State of Origin

Remove this Banner Ad

WCE2000

Club Legend
Jul 19, 2000
2,608
14
the pub
This is a post by a bloke nicknamed the Burgatron on another forum about AFL. It is about the State of Origin. I think it is a very good concept, what do some of you people think;


The Burgatron wrote:
I am passionate about this concept. Obviously this year I can understand it not being on, but I think the whole concept needs a revamp and not the way it has been done in the past.

The idea of mid season is wrong!

And playing one game - big deal!

It needs to done in a carnival setting and at the end of the premiership season.

There should be six teams
- NSW/ACT
- QLD/NT (like in 1993)
- SA
- TAS
- VIC
- WA

It should consist for three weeks

eg. - three games first week

- two the following week with the team that lost by the least continuing into the next round (with four teams competing).

- Then a GF. (week three with the two winners)

With the draft players are all over the show - Vic can choose the likes of Schwass, Leppitsch, Wirrpunda, Gehrig etc...

WA can choose Black, Woewodin, Bell etc...

SA can choose Modra, Wellman, O'Loughlin etc...

NSW/ACT can choose Hird, Carey, Soloman etc...

TAS are a real mix - while a lot of Demons come from that way.

QLD/NT - Bowden, McLeod, Buckley, etc...

My season would be different too.

I would either do it this way
- Ansett Cup (5 weeks)
- Home and Away season (15 rounds and play each side once)
- Finals (4 weeks)
- State of Origin (3 weeks)
- International Rules Series (3 tests over three weeks)

This way players can fully concentrate on home and away and strive for state selection then players can be chosen from these series to represent Australia.

Or scrap the Ansett Cup (although this is huge sponsorship for AFL) and have 20 rounds.

You would play each side once.

Then play another five.

Say you are Melbourne.

Melbourne would play for eg. Ade, BL, Carl, Coll, Ess twice to bring it to 20 rounds.

Then in the second year Fre, Geel, Haw, Kang, PA.

Then in the third year Rich, St.K, Syd, WC, WB.

So over a three year period this would even out the draw somewhat as you play everyone twice over three years.

Because 30 rounds is too long with Ansett Cup, Finals and Ireland games.

The carnivals would be pumped up to the max - fireworks at night, concert before hand etc...

Make it a finals atmosphere!

Because some of the best game have been SOO and the best against the best is fantastic!

Especially once the home and away season is over!

So there you have it!

This is WCE2000 again, what do you guys think of that, i reckon its pretty good.
 
The international rules games now mean more to the players than State of Origin.

Last year, 64,000 watched Australia vs Ireland at the MCG, and 45,000 saw them at Footbal park. The second crowd was the biggest crowd of the season at Football park.

The fans care more about that now. Only 26,000 turned up at the MCG last year to see Vic vs S.A.

40,000 more than that sway Australia vs Ireland. At least the International Rules concept gives the players a chance to play for Australia (even if you may call it contrived), but I LOVE the competitve nature of the games. They are as closely matched as you can get....that's why the fans have responded.

At least the International Rules concept give the players an opportunity to aspire to be in the All-Australian team, which is the team used for those international matches.

The fans voted with their feet last year, and I think they will again in 2001 when Australia host Ireland again. Later this year, they will play IN Ireland.

Give the fans what they want.
 
I love State of Origin matches and the International rules series has the potential to mean as much to the players as playing for your state used to.

However, in my opinion they will never replace watching your own club play.

I know I have mentioned this previously and it may not seem viable but surely a 30 game season is the way to go.

If we can scrap the Ansett Cup and unfortunately the State of Origin series, 30 games is possible. As long as teams can have a good preseason, there is no reason why teams need to play upwards of 10 ansett cup/practice matches before the season. Particularly as all teams are in the same boat.

Interestingly, Mick Malthouse said the same thing in his Australian column a few weeks ago. And when the coach of Collingwood is annoyed with the contrived draw we have every year, surely someone needs to take note.

Year after year, we have to put up with the same bloody draw. It will all even up after four years says the AFL. Oh, but if you are Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and Richmond or one of the two SA and WA teams, you can play each other twice every year.

It is a disgrace! I know people will say these matches are good for the game but they are not. They are good for certain clubs at the expense of others. While Eddie and Jack are laughing to the bank, even the coach of Collingwood is sick of having to play teams like Essendon and Carlton every year and this is fair enough.

Before I finish, I suppose one of the main arguments will be that the amount of Victorian teams should be reduced. But would that really make any difference? Sure, the draw would be easier. But like Pessimistic has said many times, there is no shread of evidence to suggest that getting rid of an established Victorian club to make way for second clubs in other cities across Australia would be any better. I fear for what could happen to the game after losing the hundreds of thousands of supporters.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

I used to luv state of origin footy. Not ant more. It doesn't mean anything & I've seen too many players get injured.

Also my club usually has too many players playing in it.

Dump it.

The international rules games are ok if they are played outside the season but please pick a team specificaly for those games. They arn't Aussie rules games & require different skills & abilities.
 
The idea of playing state of origin AFTER the grandfinal is alot better, and I think personally Id have taken much more interest in it, had it been played post-GF. Thats usually the time when you are mourning the end of footy for another year (or your team stuffing up in the finals as the case may be), and a couple of SOorigin games would be a good way to wind down the footy season.


As for int rules- its a good idea and all but as a spectator its very annoying to watch, as its totally geared towards their game rather than ours. Their pitch, scoring system and ball means our players have to do the majority of the adjustment, and hence we tend to lose most of the games. I reckon they should at least create a new "international rules" specific ball which is more like a round rugby ball- and is a closer hybrid of the round ball and a sherrin. That would mean both teams players having to come to grips with a new kicking style etc rather than one. PLus make the damn ball HEAVIER so its not floating away with the wind all the time.

thats what i reckon.

A.
 
oh- always hit submit too early-
To Drakey-

so do you think they should choose the All-Australian team with a view to getting a good int rules team- rather than rewarding the best AFL players for any particular year ???

I disagree with that. They shouldnt try and select a team, with players they think would play well together, just pick the best players- period. My opinion.

A.
 
I don't think the SOO series will ever
re-emerge.

They should choose the All Australian team as they do now but rename it the AFL Team of the Year.

Selection for the Australian team should be on a team balance basis with a view to winning the games. This would mean no tall lumbering players like Allen or Rehn and more mid size fast players like the Irish select.

Given that we have never been easily beaten by the Irish, if we selected players to suit the game then we should never get beaten. That unfortunately would be detrimental to the ongoing viability and popularity of the series.

That being the case I believe the AFL will continue to play the All Australian team in the International Rules games at least for the foreseeable future.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

State of Origin

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top