[B]State games[/B]

[jc67]

I recon the pre season cup should be changed to a state of origin series with the deciding "GF" played in the middle of the year on the bye.
The players not selected would play in a 2nds,3rds,4ths state fixture.
Wada u recon???

 

[MarkT]

Coaches want their teams to play as a team not just for their players to get match practice. SOO is dead. Long live club footy!

 

[jc67]

Players want it
Fans would support it
The AFL would make heaps

 

[Mead]

If they did reintroduce SOO, there are a few things they could do to make it more relevant and attractive to clubs.

First thing is to introduce some measure of compensation for players injured during a state of origin match. Any player who cops an injury should have his salary paid by the AFL for the duration that he is out, and that same sum exempted from the club's player payment total, to allow them to fit someone extra under the cap in the event of a long term injury.
It wouldn't compensate for McLeod or Voss doing a knee, but it would go some way towards making clubs a little less toey about the concept.

Secondly, make the game mean something. Brownlow votes should be awarded as normal, or maybe even on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, to reflect the higher standard of the game- being B.O.G amongst a group of elites is woth votes.

Players might claim they don't care about individual honors, but if there were 5 brownlow votes on offer for the BOG in a state of origin match, I think you'd find more star players prepared to show up and do their best, and any player who didn't turn up would have a lot harder time winning the medal.

 

[anonymous Joe]

Originally posted by jc67
Players want it
Fans would support it
The AFL would make heaps

Some players want it, most use "injury" as an excuse not to play

 

[MarkT]

Originally posted by jc67
Players want it
Fans would support it
The AFL would make heaps

In that case it is impossible to comtemplate it not being played every year. Yet it isn't.