had contracted Covid. If that means fewer plaudits for our stars, I think that's a small price to pay for the lack of intrusion into their every move. Imagine how much worse the Neale saga would be if the club were based in Melbourne.
 
So Will is not a Queenslander but is at least playing for the Lions for now.


Will Ashcroft of the Lions poses with his 2025 premiership medal and Norm Smith Medal (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Will Ashcroft of the Lions poses with his 2025 premiership medal and Norm Smith Medal (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
And Ashcroft didn’t hide his feelings towards missing out on selection when asked about the matter.

“I like to think of myself (as a Victorian). I’ve played here since I was 14, I was part of a lot of Victorian teams all the way through and then was drafted out of the Sandy Dragons and St Kilda City,” he told Code Sports.

“Apparently, they’ve decided now that I’m not eligible, so I’m not playing, unfortunately.

“I’m pretty pissed about it, but I think there’s been some changes to the criteria.

“I would have loved to play for Victoria, but unfortunately, it isn’t happening.”
Think Will needs to take a concussion test. How in the hell do you consider yourself a Victorian when you only spent a few years there? He was born in QLD, played in the junior program on the coast and only moved later in his teens for football. That's like me spending a few years in france and walking around saying bonjour to everyone. Love the guy, but by every definition, he's not a victorian. Not surprised that he's been called out on social media for those comments.
 

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