Matt Burgan's State of Origin Teams

[Nasher 33,166]

Matt Burgan has named teams for all eight states and territories here.

I'm glad somebody finally had the balls to research all the available players and come up with teams like that, rather than naming a cop-out "Allies" team. This would've been especially difficult with the ACT who had a total of 3 AFL listed players to choose from.

[grazman 6,646]

Matt Burgan has named teams for all eight states and territories here.

I'm glad somebody finally had the balls to research all the available players and come up with teams like that, rather than naming a cop-out "Allies" team. This would've been especially difficult with the ACT who had a total of 3 AFL listed players to choose from.

Interesting lists... I'm surprised he actually bothered about the ACT. Bloody Hell most Canberrans born and bred here consider themselves defacto New South Welshman anyway.....

Its fascinating, because I reckon a dozen years ago neither the NSW or QLD sides would have had a bull's roar against any of the big three - they now look pretty strong and far stronger than Tassie - that would struggle to beat anyone other than the ACT. I think it's contentious about whether Ricky should actually line up for QLD or for the Taswegians.

[drdrake 3,052]

Nathan Carroll would get a game for WA ahead of Luke Macpharlan.

[Nasher 33,166]

Interesting lists... I'm surprised he actually bothered about the ACT. Bloody Hell most Canberrans born and bred here consider themselves defacto New South Welshman anyway.....

Its fascinating, because I reckon a dozen years ago neither the NSW or QLD sides would have had a bull's roar against any of the big three - they now look pretty strong and far stronger than Tassie - that would struggle to beat anyone other than the ACT. I think it's contentious about whether Ricky should actually line up for QLD or for the Taswegians.

The problem would be, if this format were adopted there'd need to be an ACT team otherwise there'd only be 7 teams. The alternative would be to merge Queensland with NT but both sides are strong enough to field a team in their own right.

I like the idea that someone on here suggested (not sure who, sorry) of playing the series in two team divisions, and each year teams get promoted/relegated based on who won. The divisions might be something like this:

Victoria vs WA (D1)

SA vs NSW (D2)

Qld vs NT (D3)

Tas vs ACT (D4)

Then the following year, if Victoria defeated WA and SA defeated NSW it'd be Victoria vs SA the next year etc... Then you'd never see the situation where the best teams are playing the worst and it'd be as even a competition as you could get. The series could be played after the AFL GF, then no clubs are risking their season by allowing their best players to play and the best players get an opportunity to play representative footy, something which doesn't exist now that the Irish series is gone.

Even better would be to play a round-robin series of two four team divisions, however then you're forced to play more than one game and I doubt the clubs would go for that.

I'd love to see this happen and I'd be barracking very hard for the Tassie side, even if they were uncompetitive against the better teams.

[Jaded No More 59,133]

Haha, that ACT team is hilarious.

A whole bunch of randoms then... JAMES HIRD!

God that cracked me up.

[classy dees 42]

Stanton > Bruce ...?????

Good effort on the whole generally tho

[St. Jon 0]

Luke Hodge ???

[WonnaJurah 5]

Colm Begley, isnt he Irish? why is he playing for QLD

[BrownlowBruce 1]

Stanton > Bruce ...?????

Good effort on the whole generally tho

nah.... stanton is easily better than bruce and sam mitchell for that mattter....

[godees 661]

nah.... stanton is easily better than bruce and sam mitchell for that mattter....

Nope. Stanton is a worse kick than Bruce. Bruce is a far better player than Stanton. Stanton just accumulates cheap possessions and turns it over.

[WonnaJurah 5]

Adocok in vic team you cant be serious

[H.B.K 0]

Bruce does deserve to be in that side, he is a great player and even if his skills aren't perfect, he can do everything ie: back, forward and midfield, so he could fill any hole that the Vics have.

This time next year we will be seeing both Bruce and McLean's name there though so it won't be a problem

[BrownlowBruce 1]

Nope. Stanton is a worse kick than Bruce. Bruce is a far better player than Stanton. Stanton just accumulates cheap possessions and turns it over.

Sarcastic?

[Little Goffy 12,770]

Interesting lists... I'm surprised he actually bothered about the ACT. Bloody Hell most Canberrans born and bred here consider themselves defacto New South Welshman anyway.....

Like hell they do!

