News "State of Origin is back" - Eddie McGuire, March 2025

[Kappa]

People love to be dramatic, it's a bit of fun in the preseason, it doesn't have to be do or die. Just enjoy watching some football, if it's not played at finals intensity who cares... Its either that or watching a preseason match. If u dont wanna watch, dont.

 

[speedpeck23]

People don't actually care what state players are from these days. So the interstate teams represent those states more than some hodge podge of different clubs' players all in the same team.

Cripps might be from WA but he doesn't seem to have any interest at all in leaving Carlton.

To make a concept like this work you have to have opposition fans disliking the opposition players.

I can't see that happening in a way that creates any kind of care factor.

Nah, Can't agree. It's great to see a match with so many great players all on the same team.

 

[Carringbush2010]

There'll only ever be public demand if they play it

True, but playing it doesn't guarantee that demand

To make it would would require big compensation for players (i.e. both in pay and getting weeks of preseason).

And that compensation won't be coming unless the public invest $ into it, to create 'something to play for' instead of just being symbolic

It is worth remembering that even in soccer, a good chunk of the hard core club fans have an ambivalent relationship to international tournaments.

That's because soccer is an international game, and representative competition is valued by the fans, Aus rules is not.

I get that 'states' could have and did have 'value' from a fan perspective, but that value was never anywhere near the value of club performance. The only 'representative competition' that the fan values is club competition.

You need to set it up so it is for sheep stations rather than as an exhibition game.

Absolutely, trouble is the 'sheep station' doesn't exist for Aus rules representative football, it's symbolic only.

 

[AstonSouffle]

This will be good for game, VIC will smash WA and then finally the AFL will be forced to take notice that WA footy is on its knees and without remedial action will mean there won’t be enough talent like there should be.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I don't have a problem with the February game.
All players need presasons games to get ready for the season proper.
To have the best train away from their club and play in an origin game as preparation, I think the clubs would much prefer that arrangement than facilitating this request mid-season.

AFL should replace zero round with State of Origin football.

 

[Bjo187]

I think people will be surprised, last year's indigenous game got a heap more coverage than people expected, coz it was the time of year people were just craving any footy.

W.a will get behind it and having all the Victorian stars rolling into town will be big over there. I just hope all the best w.a players are available because the gap between teams is already significant enough, without injuries to guys like Hogan, Taylor, Warner etc.

 

[Rotayjay]

One thing that's strange is why you'd make it on Valentine's day when you have the whole month to choose, or even the Sunday you could do it at twilight in Perth, absolute primetime back to the east coast.

This must have been a Dillon decision it's that stupid, arguably the busiest restaurant night of the year and a lot of blokes won't wanna upset the mrs by watching the footy that night.

Not everyone celebrates Valentine's Day, but a fair chunk of the blokes out there won't want to piss off their girlfriends and wives by watching the game on that night.

 

[stax on the mull]

Even back in the heyday of SOO it was compromised with limited selection on how many players from each team could play, and they were usually played midweek, so they had players coming off a Saturday game playing again on a Tuesday with one of the teams travelling.

Players are supposed to be in favour of it from the surveys the AFL does. Seems like if it is a choice of playing this game vs playing in a scratchie somewhere else, probably replacing an intraclub game because there's not much competitive pre-season anyway, the elite players might prefer to play this game.

 

[My_Username]

Even back in the heyday of SOO it was compromised with limited selection on how many players from each team could play, and they were usually played midweek, so they had players coming off a Saturday game playing again on a Tuesday with one of the teams travelling.

Players are supposed to be in favour of it from the surveys the AFL does. Seems like if it is a choice of playing this game vs playing in a scratchie somewhere else, probably replacing an intraclub game because there's not much competitive pre-season anyway, the elite players might prefer to play this game.

Back in the day, clubs would 'encourage' players to sit out....and considering the clubs were the ones paying them, they often complied.

Clubs don't want to see their better players injured in full contact games that don't benefit them.

As soon as <star player X> cops a serious injury (knee...season..), the support for the game will drop massively. Mostly from that players clubs, but a lot of other clubs/players/supporters will also get very nervous about it.

 

[RUNVS]

Back in the day, clubs would 'encourage' players to sit out....and considering the clubs were the ones paying them, they often complied.

