4 options for the State of Origin 2008

[Blue Boy]

The AFL is deciding between four options when it comes to what format the much-anticipated return of state of origin will take next year.

As the AFL launched its 150th anniversary celebration year of 2008 on Tuesday - the day which marked the 149th anniversary of the first recorded game of Australian Rules Football in 1858 - AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou outlined. .

These options are:

*matches involving all states and territories.

*a one-off game involving Victoria against either South Australia or Western Australia at the MCG.

*a match between Victoria and an All-Stars team featuring players from the rest of Australia at the MCG.

*or two matches with one featuring Victoria against either South Australia or Western Australia with the other team to then play the Allies - the team made up of players from Queensland, Tasmania, New South Wales, the ACT and the Northern Territory.

"They are the four options and the games will either be played in pre-season or during the middle of the season,".

Earlier at a press conference announcing the appointment of departing Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy as the ambassador for next year's 150th celebrations - Demetriou said the league was still mulling over what form origin football should take.

"We have four options which we are considering and hopefully we are in a position to make a decision at the end of August," he said.

Already West Coast skipper Chris Judd - who along with Brisbane powerhouse Jonathan Brown would be the star attraction of any Victorian line-up - has indicated his preference for any origin game to be played in pre-season saying he would be reluctant to play if it was held during the middle of the season.

And his high-profile teammate Daniel Kerr - who would be one of the first players picked in the Western Australian line-up - has urged the league not to choose the option of playing an All-Star team against the Vics saying those players outside Victoria would much prefer to play for their own state.

The return of origin football, particularly if it is played during the middle of the season, is also likely to lead to the introduction of a second break during the season meaning 2008 could begin a week earlier.

While the return of origin shapes as the highlight of the 150th anniversary celebrations, Demetriou said the focus would also be on football across all levels.

"In 2008, we want to celebrate at every level of our game – from the children first kicking a ball in the park through to the elite level," Demetriou said.

"We will celebrate our great heroes and our great stories but we want every level of football in Australia to celebrate with us as we consolidate our game for the next 150 years."

And Demetriou said Sheedy was the ideal front man for the AFL's big plans for next year - regardless of whether or not he gets offered another coaching job following his shock departure from Essendon.

"Kevin is universally known across the Australian football community and both respected for his achievements and loved for his passion for our game," Demetriou said.

"He has worked tirelessly to promote our game and has helped build our game to the position it holds today with his constant thinking on how we may improve and go forward

[Punk Rooster]

Memo to: AFL
From: Punk Rooster

State of Origin IS DEAD- pls let it R.I.P.
It is only the romantic ideals of the older generation that keep debate alive...

[Sojourner]

If the format is a single game being Vic vs the Allies I will most definatley not be turning over from watching the Rugby League!

[Hondo]

I hate to say it but this has got just too hard .....

[Aerie]

Agree hondo. I just want to see SA vs Vic next year. What happens after that will depend on its success. They could work it so it was a fair and competitive event every year over just one weekend, but all they are thinking of is maximising profits next season and this will put the future of the concept in jeopardy.

[Benchwarmer]

Begrudgingly, I must admit that the headstone has been written for SoO and it's better off left as a good memory not a dead horse that is flogged every 5 years or so just for a few hundred thousand dollars.

SoO was still a good concept when the AFL became a national competition in 1991 and was on its last legs a few years later. The "Teddy Whitten" game is probably the best way to leave it and give it the respect it commands. Nothing will come out out of bringing it out of mothballs for a once-off.

[blink]

I disagree.

I still think that there is a place for State of Origin football. Admittedly though, it is becoming even more of a hard task to keep all parties concerned happy and still come out with a competiton worth holding.

For mine, the option which has VIC & SA square off and WA v Allies (NT, NSW, TAS, QLD) is the most workable and most probably likely scenario.

Then I think the two winners of each match should play off, and the the two losers play the following weekend.

[redden whites]

I am with Punk..Bury it!!!

[sturt1]

I still say the best way to do it is like the under 18s national comp.

Have a Vic Country and Vic Metro team. One plays WA the other SA. Swap the games over the following year. Swap venues so SA get a home game one year and WA get a home the game the other year.

If you want have a div 2 where QLD plays NSW and Tas plays the NT. Again swap over the teams next year. Make sure you alternate the home teams.

But agree with most on here State of Origin is finished. Leave it for the rugby. The have more passion about it. This debate always starts up with QLD play NSW in the rugby - then it goes away. We'll get over it.

[Hondo]

I don't think there's any point working out scenarios that involve alternate match-ups in the following year or lots of teams and lots of games. As neither will happen.

I am sure this a once off exercise for the sake of the 150th year celebration ... and then that's it unfortunately

Best option of the proposals in the SA v Vic / WA v Allies - same concept as when SOO was last played. 2 games, 1 weekend, mid-season. IMO.

[Thiele]

I would love to see Sa vs Vic

[MightyEagles]

SA V Vic end of story.

[Sojourner]

How about in the split round, Freo, West Coast, Crows and Power have the same week off and on that week we have SA vs WA at Adelaide Oval?

[Benchwarmer]

That's too logical for the AFL!

The NRL gives the Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and Melbourne Storm byes leading into at least one of the State of Origin games due to their high proportion of Queensland representatives.

It would solve a problem, but the clubs would still argue that there was still the potential for an injury. The only time of year that I can see them being relatively receptive to the idea is in October (but even then that might interfere with the 8-week break and injury recovery).

[Strawb]

Do it as a carnival all states play each other once that will work.

[Thiele]

I would like to see SA vs Vic

[Sojourner]

I would like to see SA vs Vic

Lets play WA, at least then we might get some competition!