AFL State of Origin - time to bring it back?

[Gavin Excell]

Reckon the only way it could work and to give it meaning and value to players would be, like the World Cup and the Olympics, to schedule an event every 4 years and have a calendar that creates space either side of it.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

You cannot whip up passion for player’s states out of thin air. A poll taken around the league would show an extreme disinterest for State of Origin.

Comparing Vic Metro vs WA to Brazil vs Germany is just not right. It would be more like a bad translation of the NFL Pro Bowl which is a snoozefest devoid of passion and defensive intent. Do you really want to see forwards kick bags against defenders that aren’t interested? That’s not a display of the quality of our game at all.

Player polls suggest player are for it. But whether that would translate to anything tangible should id actually eventuate may be another matter. Certainly it couldn't be an annual thing. But if the ALPA had few qualms over International Rules games, if it was post-season and only one or two games every few years - say preliminary games in year 1 and a final and promotion playoff in year 3, to give a four year cycle to claim a title - maybe it could work.
However, it does seem that only those of us in the older fan base want to see it at all. And then with actual states (and at least one territory), no false conglomeration rubbish.

But, no matter what the players think, its extraordinarily difficult to believe the clubs would allow it. Even if they did grudgingly allow International Rules for a while.