After watching tonight, i would love to see the AFL introduce something similar, i understand they have all but ruled it out but i still can't help but think of how good it would be to see the best playing together and against each other.

any thoughts?

Just seems a bit meaningless these days. With the AFL culture of resting and managing players, success being so vital to survival, and premierships being harder than ever to win.

Just seems a bit meaningless these days. With the AFL culture of resting and managing players, success being so vital to survival, and premierships being harder than ever to win.

Yeah i agree, such a close competition an extra game or two might be the difference later in the year, but perhaps after the grand final?

we are heading for an NBA like comp with players bouncing from club to club, loyalty going out the window for most if a bigger pay day is offered, i suppose in a sense this is why i have enjoyed being a Dees supporter of late because when we do win you see that raw passion and emotion that seems to be missing on the most part ;/

Yeah I really hate that about the NBA these days. They say you follow the team not the players, but I disagree, you definitely get attached to players and emotionally invest in them. I really hope the AFL doesn't see that much player movement in the future, it's all a bit soulless.

Yeah I really hate that about the NBA these days. They say you follow the team not the players, but I disagree, you definitely get attached to players and emotionally invest in them. I really hope the AFL doesn't see that much player movement in the future, it's all a bit soulless.

It's terrible, players will leave good teams for a better pay day, then they will leave the bad teams for good teams to play in a flag before they retire, it's going to be very hard to as you say emotionally invest in a club or players when it's changing every year, kids don't get to see a player as their hero because he might play two years at a team and then take off.

I liked state of origin in AFL when we had it, but AFL has moved and grown past it now, and I don't miss it.

In trying to make it all inclusive, games including The Allies were irrelevant.

Zero interest in NRL state of origin...........I couldn't care less if QLD beat NSW.............two states playing each other.......for what????

It says a lot about where NRL is as a sport that they hang their hat on a two state rivalry.

They simply have no idea how to build a national code.

I have had a passing interest in NRL for a number of years now and origin has become their big thing, it's not for us, we've moved past it as 'Real Demon' says.

One interesting side light to last nights game was the leadership of Cam Smith when the incident occurred with the idiot who ran on the ground. Rather than lose the plot and yell and scream and get in the refs face like his NSW counterparts he went to the ref and stated the rules clearly (amazing that he new the rules to the letter) and made his point thus ensuring the proper ruling was made and Qld came away winners. Now Cam had every right to lose it as it was his team that scored the try that was disallowed.

Can't beat good experienced leadership.

No way. It kills the club competition, at the very least for a big chunk of it in the middle of the season. Just ask South Sydney's coach this morning. The beauty of the AFL is that the whole focus of the competition is on the ultimate glory in September, for players and supporters alike.

As an aside, the letters 'NRL' embody everything I loathe about Australia: dumb, aggressive, red neck, mindless parochialism - and the State of Origin, perhaps more than anything else, highlights that in the middle of every year.

I love the concept in AFL but it is not the same. Club games are "bigger" in the AFL. Hawks v Cats as an example. State of Origin is bigger than their Grand Final, it's not in AFL.

Sigh.

No.

The background to this is actually quite interesting. In the 1980s, the then VFL commissioned a review of its structure and operations. While it is well known that the VFL adopted the Commission model and national expansion, what is lesser known is that the report also recommended making sure the VFL (now AFL) remained a sport where the masses would attend every week and not just for major events (what the sports world calls the "theatre-going crowd"). The VFL (now AFL) has pretty much adopted that mantra ever since. The NRL and cricket went the other way (whether deliberately or accidentally I don't know) and put all their eggs in the big events basket. Now both sports get big crowds for State of Origin and Ashes tests but relatively small crowds to almost everything else. This can be highlighted by Melbourne Storm's game last weekend. They were thrashed because they rested players before the State of Origin - which ultimately devalues the home and away games and tells supporters the premiership season is not that important.

I suspect the AFL believes that State of Origin wouldn't work because it would damage the premiership season. And the clubs don't like it because who wants their best players being injured in a game that's meaningless with respect to the Premiership?

I love watching the state of origin and I think its the one thing that the NRL do way better than the AFL. The players love it and yes Im not sure that the coach from Sth Sydney wont be please he will miss Inglis for 8 weeks but thats the risk you take. You ask any player how much origin means to them and they will tell you everything.

The thing is our AFL players winge about 6 days breaks. There are playing that played last night that will play for there team 2 days 3 days later.

Just proves to me that if you are going to streak in font of a large crowd spend some time polishing up the body

Geessssus what a sight!

excellent post there LDvC Well summised.

I have a soft spot for a good ol VIC v anyone rivalry but understand it probably is unworkable these days.

I can still remember going to the G , sitting in the members ( oo lal lah...as mates dad was someone ) and watching WA take on the Mighty Vics.. Watching Polly Farmer and some bloke called Cable tear it up was brilliant.. And we won.lol. Great game

gee that was a while ago..

And the clubs don't like it because who wants their best players being injured in a game that's meaningless with respect to the Premiership?

Yep. Remember Andy Collins tackling Hawthorn team-mate Tony Hall in the 1989 State of Origin, resulting in a serious knee injury to Hall which required a total knee reconstruction?

It didn't cost them the flag, but Hall was never the same player after that.

The only times I can watch rugby league and enjoy it are State of Origin and the Grand Final. Only in these games is the skill anywhere near enjoyable, and even then it only just makes it.

I have no personal interest in AFL State of Origin. I have great memories of it in the past (Lockett, Ablett and Dunstall in one team!!!)

However, if Melbourne are 2 points up with 3 minutes to go in any game for the remainder of this year, I might consider streaking to ensure the result. And if you reckon that streaker from last night should have buffed his body first, mine will cause some serious heart problems.