Clubs don't want to see their better players injured in full contact games that don't benefit them.

As soon as <star player X> cops a serious injury (knee...season..), the support for the game will drop massively. Mostly from that players clubs, but a lot of other clubs/players/supporters will also get very nervous about it.

Which shows how selfish AFL fans and clubs can be. If Manchester United can let their $50 million player play internationally I think Carlton can let their $600,000 player play a few State of Origin matches.

 

[GC2015]

As has been reported, paying the players around $20k each for this game will surely incentivise some to play. That's a fairly good sugar hit to participate in a few training sessions and cap it off with playing one game.

 

[Angus Young]

I don´t know about this.

Middle of summer

Will this be taken seriously

 

[Kram]

As has been reported, paying the players around $20k each for this game will surely incentivise some to play. That's a fairly good sugar hit to participate in a few training sessions and cap it off with playing one game.

It's incentive to turn up. And then play at half the regular season's intensity.

I don´t know about this.

Middle of summer

Will this be taken seriously

No.

I don't mind it for a bit of fun as a once off, will be better than a regular preseason praccy but it will still just be a glorified practice match.

 

[stax on the mull]

Back in the day, clubs would 'encourage' players to sit out....and considering the clubs were the ones paying them, they often complied.

Clubs don't want to see their better players injured in full contact games that don't benefit them.

As soon as <star player X> cops a serious injury (knee...season..), the support for the game will drop massively. Mostly from that players clubs, but a lot of other clubs/players/supporters will also get very nervous about it.

I was more referring to the fact that by the mid 80's there was a restricted quota of players that could be taken from each club for the games that were played mid week so as not to affect the competitions - more so for the VFL sides.

So if one state wanted choose a player from one club it was dependent on how many other players had been taken from that club by the other state. I think it was a max of 3 or 4 from the teams in finals contention, which is where the majority of players would come from.

It wasn't necessarily the best vs the best. VFL had 12 teams so theoretically all they had to do to put a good side out was pick the best couple of players from each side. They often just picked players on form. Like when Gary Ablett Snr kicked 8 against WA at Subiaco Oval in 1984 he wasn't the established star that he later became. He came in off a handful of good performances in his 1st season at Geelong.

 

[The Educator]

True, but playing it doesn't guarantee that demand

Sure. But it is necessary

And that compensation won't be coming unless the public invest $ into it, to create 'something to play for' instead of just being symbolic

Nope, in the first instance the AFL could just pay the players very well.

That's because soccer is an international game, and representative competition is valued by the fans, Aus rules is not.

Some people value representaiton. The people that value representation more currently do not have an outlet.

Representative competition is valued by hard core club fans less than club competition. It is valued far more by people less obsessively engaged with club competition.

I get that 'states' could have and did have 'value' from a fan perspective, but that value was never anywhere near the value of club performance. The only 'representative competition' that the fan values is club competition.

Absolutely, trouble is the 'sheep station' doesn't exist for Aus rules representative football, it's symbolic only.

Pay the players very well so you get buy in....once every 3 or 4 years play a 2 week tournament at the end of the season.

The ad hoc preseason games are not sheep stations.....they actually might work over time if there is culmination in a tournament every 3 or 4 years

 

[Carringbush2010]

Sure. But it is necessary

The paying public will decide that.

Nope, in the first instance the AFL could just pay the players very well.

For starters the clubs pay the players, not the league. Not sure what the $ value is for it to be worthwhile for players to buy in that the league would have to pay.

In any case, even IF the AFL decided to pay whatever amount to 'force' it, you can't 'force' the fans to take enough interest to make it a behemoth and something worth pursuing.

LIke I said earlier, as a kid growing up watching the first soo through to my 20s, my only real interest was how well the Pies players were playing. That sentiment was shared among classmates through to workmates, literally no one was 'barracking for vic' they were barracking for their club players representing vic. Not because they were playing for vic.

If the vics won, it was meh, yay the vics won, but Monkhorst played really well that game!

I don't see the sentiment shifting, it may be different for non vic fans idk, in any case there was no thirst and probably won't be for 'vic' to win.

Some people value representaiton. The people that value representation more currently do not have an outlet.

Representative competition is valued by hard core club fans less than club competition. It is valued far more by people less obsessively engaged with club competition.

