Not State of Origin....but close enough

[deesrock 0]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...976-661,00.html

How do you feel about the possibility of any of our players taking part? Imagine the hoo-ha if someone goes down with an injury in this match. On the other hand, for a player it would be a huge honour to be selected.

Also, great to see Neale has got back into the coaching ranks - only one match but it's a start.

[Yencks 8]

haha..interesting.

time to place bets on how many melbourne players will make the cut?

0? 1?

nah jk, i think there could be at lease three or four of mclean, jones, davey, mcdonald, neitz, rivers, robertson etc

[worldtraveller 0]

I think McLean (if fit), White Bruce Neitz are all in contention for the big V. Possibly Rivers, Davey for the all stars

[beelzebub 23,241]

cant say I am very much for this game .

Firstly the AFL is stealing our thunder about th e150th.. and I notice the deafening silence so far from our illustrious club about this. Its a trumped up exhibition game, thats all...the down side is going to be any injuries sustained by it to the member teams as well as any impact on those players going into the next round etc.

The only winner really is the AFL and I could give two figs about them.

Personally quite happy for NO Demons to participate....rather win a home and away game !!!! they matter

[demonfanjezza 1]

I can see the big clubs pulling their players out saying they have injuries. This game is going to be a farce exhibition game

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Raises as much interest with me as a grand final sprint. Happy for no demons to play and risk injury in what has been rightly termed a farce exhibition match.

[Jaded No More 68,600]

Those bastards are sure milking OUR 150th birthday for all it's worth.

Would rather see other teams' players get injured thanks.

[Pates 9,625]

I knew they would do this, i knew they'd create a watered down version of SOO to commemorate the football's (actually our) 150th birthday. They should've had two games, SA vs VIC and WA vs All Stars, the first one in Melbourne on Friday night and the second in WA on Saturday night.

But there is no passion in this game, it's a exhibition game, like the ones we see Billy Brownless and Straughnie running around in only now our players could get injured in them.

They needed to have a pull to get the players willing to come, now it's just a show for the cameras.

Waste of time really.

[PhilReadFury 1]

I could not agree more with Chad Kornes on this one...

The whole concept of state of Origin is playing for your State of Origin!

Having an all stars team makes this thing a joke - Not clear on the AFL's intention with this, but is this supposed to invoke passion in a similar vain to State of Origin Rugby? The NSW and QLD rivalry is the best thing about their sport, they have the formula right and somehow manage to allocate 3 weekends for it each year - Why is it we can only find the time for 1?

For this thing to work, a tradition needs to be built. It needs to happen EVERY Year. It needs to Involve a WA team, a Vic team, an SA team and perhaps either a TAS or all aboriginal team). 2 weekends need to be allocated - 1 with 2 games as semi's and 1 for the final. There needs to be a trophy... There needs to be PASSION!!!!

ALL STARS DONT CUT IT!!!!!!

This is the word of PhilReads fury

[demonfanjezza 1]

Thats right. PASSION. There is no passion in an exbition match. I think the AFL are board in dream land and thinking an exbition will excite fans. It is turning out to be just a show for the TV networks to make more money and take the spotlight of us in our 150th year

[Little Goffy 14,115]

WEAK!

ABSOLUTELY WEAK!

Here we have living proof that the AFL simply doesn't understand that what the ans, the supporters, the members are a part of is a club, the motivation is to see their club, to follow the fortunes of the 'collective identities' of the AFL clubs.

Not even a trivial attempt to emulate that driving force of AFL participation and involvement.

At least State of Origin invokes some kind of identity.

Bloody hell, releasing some action figures without club colours would achieve the same effect.

AFL has, as the saying goes, 'completely lost touch'.

[Pates 9,625]

I suppose it should be fair to say that the AFL aren't calling this State of Origin, but when they involve the Big V they need to remember how it was seen and respected. This is nothing but a glorified exhibition match, maybe they'll even make it NAB cup rules (9 point goals, no kicking backwards etc) just to give even less credibility.

I'd be interested to see HOW the AFL came to this decision, i mean the reaction on this board would surely be emulated on most other forums, and i wouldn't this the average supporter would have must interest in this so i'm sort of wondering what market they are looking at for this to be a success. It's a puzzling one because i think it was most people's opinion that if the AFL wanted to resurrect the big V they should do it properly and not in a hammy exhibition match.

[Yencks 8]

as i thought would happen, the only melb player in the bloody mock team in the age was davey as far as i could tell (but i only skimmed over it)...interesting to see how many melb players would make the AA team at the end of the year

[deanbarber 37]

ONLY 2 melb players

VICTORIA

B: Jed Adcock (Brisbane Lions), Matthew Scarlett (Geelong), Darren Milburn (Geelong)

HB: Campbell Brown (Hawthorn), Matthew Egan (Geelong), Nick Malceski (Sydney)

C: Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Jimmy Bartel (Geelong), Adam Goodes (Sydney)

HF: Steve Johnson (Geelong), Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions), Brent Harvey (Kangaroos)

F: Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs), Matthew Lloyd (Essendon), Scott Lucas (Essendon)

FOLL: Jeff White (Melbourne), Chris Judd (Carlton), Gary Ablett (Geelong)

I/C: Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), Cameron Ling (Geelong), Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda), Travis Cloke (Collingwood), Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn), Paul Chapman (Geelong), Peter Everitt (Sydney)

DREAM TEAM

B: Andrew McLeod (Adelaide), Darren Glass (West Coast), Brian Harris (Western Bulldogs)

HB: Tadhg Kennelly (Sydney), Sam Fisher (St Kilda), Peter Burgoyne (Port Adelaide)

C: Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide), Simon Black (Brisbane Lions), Joel Corey (Geelong)

HF: Alan Didak (Collingwood), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda), Aaron Davey (Melbourne)

F: Brett Ebert (Port Adelaide), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle), Lance Franklin (Hawthorn)

FOLL: Dean Cox (West Coast), Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide), Daniel Kerr (West Coast)

I/C: Brendon Lade (Port Adelaide), Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Cameron Mooney (Geelong), Brett Kirk (Sydney), Andrew Embley (West Coast), Matthew Richardson (Richmond), Simon Goodwin (Adelaide)

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

ONLY 2 players. What did you expect??

On the basis of form and performance we would be lucky to have one in.

A complete waste of time as flawed as the Irish series.

Give me 22 H&A games that actually mean something to focus interest.

[deanox 9,770]

against the trend, i think it will be interesting. i would be happy for our players to play if they want to, but not if they are carrying niggles or injuries already. the chances of getting injured in this match is no different than in a normal match or at training so it shouldnt be a big issue.

if they want players to play they should be offering rewards to clubs whos players participate - extra cash is the only thing i can think of but their has to be something...

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

against the trend, i think it will be interesting. i would be happy for our players to play if they want to, but not if they are carrying niggles or injuries already. the chances of getting injured in this match is no different than in a normal match or at training so it shouldnt be a big issue.

No. The game represents another opportunity where injuries occur. And if you are going to take on the risk of injuries to key players why would you do it on such a flawed and frivolous outlet such as this?

Haven't we suffered enough with injuries over the past 12 months without taking on any additional issues? We struggle to get our best up for 22 H & A.