Different times I suppose. Given there is no real level above the normal team at which to represent the game in Footy (and many will howl me down but I dont consider the "funny game" against the Paddies as legitimate in terms of higher echelon representation of AFL, then it was an absolute honour to be selected to play for your state.

Was also a rare opportunity to watch and barrack for opponents players...for as long as they wore the great White V,., then they were good guys. ( next week back to bastards lol )

After watching tonight, i would love to see the AFL introduce something similar, i understand they have all but ruled it out but i still can't help but think of how good it would be to see the best playing together and against each other.

any thoughts?

Love it.

but the selfless, isn't there.... well , at least not yet, in this current world economic climate.

when the world economies change back towards more of 'Local Economies', these things may also change.

Yep. Remember Andy Collins tackling Hawthorn team-mate Tony Hall in the 1989 State of Origin, resulting in a serious knee injury to Hall which required a total knee reconstruction?

It didn't cost them the flag, but Hall was never the same player after that.

so what, thats life.

the players were mostly falling over themselves to be a representative. it only started to change as the Code entered a more pro styled pay check ways of things. & with that, a more selfish way of thinking.

... the game has Lost a great deal in these changes.

I love watching the state of origin and I think its the one thing that the NRL do way better than the AFL. The players love it and yes Im not sure that the coach from Sth Sydney wont be please he will miss Inglis for 8 weeks but thats the risk you take. You ask any player how much origin means to them and they will tell you everything.

The thing is our AFL players winge about 6 days breaks. There are playing that played last night that will play for there team 2 days 3 days later.

its the "Tribalism"

& its the tribalism that we've lost in the rush for professionalism & so called evenness that never event_uated.

I'd like to see more recruiting zones introduced back, to within the draft. as we see in say Queensland with the suns & lions...

... each team should be able to nominate one 'local place of birth' zoned player, prior to the national draft, to be taken with the 1st Rnd pick...

The rugbly SOO reminds me of the cricket situation like with the Ashes series. These sports need a big ticket marquee event to generate maximum interest. Other than that the regular competions are low key. Just regulation TV fodder. Our game already generates maximum interest within the regular home and away season. Hence a waste of time and resources.

its the "Tribalism"

& its the tribalism that we've lost in the rush for professionalism & so called evenness that never event_uated.

I'd like to see more recruiting zones introduced back, to within the draft. as we see in say Queensland with the suns & lions...

... each team should be able to nominate one 'local place of birth' zoned player, prior to the national draft, to be taken with the 1st Rnd pick...

While I like the tribalism argument, the zone system was essentially unfair. Some clubs (eg Carlton with the Bendigo area) had much better zones than others.

Zero interest in NRL state of origin...........I couldn't care less if QLD beat NSW.............two states playing each other.......for what????

It says a lot about where NRL is as a sport that they hang their hat on a two state rivalry.

It's an opportunity for team mates to play against each other so they can punch the bejesus out of one-another.

Bunch of thugs.

Yeah i agree, such a close competition an extra game or two might be the difference later in the year, but perhaps after the grand final?

we are heading for an NBA like comp with players bouncing from club to club, loyalty going out the window for most if a bigger pay day is offered, i suppose in a sense this is why i have enjoyed being a Dees supporter of late because when we do win you see that raw passion and emotion that seems to be missing on the most part ;/

Yeah I really hate that about the NBA these days. They say you follow the team not the players, but I disagree, you definitely get attached to players and emotionally invest in them. I really hope the AFL doesn't see that much player movement in the future, it's all a bit soulless.

It's terrible, players will leave good teams for a better pay day, then they will leave the bad teams for good teams to play in a flag before they retire, it's going to be very hard to as you say emotionally invest in a club or players when it's changing every year, kids don't get to see a player as their hero because he might play two years at a team and then take off.

We are not headed for an NBA-like scenario.

The NFL would be a better comparison.

In both codes, the best players rarely leave, and when they do it is a huge deal.

There are just less 'best players' in the NBA. 15 man rosters with about 3 promising kids, 10 role players, and 2 stars (or those that think they are stars).

In the NFL - about 8 promising kids, 8 stars (OTTTTAS) and 36 role players. The role players are increased and they move around more. But teams don't identify themselves with these players.

In the AFL, with the introduction of FA, there should be a loosening of the restrictions on those role players and that is not a bad thing at all. The numbers change from team to team but we would have about 12 stars or promising young players per team and about 30 role players.

For every Goddard there were Byrnes, Knights, Chaplin, Pearce, Young, Moloney, Rivers, Murphy, and Lynch in the last FA Period.

Like every Celtic had Pierce for 15 years, and Laker fans have Bryant until he is in a wheelchair, fans rarely see the back of their best players even in the NBA. James may have left Ohio, but Dallas still has Nowitzki, Wade will be with Miami forever, Garnett spent 13 seasons not winning things in Minnesota, Nash was incredibly loyal to Phoenix and Dallas, and there are many more examples.

Professional sports is still a very stable place for the very best players - the ones that the fans idolise.

While I like the tribalism argument, the zone system was essentially unfair. Some clubs (eg Carlton with the Bendigo area) had much better zones than others.

I remember well,,, but it also has a lot to do with the development skills of those in the areas... you reap what you sow.

... remember this is about 'ONE' 1st Rnd kid, per team, per year.... to help with the 'Tribalism' in your teams development region. ours would these days be mostly Gippsland.

You develop a region & get One pick of the crop reserved for your efforts per year... it wouldn't even have to be 1st Rnd, just the one best player of your choosing, from your region.

...Maybe bypassing the draft altogether.