AFL State of Origin - time to bring it back?

[iameviljez]

Of course all fans want it, but clubs wont allow it due to risk of injury to their players

Hard disagree - the fans stopped giving a damn about State of Origin a long time ago - particularly in Victoria. In the 90s, they didn't get a crowd any bigger than 35k to the MCG apart from the Ted Whitten Farewell Lap day. People stopped really giving a damn once the AFL became a national competition.

I live in Brisbane and NRL State of Origin works well because the concept is extremely simple: red team vs blue team, little brother that is rugby-obsessed vs big brother who has all the money, and the sides are pretty evenly matched. It reminds me a bit of Canada vs USA in ice hockey, for example.

In the AFL, there's one clear big fish - Victoria - but no one standout, obvious rival. The states are now represented more or less by their own teams anyway. Honestly, I loved the 2008 game as a one-off, but as a regular thing, I couldn't care less.

 

[iameviljez]

And there are potential Vic reps playing over with WA & SA based clubs.

I can't speak for WA and SA, but in Victoria, the key issue is just that state-based parochialism isn't really a big thing, especially when it comes to footy. Coffee-making? Yes. Footy? Nah, couldn't care less where a player grows up.

Besides, if we had SOO this year, and Hawkins did his knee, I'd be filthy.

 

[Macca180]

State of origin was the pinnacle and flipping awesome when the comp was VFL, SANFL, WAFL.

Just don't think it works anymore now with the national comp. Don't think the rivalry is there anymore and players aren't gona go hard and risk injuries.

 

[Bostonian]

A competition made up of teams based on star signs would be more interesting than SOO.

 

[Milanista28]

The AFL could hold a cricket tournament during the off season, so many good cricketers in the AFL, I think you'd get decent crowds as well on those warm summer nights.

 

[iameviljez]

The AFL could hold a cricket tournament during the off season, so many good cricketers in the AFL, I think you'd get decent crowds as well on those warm summer nights.

I'd probably prefer to watch the professional cricketers play cricket, though...

 

[Milanista28]

I'd probably prefer to watch the professional cricketers play cricket, though...

I'd watch Essendon players on masterchef

 

[iameviljez]

I'd watch Essendon players on masterchef

My best mate is an essendon supporter and I suspect she'd vastly prefer to watch them on masterchef as well

 

[Bostonian]

I'd watch Essendon players on masterchef

Is that because half the team is cooked?

 

[Dangerousfield]

SOO is dead and buried. The advent of the national comp* killed any appetite for the concept.

* but the game is still run by a Victorian boys club for the benefit of the Victorian sides

 

[Milanista28]

Is that because half the team is cooked?

Half?

 

[HirdsTheWord]

People need to understand how the NRL operate before they bring this up. Origins in both formats are not linear.

NRL Origin is their Grand Final product. No one gives a shit about the regular NRL season, nor who wins it. NRL players are happy to get injured playing for Origin.

Origin in AFL would be a gimmick, no one would take it seriously at risk of injury because the Grand Final is our best product, and players/coaches would not risk it.

 

[Johnny Karate]

And they had legit stars of the competition in the nineties….but from memory Wayne Carey never suited up

I believe he did for South Australia one year, never understood why considering he is from Wagga.

People need to understand how the NRL operate before they bring this up. Origins in both formats are not linear.

NRL Origin is their Grand Final product. No one gives a s**t about the regular NRL season, nor who wins it. NRL players are happy to get injured playing for Origin.

Origin in AFL would be a gimmick, no one would take it seriously at risk of injury because the Grand Final is our best product, and players/coaches would not risk it.

You’re correct in that AFL SOO basically died for the reason that you’ve stated in your final paragraph. Clubs/coaches and players didn’t want to risk season/career ending injuries for the format as winning the flag became the pinnacle in our sport.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I believe he did for South Australia one year, never understood why considering he is from Wagga.

You’re correct in that AFL SOO basically died for the reason that you’ve stated in your final paragraph. Clubs/coaches and players didn’t want to risk season/career ending injuries for the format as winning the flag became the pinnacle in our sport.

Origin in AFL would be some ****in half assed shit like the NBA all star game.

It isn't worth it. We should stick to what we know, which is making the entire season mean something, as opposed to a one off series.

 

[kranky al]

The Allies really are a Frankenstein, the idea of playing representative football and be in a team built around "not representing the others" is just plain weird.

Yup, id watch wa vs vic / sa

Cant say id be that excited with wa vs allies or being shoved in an allies team vs vic

 

[iameviljez]

NRL Origin is their Grand Final product. No one gives a s**t about the regular NRL season, nor who wins it. NRL players are happy to get injured playing for Origin.

I mean, they do give a damn - my fiancee's quietest ever night on emergency ward was in Townsville on the night the North Qld Cowboys won the grand final - but yep, players would take winning a SOO in a maroon jersey over a premiership, I think.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I mean, they do give a damn - my fiancee's quietest ever night on emergency ward was in Townsville on the night the North Qld Cowboys won the grand final - but yep, players would take winning a SOO in a maroon jersey over a premiership, I think.

If she was quiet in an emergency ward when they won I’d argue that clearly no one gave a shit enough to get pissed enough for the stomach to be pumped.

 

[deck]

I live in Brisbane and NRL State of Origin works well because the concept is extremely simple: red team vs blue team, little brother that is rugby-obsessed vs big brother who has all the money, and the sides are pretty evenly matched. It reminds me a bit of Canada vs USA in ice hockey, for example.