See above.

I don't see an insatiable appetite from the fans to be an nrl type spectacle, do you?

Pay the players very well so you get buy in....once every 3 or 4 years play a 2 week tournament at the end of the season.

The ad hoc preseason games are not sheep stations.....they actually might work over time if there is culmination in a tournament every 3 or 4 years

Yeah you might get buy in from the players, but it'll amount to nought if the fans don't buy in like nrl fans do.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, you can't 'force' fans to make it the spectacle that some want it to be.

 

[Bjo187]

This is cool, you can select your own teams. Martin being out weakens the W.A midfield, they run shallow in there, but their key positions are relatively good.

Pickett I thought was from S.A and Cameron from QLD, so that strengthens W.A a little in this game, but weakens potential S.A. and QLD teams in the future.

2026 AFL Origin

Western Australia will take on Victoria on Saturday February 14 at Optus Stadium.

www.afl.com.au

 

[Lingsface]

Pick your 2026 AFL Origin team - Victoria

tradablebits.com

 

[Lingsface]

Pick your 2026 AFL Origin team - Western Australia

tradablebits.com

 

[GC2015]

This is cool, you can select your own teams. Martin being out weakens the W.A midfield, they run shallow in there, but their key positions are relatively good.

Pickett I thought was from S.A and Cameron from QLD, so that strengthens W.A a little in this game, but weakens potential S.A. and QLD teams in the future.

2026 AFL Origin

Western Australia will take on Victoria on Saturday February 14 at Optus Stadium.

www.afl.com.au

How could Charlie Cameron possibly be considered anything other than a Queenslander in a legitimate State of Origin competition? Born in Mount Isa, QLD. Grew up in Mornington Island, QLD. Started boarding school in Brisbane in his early teen years. First played football as a teenager for Marist College in Brisbane and spent six months in the Brisbane Lions academy at the time. Moved to Newman, WA at 17. Moved to Perth at 18 to play footy for Swan Districts. Drafted to the Crows at 19.

I don't see how he could possibly be considered West Australian in State of Origin...

 

[The Educator]

How could Charlie Cameron possibly be considered anything other than a Queenslander in a legitimate State of Origin competition? Born in Mount Isa, QLD. Grew up in Mornington Island, QLD. Started boarding school in Brisbane in his early teen years. First played football as a teenager for Marist College in Brisbane and spent six months in the Brisbane Lions academy at the time. Moved to Newman, WA at 17. Moved to Perth at 18 to play footy for Swan Districts. Drafted to the Crows at 19.

I don't see how he could possibly be considered West Australian in State of Origin...

I have low confidence this will happen but they need to set the rules and incentives to make sure that Qld and NSW players with potential links to WA, SA and (particulalry) Victoria are playing with QLD and NSW SoO teams.

I read somewhere that the ashcroft boys could play for Victoria. Will Ashcroft's dad moved to QLD when he was 3 years old (from Wikipedia). Will moved back on a scholarship when he was 15 (45 years and 3 permierships later)

The old state of origin rules were flagged by Dillon at the announcement “I think it will be about where you spent the most substantial part of your teenage years, which is what it has been historically,”

This would be demented if it basically meant all the private school scholarship players can play for Victoria.

They should have multiple criteria - birth, X years as junior, Y years as adult - and maybe make it that Victoria needs to satisify all or at least 2 of these and the northern states only one.

The critical success factors include

1. they need for NSW and QLD to be included to make it worthwhile (likely wrapping the two terriroties into them)
2 they need to do everything to keep it credible while ensuring competitive balance

All the upside of State of Origin is in exploiting the game's national footprint.

 

[The Educator]

The paying public will decide that.

For starters the clubs pay the players, not the league. Not sure what the $ value is for it to be worthwhile for players to buy in that the league would have to pay.

In any case, even IF the AFL decided to pay whatever amount to 'force' it, you can't 'force' the fans to take enough interest to make it a behemoth and something worth pursuing.

LIke I said earlier, as a kid growing up watching the first soo through to my 20s, my only real interest was how well the Pies players were playing. That sentiment was shared among classmates through to workmates, literally no one was 'barracking for vic' they were barracking for their club players representing vic. Not because they were playing for vic.

