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

[PhilX]

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.

Selfishness of fans is meaningless in this context.

We watch football for our own enjoyment, and each individual gets to decide what they like and want to watch.

If there is a demand for SOO, then we will get SOO, and those who don't want it will have to live with it. If there isn't demand, then we won't get it (or it won't last) and those who want it will have to live without it. Neither side is selfish for enjoying what they enjoy.

It's not anyone's job as a fan to selflessly encourage the league to make the sport less appealing to them.

 

[fake tyrone]

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.

It's not necessarily selfishness. The highest achievement in soccer is to win a world cup with your country, not winning the EPL. Representing your country in general is regarded as more important than playing club football (although they work with this via international breaks). If Man U told someone they couldn't represent their country in a match, that player would just walk to the next highest bidder.

It's just different values with the AFL.

 

[Bjo187]

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.

In these situations it's probably best to just let the player choose who they feel more aligned to. Except as others have said, when it comes to nsw and qld players, they need to play for those developing states to add depth.

Definitely though none of these half and half guys should play for Victoria, as the squad is already too strong for its competitors.

 

[Underarm]

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...

WA need all the help they can get.

 

[Seadog]

Great timing, WA would have the weakest team of any that could have been picked in the last 30 years.

 

[Carringbush2010]

It isnt a binary

Didn't say it was, either or if it doesn't garner interest more so than what it used to be then it won't succeed.

Wait and see

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

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)

Benduing the rules to suit certain states is just as likely to backfire on those states at another time. The rules should be the rules.
Of course, there is every likelhood that SoO is only Vic and WA, givenm it is only happening because the WA government put a lot of money in. In which case they mnay well bend the rules to have as many players eligible for those two states as possible.

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.

The oold rules were based on where you lived in those years, not where you went to school or the club. Tom Hawkins was eligible for All-Stars in the exhibition game, because the old rules (not the original, but the final ones from when origin was a thing) were applied. If school counted he would have been a Vic.

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 only reason for muliple criteria is for any players that don't have teams they are eligible for.
So, for example, if there is no ACT team (there wouldn;t be) Tom Greene might be eligible for NSW, being the first state he played in. Something similar could apply to internationals.

NSW and Qld to need to be included oif it becomes more than just a WA v Vic thing. But standalone, not with territories. NSW and Qld as division2, Tas v NT as a division 3.

But I don't think the AFL had any intention of having anything that isn't hugely taxpayer funded for as long as they can milk it. Its sadly unlikely to retain much buy-in from fans, and certainly not clubs, on an ongoing basis. Its hard to see the NSW or Qld governments that desparate to host Australian Football Origin that thry woukd bankroll it.

 

[The Educator]

Benduing the rules to suit certain states is just as likely to backfire on those states at another time. The rules should be the rules.
Of course, there is every likelhood that SoO is only Vic and WA, givenm it is only happening because the WA government put a lot of money in. In which case they mnay well bend the rules to have as many players eligible for those two states as possible.



The oold rules were based on where you lived in those years, not where you went to school or the club. Tom Hawkins was eligible for All-Stars in the exhibition game, because the old rules (not the original, but the final ones from when origin was a thing) were applied. If school counted he would have been a Vic.



The only reason for muliple criteria is for any players that don't have teams they are eligible for.
So, for example, if there is no ACT team (there wouldn;t be) Tom Greene might be eligible for NSW, being the first state he played in. Something similar could apply to internationals.

NSW and Qld to need to be included oif it becomes more than just a WA v Vic thing. But standalone, not with territories. NSW and Qld as division2, Tas v NT as a division 3.

But I don't think the AFL had any intention of having anything that isn't hugely taxpayer funded for as long as they can milk it. Its sadly unlikely to retain much buy-in from fans, and certainly not clubs, on an ongoing basis. Its hard to see the NSW or Qld governments that desparate to host Australian Football Origin that thry woukd bankroll it.

Don't agree with you. Every other football code has layers of criteria that would permit representation.

I think it matters less if players are paid the same and teams play the same number of games. If that is the case, just make the rules equally applicable

The point is to deepen the pools availble to all teams to improve competitive balance.