What also gets missed is the novelty of a packed 60-80,000 crowd for rugby league. That only happens on Grand Final day. The NRL have only had 3 crowds over 40,000 and that relied on a full round being played at a single venue over 3 days. Only 2 crowds over 30,000 in Sydney.

The novelty of that helps draw a crowd due to the atmosphere of the event.

 

[Shoei]

Isn't SOO also the feeder for the Kangaroos team? How many players would make the Kangaroos team that don't play in SOO (injuries aside).

That's another incentive for SOO.

 

[iameviljez]

If she was quiet in an emergency ward when they won I’d argue that clearly no one gave a s**t enough to get pissed enough for the stomach to be pumped.

It was quiet when they were playing… as soon as it was won, all these old blokes started coming in with suspected heart attacks, and yes, far too much partying…

 

[iameviljez]

What also gets missed is the novelty of a packed 60-80,000 crowd for rugby league. That only happens on Grand Final day. The NRL have only had 3 crowds over 40,000 and that relied on a full round being played at a single venue over 3 days. Only 2 crowds over 30,000 in Sydney.

The novelty of that helps draw a crowd due to the atmosphere of the event.

Also true. I would vastly prefer to watch Geelong v Richmond in front of 60k than Victoria v SA in front of 60k.

 

[mcgarnacle]

I can't speak for WA and SA, but in Victoria, the key issue is just that state-based parochialism isn't really a big thing, especially when it comes to footy. Coffee-making? Yes. Footy? Nah, couldn't care less where a player grows up.

Besides, if we had SOO this year, and Hawkins did his knee, I'd be filthy.

For a city that boasts about it, I have to say Melbourne coffee is extremely shit. Rarely get a good one from any cafe any time I've been there. Obviously going to the wrong places, but there are other patrons in these places too.

Best one was the filtered brew my friend made at her joint in Clifton Hill, and that took forever!

 

[mcgarnacle]

What also gets missed is the novelty of a packed 60-80,000 crowd for rugby league. That only happens on Grand Final day. The NRL have only had 3 crowds over 40,000 and that relied on a full round being played at a single venue over 3 days. Only 2 crowds over 30,000 in Sydney.

The novelty of that helps draw a crowd due to the atmosphere of the event.

It's not a novelty.

Representative football has been a staple in rugby league for a very long time. Kangaroo tours to the UK were a big thing, and likewise, England tours to Australia and matches vs New Zealand garnered lots of interest.

Rugby Union even more so. The rah-rahs are more like cricket, where the only time folks get interested in it is when the Wobblies are playing. The interest in state (up until super rugby) and club rugby is fairly small.

Aussie Rules has predominantly been a club competition in different states.

 

[My_Username]

People need to understand how the NRL operate before they bring this up. Origins in both formats are not linear.

NRL Origin is their Grand Final product. No one gives a s**t about the regular NRL season, nor who wins it. NRL players are happy to get injured playing for Origin.

Origin in AFL would be a gimmick, no one would take it seriously at risk of injury because the Grand Final is our best product, and players/coaches would not risk it.

Back in pre-AFL days, WA & SA had an NRL level of interest, both from fans and players...They wanted to play and went at it hard when they got the chance.

Vic/VFL was always more of the 'AFL' level...It was a bit of fun, but the VFL was the main game and you weren't going to risk that for an SOO 'exhibition' game.

This difference in attitude was a large part of why the much smaller WA/SA talent pools could compete with the Vics (well, that and them getting most of the advantages, like home ground almost every time).

 

[mcgarnacle]

Back in pre-AFL days, WA & SA had an NRL level of interest, both from fans and players...They wanted to play and went at it hard when they got the chance.

Vic/VFL was always more of the 'AFL' level...It was a bit of fun, but the VFL was the main game and you weren't going to risk that for an SOO 'exhibition' game.

This difference in attitude was a large part of why the much smaller WA/SA talent pools could compete with the Vics (well, that and them getting most of the advantages, like home ground almost every time).

This was the NSW attitude to rugby league SOO too. NSW players and administrators derided it. QLDers were all in!

In the first year (1980), the first two matches of state football were based on residency rules so several QLD-origin players were playing for NSW because they played for clubs in the 'cashed-up' (read leagues club pokie funding model) NSWRL comp. NSW smashed QLD in games 1 and 2. Even under residency rules, QLD loved state football and got decent crowds to games. NSW weren't really interested and got 1000-2000 folks to game 2.

Game 3 of 1980 was an exhibition match and teams were selected on Origin rules, so several QLD players who played for NSW in games 1 and 2 now played for QLD. NSW still didn't believe it was much of a threat to their superiority and didn't really care much for it. This, and the exhibition match in 1981 were played in Brisbane in front of decent crowds. QLD won both matches.

QLD then won the first three official 3-match series from 1982-1984. They dominated SOO in the 80s in fact. NSW only won the series in 1985 & 1986. Furthermore, each series from 1982-1987 featured two matches in Brisbane and one match in Sydney. It wasn't until the SFS was opened in 1988 that it become a rotating series with regard to hosting rights.

There's no doubt QLDs early dominance of SOO in rugby league set up what it is today. Little brother beat up on big brother, regularly. If NSW got the early jump, it probably wouldn't exist now.

Some credit also needs to go to the way it was packaged on Channel 9 and commentated by Daryl Eastlake. At the time, NSWRL was broadcast in Channel 10 and nine only had these rep games. Like he did with world series cricket, Kerry Packer was a master at making sport TV entertainment.