If the vics won, it was meh, yay the vics won, but Monkhorst played really well that game!

I don't see the sentiment shifting, it may be different for non vic fans idk, in any case there was no thirst and probably won't be for 'vic' to win.

See above.

I don't see an insatiable appetite from the fans to be an nrl type spectacle, do you?

Yeah you might get buy in from the players, but it'll amount to nought if the fans don't buy in like nrl fans do.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, you can't 'force' fans to make it the spectacle that some want it to be.

I am guessing I am a bit younger than you, but I massively cared about the Vic team winning in the 80s as a kid.

More generally, I don't disagree that if SoO doesn't generate interest it will be a non starter. I just think that your perception of the current level of interest in the concept is doing ALL of the heavy lifting in your conviction there won't be sufficient interest to make it worthwhile.

And obviously the NRL level of interest in not the benchmark for success you would surely agree? I think the relevance of the NRL SoO interest is that there is potential appetite to tap state parochialism......there is also a direct energy there for the AFL if it gets NSW and QLD inclusion right. It doesn't have to even get to a quarter of those levels to make it worthwhile.

 

[Carringbush2010]

More generally, I don't disagree that if SoO doesn't generate interest it will be a non starter

Well we've got a starter, it's whether or not the novelty can be maintained from a fan perspective.

I just think that your perception of the current level of interest in the concept is doing ALL of the heavy lifting in your conviction there won't be sufficient interest to make it worthwhile.

I didn't say with conviction, I alluded it's highly unlikely

And obviously the NRL level of interest in not the benchmark for success you would surely agree?

Well, if the league wants to do this, then do it properly, if they wanna have soo as the headline then invest in it to convince the public at fan level this is the pedastool now.

Like nrl, the soo IS the biggest thing in town, the club competition is a bridesmaid, well that's how it looks externally at least.

For soo in Aus rules it has NEVER been the biggest thing in town, not likely it will be. Will take the collective fan base to shift that - I don't see it happening.

What might happen is a history repeat, there was interest but not THE interest, then it's a question of sustainability. Personally I wouldn't mind a yearly soo as a tune up for players for the club competition - might be more interest instead of pre season praccy matches

I think the relevance of the NRL SoO interest is that there is potential appetite to tap state parochialism.

But there isn't and there never was, at least from a vic fan perspective, it might be different for non vics idk. Either or, not likely to be 'bigger' than the club competition.

there is also a direct energy there for the AFL if it gets NSW and QLD inclusion right.

Possibly, is that enough to drive to the club competition status? Not likely

 

[The Educator]

Well we've got a starter, it's whether or not the novelty can be maintained from a fan perspective.

If all they do is a preseason exhibition game each year it will never amount to more than that

I didn't say with conviction, I alluded it's highly unlikely

Well, if the league wants to do this, then do it properly, if they wanna have soo as the headline then invest in it to convince the public at fan level this is the pedastool now.

Like nrl, the soo IS the biggest thing in town, the club competition is a bridesmaid, well that's how it looks externally at least.

For soo in Aus rules it has NEVER been the biggest thing in town, not likely it will be. Will take the collective fan base to shift that - I don't see it happening.

It isnt a binary.

What might happen is a history repeat, there was interest but not THE interest, then it's a question of sustainability. Personally I wouldn't mind a yearly soo as a tune up for players for the club competition - might be more interest instead of pre season praccy matches

But there isn't and there never was, at least from a vic fan perspective, it might be different for non vics idk. Either or, not likely to be 'bigger' than the club competition.

Possibly, is that enough to drive to the club competition status? Not likely

It doesnt need to

 

[Demon13304]

This is cool, you can select your own teams. Martin being out weakens the W.A midfield, they run shallow in there, but their key positions are relatively good.

Pickett I thought was from S.A and Cameron from QLD, so that strengthens W.A a little in this game, but weakens potential S.A. and QLD teams in the future.

2026 AFL Origin

Western Australia will take on Victoria on Saturday February 14 at Optus Stadium.

www.afl.com.au

I feel like Pickett could play for both SA and WA. He was born in SA, but moved to WA where he spent majority of his childhood/teen years and then moved back to SA for the U17 championships.

So it's kinda both for him, but I'd say he's more aligned with WA especially considering he might've moved back there.