Having 7 state / territory teams playing in 3 "divisions" is clearly not going to work

 

[GC2015]

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.

Here is the NRL's current State of Origin eligibility criteria:

 

[RUNVS]

It's not necessarily selfishness. The highest achievement in soccer is to win a world cup with your country, not winning the EPL. Representing your country in general is regarded as more important than playing club football (although they work with this via international breaks). If Man U told someone they couldn't represent their country in a match, that player would just walk to the next highest bidder.

It's just different values with the AFL.

Then why do clubs let the Australian players go play friendlies, or the Asian cup?

 

[The Educator]

Then why do clubs let the Australian players go play friendlies, or the Asian cup?

Because FIFA's rules compel them to

It certainly isn't out of the benevolence of the club

In that guys example, it depends on who the player is. If Man U had the power to tell a fringe player that hadnt proved themselves they couldn't play for their country, there is every chance they wouldn't play.

The Socceroos historically had challenges getting players back from europe likely cos the club didn't want the player hopping on intercontentinental flights

 

[p4p1]

WA need all the help they can get.

With the form he is in, he shouldn’t be anywhere near representative footy.

 

[speedpeck23]

Don't agree with you. Every other football code has layers of criteria that would permit representation.

I think it matters less if players are paid the same and teams play the same number of games. If that is the case, just make the rules equally applicable

The point is to deepen the pools availble to all teams to improve competitive balance.

Having 7 state / territory teams playing in 3 "divisions" is clearly not going to work

I totally get your point re trying to make an 7 team "Origin Competition" but the population base is far too disparate to create equally competitive teams. I think you just have to leave Origin as a challenge type format. One or two games a pre season with teams of relative equal competitiveness.

Ramp up the profile of a match by awarding a trophy based on a great player from the past. eg WA v Vic could be contesting the Polly Farmer Trophy. One day, a long time in the future, Vic and NSW may play for the Tom Wills Trophy.

It's a better chance for elite level players to play in a higher profile match, which they may not otherwise get playing at club level. It also, in the long term , if it works, could be a vehicle for promoting the game more effectively into Qld and NSW.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I totally get your point re trying to make an 7 team "Origin Competition" but the population base is far too disparate to create equally competitive teams. I think you just have to leave Origin as a challenge type format. One or two games a pre season with teams of relative equal competitiveness.

Ramp up the profile of a match by awarding a trophy based on a great player from the past. eg WA v Vic could be contesting the Polly Farmer Trophy. One day, a long time in the future, Vic and NSW may play for the Tom Wills Trophy.

It's a better chance for elite level players to play in a higher profile match, which they may not otherwise get playing at club level. It also, in the long term , if it works, could be a vehicle for promoting the game more effectively into Qld and NSW.

If its going to work medium and long term it needs to be a competition of sorts. That doesn't have to mean having Vic v NT.
Actually making it workable is hard, we're not like RL where maybe >90% of the fan and player base is in two jurisdictions, but a divisional system with promotion-relegation playoffs is probably the way to go in the near term.
The gap between NSW & Qld down to Tas is big enough it probably needs to be 3 divisions to avoid regular 30 goal margins. There might not even be a chance for those two two promote, very likely to be that far off the pace of the mid-tier states.

But it is yet to be proven if there is even a desire for a one-off game after a quarter century absence. So, any competition is getting way ahead of reality as it sits.

 

[speedpeck23]

If its going to work medium and long term it needs to be a competition of sorts. That doesn't have to mean having Vic v NT.
Actually making it workable is hard, we're not like RL where maybe >90% of the fan and player base is in two jurisdictions, but a divisional system with promotion-relegation playoffs is probably the way to go in the near term.
The gap between NSW & Qld down to Tas is big enough it probably needs to be 3 divisions to avoid regular 30 goal margins. There might not even be a chance for those two two promote, very likely to be that far off the pace of the mid-tier states.

But it is yet to be proven if there is even a desire for a one-off game after a quarter century absence. So, any competition is getting way ahead of reality as it sits.

