AFL State of Origin...? How should it be structured

Jul 20, 2008
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Great that this is again being considered. I would go for a State of Origin Round...played during the Bye round eg WA v Vic , SA v QLD/NT, Tasmania V NSW/ACT
...always play them in Vic/SA/WA/Tas to guarantee a crowd. Eventually play in NSW and Qld if and when they become truly competitive.
 

Rabman

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Nov 22, 2016
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Have to test the waters first. Trying to get the best of the best available would be the most challenging part. My idea would be a one off match in the first Monday of June. WA V VIC, easily the best states in terms of talent. First Monday of June is a public holiday in WA, have a whole week bye leading up and play the match 5:10PM WA time.

At this moment I think WA/VIC are far above the other states and maybe it could eventually be a 3 game series against each other.
 
Sep 24, 2006
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Great that this is again being considered. I would go for a State of Origin Round...played during the Bye round eg WA v Vic , SA v QLD/NT, Tasmania v NSW/ACT ...always play them in Vic/SA/WA/Tas to guarantee a crowd. Eventually play in NSW and Qld if and when they become truly competitive.
Actually both NSW and Qld would crush Tasmania now. NSW would be vey competitive against SA.
 
May 4, 2009
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yay, go Allies.....

Will never get up. Clubs hold too much power now and there is no incentive. You can't just build prestige to make it worthwhile so that players are willing to risk it. The only reason other club heavy sports(basketball, Soccer, RL for example) have a representative side is that it is important to the players and fans. An AFL SoO will be nothing like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup or NRL SoO.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Unless it's NSW, not this Allies garbage, then would not want it.

Why risk the players for nothing allegiances and certainly for states that I don't have any attachment to.

You only have to look at the sop excuse of a game under AFL patronage that allowed some players to wear the big V, stuff the rest
 
Got a link to where Origin is being considered.

Only way it would happen is if the PA put it on agenda & even then ...


Yup.

The last rep game ( Vic vs the rest) only went ahead because the funds went to the AFLPA (for past players medical expenses or something).
 
Clubs shouldn't even be asked, it's not about them in the slightest. Of course they're opposed to it.

FIFA would scrap the world cup if they asked the Top European clubs what they wanted.

Clubs are a major stakeholder, like it or not, they get a say.

Otherwise we go back to the SOO days where (in Vic at least) clubs (who pay the players wages) 'encouraged' players to sit out.
 
I think it should be in the week off before the finals with players who aren't in the clubs playing finals.

Then we get a Friday night game, a Saturday night game and rotate it each year who plays who.

Probably the most viable option (easiest sell for the AFLPA & Clubs anyway), but still...

So about half the players wont be playing (and from the best clubs, so you're probably losing more than 8/18ths).

You'd also have players backing up/training off the back of mad monday and wanting to get away on their holidays and their clubs wanting them to get their niggles treated (minor ops, etc) in time to get back for pre season.
 
Probably the most viable option (easiest sell for the AFLPA & Clubs anyway), but still...

So about half the players wont be playing (and from the best clubs, so you're probably losing more than 8/18ths).

You'd also have players backing up/training off the back of mad monday and wanting to get away on their holidays and their clubs wanting them to get their niggles treated (minor ops, etc) in time to get back for pre season.
No doubt. Most of the clubs would prefer their players get their required time off done as soon as possible so they can start preseason earlier too.

It's the least impact time for clubs though. If the AFL wanted to make it attractive for players they should host one game in NY and another in Spain and pay the players travel there, accommodation etc and turn them into exhibition games... which is mostly what they are.

The AFL could then sell international viewing packages for the finals. Nine of the best standard games to try and get some attention.

I'm assuming the AFL would need to pay the players at least $5,000 each to play in the game which would have it at $220,000 before stadium rent etc.... but first year draftees get $4,000 a game... so it's more likely going to be closer to $50,000 a player for the game so we are at $2,200,000 per game.

...and they want that cash back somehow. I can't see 7 being interested in paying $5,000,000 for a couple of games.
 
No doubt. Most of the clubs would prefer their players get their required time off done as soon as possible so they can start preseason earlier too.

It's the least impact time for clubs though. If the AFL wanted to make it attractive for players they should host one game in NY and another in Spain and pay the players travel there, accommodation etc and turn them into exhibition games... which is mostly what they are.