There's a country town near Canberra called Queanbeyan, just over the border in NSW. That place's long-standing reputation as the number one home of derros, bogans and junkies has really helped Canberrans insist they're not anything like NSW.

Canberra is a split personality city. You'll see a lot of Tuggeranong (Aaron Hamill) people go to Sydney as soon as they finish school, and a lot of Northside (James Hird) people end up in Brunswick, Carlton and Fitroy.

And seriously, people in Canberra get 'imported' from all over the country to work for the Federal goverment. Having a good 'spread' in your staff profile is considered the pinnacle of HR success. The number of Adelaide supports is scary, a whole bunch of families were moved from Adelaide to Canberra in the early nineties for reasons which remain a mystery. Happened right in that gap after Adelaide starting up and before Port Adelaide came to AFL.

Strange city, this one.

[Johnny Karate 559]

A pretty good read. Nice to see an AFL.com journalist really do some in depth research for a change.

A couple of points though:

I thought Alwyn Davey would be in the same boat as Shaun Burgoyne and be only eligible for South Australia?

I may be biased but Mackie in the Team SA starting 18 and Rivers, Bell and Johncock not even getting in squad of 25 is a joke.

The Vic Team is always hard to pick but personally I'd have any combination of Mitchell, Harvey, Ling, Bruce, Gram, Lewis and Chapman in that side ahead of Stanton, H.Shaw and Swan. Jon Brown has hardly set the world on fire.

Clement would easily make WA's team. I don't see why he uses injuries as a cop out in this instance as he has included Buckley, Hentschel and Hamill in their respective sides all have played sweet FA football this year.

[Deano74 156]

Seeing those teams, shows that SOO will be good to watch, and proves that the national game is growing.

The sides like Vic have and always will be strong but its good to see the lesser know AFL states producing more AFL talent than they would have say 20 years ago.

[kieranbj 111]

I like the idea that someone on here suggested (not sure who, sorry) of playing the series in two team divisions, and each year teams get promoted/relegated based on who won. The divisions might be something like this:

Yeah that was my idea.

I had only the 6 teams with NT with Qld and Nsw with ACT

It is true that the NT deserve to be able to field a side on their own. giving the ACT their own side would be a great promotion for the Canberra league.

I really think the 1 game promotion relegation system is the way to go. but i do not think it should be played the week after the GF.

First of all players from the best two teams in the land would be unavailable.

Also i think there are regulations regarding a period of time the players get off (no training or playing) once the season is completed for that club.

Some time during the season i think is the most workable

or two weeks before rd 1.

[grazman 6,646]

Yeah that was my idea.

I had only the 6 teams with NT with Qld and Nsw with ACT

It is true that the NT deserve to be able to field a side on their own. giving the ACT their own side would be a great promotion for the Canberra league.

I really think the 1 game promotion relegation system is the way to go. but i do not think it should be played the week after the GF.

First of all players from the best two teams in the land would be unavailable.

Also i think there are regulations regarding a period of time the players get off (no training or playing) once the season is completed for that club.

Some time during the season i think is the most workable

or two weeks before rd 1.

It'd be interesting to see how it'd work. I think you're right in one respect, it'd be a great filip for the local comp here. On the other hand I can't see the side that was picked getting within 100 points of any of the other sides in reality. If we are looking to show case this as the best of the best then clearly the ACT doesn't deserve to be there simply because it is a seperate jurisdiction. It has to be able to hold it's own.

[Little Goffy 12,770]

Expanding on the idea of divisions, and maybe relegation, in the state of origin, how about the winning state of origin team earns the right to tour Ireland for the international rules series.

It would add an extra incentive for sure.

You'd have to balance it, though. When the Irish come to Australia they could play the each state team in a tour match series.

This would go some way to balancing the ledger in the 'professionals vs amateurs' issue, as well.

Just throwing a thought out there.

[St. Jon 0]

Colm Begley, isnt he Irish? why is he playing for QLD

He explained it if you read it. Same as Kennely for NSW.

Stynes played for victoria so by this reasoning you play for the state you're playing in.

[kramer 0]

Luke Hodge ???

yep, looses credability without him.

[Nasher 33,166]

Some time during the season i think is the most workable

or two weeks before rd 1.

Before the season might work, but I don't think in the middle of the season would. In fact, I suspect it was the cause of it failing in the first place. As footy got more professional, clubs didn't want their best players to represent for fear of injury. I can't see how that'd be any different now.