AFL State Of Origin will return this year, sort of.
It’s great to see the AFL respond to the bushfire crisis with a one-off Victoria v All-Stars game on February 28 at Marvel Stadium.
The AFL announced $1 million would be directly donated to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery fund, while $1.5 million would go to a Community Relief Fund – certainly worthy causes and apt donations from Australia’s biggest sporting body.
On top of the charity involved, it will be great to see some of the AFL’s best on the same field at the same time.
As someone who was too young to remember the original State Of Origin games, although I do recall the 2008 AFL Hall Of Fame tribute match between the same two sides.
While theoretically the concept would be better as true State Of Origin with all states having their own team, that wouldn’t work for this purpose – as good as it would be.
Any more than these two teams and the logistics of organising the competition this close to its start date would be too much, and one big event rather than several around the country would likely attract more people.
But now State Of Origin is back in the conversation, wouldn’t it be good to do something each year to at least recognise it?
Perhaps each state could have a theoretical origin side named at the end of the season – much like we do with the All Australian team?
That team doesn’t play a game, so why not do it for state level?
It would make for good conversation at the very minimum, and be an honour for players – they could each receive a commemorative state guernsey.
It’s food for thought, but at least for now representative football is back and it is for a good cause.
We should all get behind it.