The AFL could then sell international viewing packages for the finals. Nine of the best standard games to try and get some attention.

I'm assuming the AFL would need to pay the players at least $5,000 each to play in the game which would have it at $220,000 before stadium rent etc.... but first year draftees get $4,000 a game... so it's more likely going to be closer to $50,000 a player for the game so we are at $2,200,000 per game.

...and they want that cash back somehow. I can't see 7 being interested in paying $5,000,000 for a couple of games.

All true.

My main point though is that when you rule out a major chunk of players off the top, you lose the 'best Vs best' idea, and without that, what's the point?

I'd also add that after losing over 50% of players (probably well over), only Vic, WA & SA could probably field a viable team from AFL lists, let alone a team of champions. You'd also run into issues with depth, which would likely favor Vic significantly.
 

jmac91

Perth Bandits Head Coach
Dec 27, 2017
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4 Teams - WA, VIC, SA and the Allies (NSW, QLD, NT, TAS)
3 Week Competition mid way through the AFL Season, Grand Final in the Week before AFL Finals or in October
 
4 Teams - WA, VIC, SA and the Allies (NSW, QLD, NT, TAS)
3 Week Competition mid way through the AFL Season, Grand Final in the Week before AFL Finals or in October

If we're going with 'Allies', why not just have Vic Vs the rest? 1 game, far easier to fixture...

I mean, if you're going to ignore the state pride of NSW, QLD & Tas, why not ignore it for WA & SA as well?


and yes, you can ignore Vic as well and just have 2 teams selected on whatever basis....Hey, make selection a TV event!
 
Apr 12, 2012
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4 Teams - WA, VIC, SA and the Allies (NSW, QLD, NT, TAS)
3 Week Competition mid way through the AFL Season, Grand Final in the Week before AFL Finals or in October
No thanks. Couldn't give 2 shits about any team called Allies.
Certainly don't want my clubs players being injured in something that I have no skin in.
 
May 4, 2009
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Correct me if I am wrong, but the only reason why SoO was so big in the 1980's was because SA/WA wanted to teach the Vics a lesson after they stole all of their best players in the state leagues. They wanted to prove a point to the arrogant Vics about how good their state/league was.

And the Vics only cared once they got beat and wanted to put the annoying smaller states in their place.

I feel it is not a coincidence that SoO died when SA/WA got their own AFL teams to do this on a weekly basis. Especially WCE, which was basically a state team from the get-go. That feeling that an AFL club team in that city may have been diluted during the preceding decades due to the draft but it is still a major factor I feel.

I would love SoO, but I am also Tasmanian. We aren't represented in the AFL. The Allies would be dead on arrival.
 

kranger

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Nov 30, 2006
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Well this is what I can come up with.

Play it the second and third week after the AFL Grand Final with players from the two Grand Final teams excluded. This is to still try and give players a long break before the following season. The teams are selected on the Tuesday after Brownlow Medal Night, so more tv focus is on the AFL in the lead up to the Grand Final.

Have a team to represent every State, unfortunately the Territories miss out, but with players able to be pulled up from state leagues to help the smaller states. Maybe let NT pair with QLD and let ACT pair with NSW, but i'm not sure on it.

On a five year rotation, each state will only play one other state that year, on a one game at home and one game away arrangement. This could be expanded to include the territories though. So that it may look like:

Year 1:
Week 1 - WA vs SA in Perth, Vic vs Tas in Melbourne, QLD vs NSW in Brisbane
Week 2 - SA vs WA in Adelaide, Tas vs Vic in Hobart, NSW vs QLD in Sydney

Year 2
Week 1 - QLD vs Tas in Brisbane, SA vs NSW in Adelaide, Vic vs WA in Melbourne
Week 2 - Tas vs QLD in Hobart, NSW vs SA in Sydney, WA vs Vic in Perth

etc for following years.

And it is purely competed against the team you play that year, so no over-arching winning state, based on an aggregate score between the two games.
 
Feb 23, 2009
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Biggest issue is when to play it. If it doesn't have club leniency and player passion the fans won't get passionate either. NRL SoO is amazing because it's considered an honour to play for state and the clubs know this. It's an integral part of the game.

That's the standard to aim for. The pride in footy fans in WA, SA and VIC at a minimum can make this work. I would certainly get behind a VIC team with passion, providing that's how the players play.
 
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