Australian football icon Leigh Matthews has declared the AFL does not need to reintroduce State of Origin, despite the success of the rugby league game in Melbourne last week.
More than 90,000 packed the MCG on Wednesday night for game two of the interstate series, with the NSW Blues overcoming Queensland 38-18
The game being hosted in Melbourne has naturally sparked conversations with key stakeholders in the league to bring back State of Origin for the AFL, with CEO Andrew Dillon hinting that he was keen for a return.
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“I’d love to see the best of the best playing in the men’s and women’s competition,” Dillon said on Thursday.
“How that plays itself out is a conversation (I want to have).
The All Stars team in 2020’s bushfire relief match. Getty
“I’d love to get the feedback from our players and from our clubs. It is something that I would really like to investigate.”
The AFL’s State of Origin concepts fizzled out across the 21st century, as clubs looked to prioritise players’ health and fitness for their own premiership pushes.
Matthews has now explained why State of Origin will never work if brought back, claiming that the reaction when NRL comes to town is just league jealousy.
“Whenever this happens (Origin in Victoria), the football fraternity gets this juvenile envy,” Matthews said on Nine’s Footy Furnace on Sunday night.
Victoria players pose for an official teamshot prior to the 1995 State of Origin match between Victoria and South Australia. Getty
“The reason the NRL works is two basic reasons. NSW and Queensland are the only two rugby league states, so the rivalry is incredible. It’s outstanding.
“The other thing that happens in the NRL, players and clubs prioritise playing state level, over club level.
“This is never going to happen in the AFL.”
But why shouldn’t the AFL consider revamping the state vs state concept?
Matthews says the answer is right in front of all footy fans.
“Everyone tries to work out a way to make State of Origin work in the AFL. Forget about it.
“We’ve got a national competition, we play footy all over Australia.
The Victorian players pose with the trophy after winning the AFL Bushfire Relief State of Origin match in 2020. Getty
“Our national competition gets you 80,000 at the MCG quite regularly. Because our vibrant national competition is the best standard of that sport.
“What we’ve got is better, we get massive crowds, week in, week out.”
State of Origin in the V/AFL began in 1977 and was played until 1999.
The last game that was played between Victoria and the All Stars was at the start of 2020, as a bushfire relief fundraiser.
There have also been a handful of international rules matches, where the best players from each AFL team head overseas to face off against Ireland’s representative team in a series of Gaelic football/AFL hybrid matches.