To me the competition is just who holds the trophy. In the instance coming up next year it will be who's better Victoria or WA..

After all RL SOO is just 2 teams playing each other each year. Ok they play 3 matches but that's just drawing it out. Sure the competition is there but it's just two teams and you get away with it.

Like Test Cricket.....I realise they do have a competition globally for standings but the actual match eg like who wins the Boxing Day Test is a feature in itself even apart from who wins the Ashes.

They'll get a sell out crowd in Perth....it's a one off...they may not play in Perth again for 3 or 4 years....people will want to be there. Ok it has to build .. the WA footy fan needs a fix.. West Coast has been hopeless the last few seasons, Dockers middle of the road. There's no bigger scalp than Victoria.

 

[Cmarsh]

RUNVS your long wanted desire for a NSW vs QLD SoO match seems to have a high profile supporter.

"Don’t know what you’re achieving": Why Zorko is confused by Origin timing

Dayne Zorko has given his thoughts about the re-introduction of State of Origin

sen.com.au

 

[RUNVS]

RUNVS your long wanted desire for a NSW vs QLD SoO match seems to have a high profile supporter.

"Don’t know what you’re achieving": Why Zorko is confused by Origin timing

Dayne Zorko has given his thoughts about the re-introduction of State of Origin

sen.com.au

Not sure how high profile Zorko is but he makes an excellent point. It is nuts not to have a NSW vs QLD game.

 

[hampton]

That’s because it’s not really a state of origin it’s a pre season trial game dressed up as an event game to make the the AFL look like they’re doing something.

 

[hampton]

If it was really a state of origin they could do a competition format like the pacific championship in the nrl where you include all states but split them between the top tier and second tier.

• hold it after the gf
• have a origin championship of VIC, Wa, Sa and an origin cup of NSW, QLD, TAS and NT
• crown a winner of each division
• the top of the cup division gets a chance to play the last place of the championship for a chance to swap places the next year

This gives more content for the afl to sell to media, make it look like they’re actually doing something kinda good, and gives a meaningful representative competition to look forward to.

And don’t dare make any cringey “allied” teams.

 

[Shipping Report]

Great timing, WA would have the weakest team of any that could have been picked in the last 30 years.

There was a time there where you could have Cox and Sandilands tapping to Fyfe, Cripps, and Coniglio with Rance, McGovern, McPharlin and Buddy and Josh Kennedy having Sonny Walters and LeCras crumbing.

Would’ve been a genuine sight. It’s great they’ve gone into Origin again but WA will get pantsed.

 

[GC2015]

RUNVS your long wanted desire for a NSW vs QLD SoO match seems to have a high profile supporter.

"Don’t know what you’re achieving": Why Zorko is confused by Origin timing

Dayne Zorko has given his thoughts about the re-introduction of State of Origin

sen.com.au

It would've been far more interesting if the AFL had added a NSW v QLD state match to that weekend. Such a great opportunity to showcase the growth of the game in the northern markets and they're letting the opportunity slip by.

 

[Demon13304]

It's pretty clear that they're getting the 2 biggest AFL states (Sorry SA) to get the ball rolling and see if it works.

I think Darcy Moore

30

Darcy Moore

Age

29

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203cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.1

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

169.1

3star

D

13.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

0.7

1star

MG

182.0

3star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.2

2star

HB

2.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

87.4

2star

(as head of AFLPA) said they didn't want this to be a one off. He said this on an SEN interview before it was officially announced.

It will sell out, and if the contest is great and overall it's a successful event, I think they'll look into expanding it into having all states involved the next time they do it

 

[Demon13304]

Also I hear that much hatred for Victoria and stuff about Vicbias that I think you non-Victorians will be going for WA anyway

 

[Bjo187]

If only the afl could get albo to pay for a state championship like he pays for the Pacific championship of his beloved nrl every year.

 

[iameviljez]

If only the afl could get albo to pay for a state championship like he pays for the Pacific championship of his beloved nrl every year.

Yeah, all you'd need is for PNG and the Pacific islands to absolutely love AFL.

It's nothing to do with AFL/NRL and everything to do with soft diplomacy.