That time of the year comes around where I hear the TV heads suggesting names for the All Australian team and I lament the passing of State of Origin Footy and Carnivals.
Let’s face it, a team picked by consensus of journos and old footy players is always going to miss out on those players who rise to the occasion for State Football and stamp themselves as the best against the best.
The current system is flawed and pale in comparison to picking players who turn up to play and excel on the field of battle. Last night propped on the couch with some dreary TV fare on the screen, I quickly scanned the AFL playing lists and came up with State of Origin teams for VIC, WA, SA, NSW, QLD, and TAS.
Now, I probably cocked up and missed somebody fabulous eligible for Qld etc,or put somebody in the wrong state but as an exercise it gave some surprising insights into our game: in particular I was stunned at just how strong a NSW or QLD team could be.
Have to say this would be a wonderful carnival with people like Hodge given a chance to wear the big white V, Buddy and Josh K lining up for the black swan, Pav and Schulz for SA etc.
Maybe games should be played on ANZAC Day? (yes, I can just see AFL agreeing to that, but it’s a much better long term suggestion than Coll v Ess for the next 100 years)
Anyway, have a look, pick your own teams, salivate on the prospect of what could be – better than the Gaelic-hybrid thing for sure.
VICTORIA
PENDLEBURY, SLOANE, TALIA, BETTS, DANGERFIELD, ROCKLIFFE, MURPHY, ELLIOT, WATSON, CLOKE, HEPPELL, LONERGAN, SELWOOD, MUNDY, ABLETT, BARTEL, STEVE JOHNSON, HAWKINS, HODGE, PRESTIA, RISCHETELLI, SHIEL, WARD, NAT JONES, FRAWLEY, ROUGHEAD, LEWIS, MITCHELL, GUNSTON, SHIELS, HANSEN, CUNNINGTON, DALSANTO, SCOTT THOMPSON, BOAK, GRAY, HARVEY, WINGARD, DELEDIO, MARTIN, COTCHIN, MARIC, HANNEBURY, MALCESKI, KENNEDY, PARKER, RICHARDS, GOODES, N SMITH, LIBERATORE, MUMFORD
FB: NSmith SThompson Richards
HB: Hodge Lonergan, Malceski
C: Lewis Dangerfield, Cotchin
HF Pendlebury Gunston Harvey
Ff Gray Roughead Rockliffe
Ruck – Maric JKennedy Ablett
INT: Mitchell, Selwood, Mumford, Deledio
DW COMMENT: Unbelievable supply of midfielders, just a little shallow in the big man department. Maybe Hawkins for Guston etc but tried to be balanced.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
FASOLO, LUMUMBA, TOOVEY, HOOKER, RYDER, HOWLETT, O’MEARA, SWALLOW, SWALLOW, TAYLOR BALLANTYNE,FYFE,WALTERS, SNDILANDS,JOHNSON, DUFFIELD, MCPHARLIN, IBBOTSON, DUNCAN, BENNELL, MATERA, CONIGLIO, PALMER, BRAD HILL,STRATTON, LITHERLAND,WELLS, DARLING, RANCE,FRANKLIN,JETTA,LECRAS,MASTEN,NAITANUI,PRIDDIS,MACKENZIE,KENNEDY,JOHANNISEN.
FB: Duffield Hooker McKenzie
HB: Johnson Taylor Lumumba
C: Duncan Priddis Hill
HF Darling Kennedy Walters
FF Ballantyne Franklin
Ruck Sandilands Fyfe Swallow
Int: Naitanui Wells Jetta DSwallow
DW COMMENT: Since the 80s WA has always had good ruckmen but surprising thing is they now have key position players. Used to be small players was strength. Good defence and forwards but maybe thin in the midfield.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
EBERT, HARTLETT, HURN, MINSON,SCHULTZ, HOMBSCH,BROADBENT,BURGOYNE, SCOTT THOMPSON, JAENSCH, BROOMHEAD, BRODIE SMITH, PATFUL, MAYES, GIBBS, BEN KENNEDY, PEARCE, NEALE, PAVLICH, MACKIE, VARCOE, MURDOCH, RIVERS, STOKES, HORLIN-SMITH, ENRIGHT, DAY, TAPE, DAVIS, VINCE, LAKE, WESTHOFF, SCHIENMAKERS, PUOPOLO, THOMAS,JACOBS, GREENWOOD,CORNES,POLEC,GRUNDY,GRIFFIN
FB Enright Lake Rivers
HB Hombsch Grundy Smith
C Gibbs Burgoyne Pearce
HF Thomas Pavlich Puopolo
FF Stokes Schulz Westhoff
Ruck Jacobs Hartlett Griffin
Int: Hurn Cornes Minson Ebert
DW COMMENT: Like WA pretty strong spine, some great small forwards but lacking a touch of midfield depth
NEW SOUTH WALES
TERLICH, WITTS, TAYLOR WALKER, ROWE, ARMSTRONG, MCINTOSH,LRT,TOWNSEND, ZAC WILLIAMS, ADDISON, SCHNEIDER,WHILEY, CLISBY, RILEY,SUCKLING, ISMITH,BREUST,LANGFORD,BRUCE,MCVEIGH, HAYES, PYKE, CUNNINGHAM, BIRD, K JACK, B JACK, MCGLYNN, TUTT.
FB Terlich Bruce LRT
HB Suckling Rowe Langford
C ISmith McVeigh Cunningham
HF McGlynn, Walker, Schneider
FF Breust McIntosh Bird
Ruck Pyke, KJack, Hayes
Int Witts Townsend Williams BJack
DW COMMENT: Backline is a bit of a worry but they’d give a good account of themselves
QUEENSLAND
HALE, RIEWOLDT, WHITECROSS, BEAMS, WHITE, PEARCE HANLEY, DANE ZORKO, DANIEL MERRETT, HICKEY,KEEFE, JOSH THOMAS, OXLEY, DEMSPEY, SPURR, HARBROW, SEXTON, RORY THOMPSON,DIXON,CAMERON, ALLEN, SPENCER, BAIL, JOEL TIPPET, HAMPSON, GILBERT,TIPPET.
FB Harbrow Merrett Keefe
HB Gilbert RThompson Spurr
C Dempsey Zorko Whitecross
HF Sexton Tippet JThomas
FF White Reiwoldt Bail
Ruck Hale Beams Hanley
Int Dixon Oxley Allen JTippet
DW Comment: Some class in here and they certainly breed them tall in Qld
TASMANIA
GRIMA, BIRCHAL, HALL, JOSH GREEN, ROBINSON, BELLCHAMBERS, BURBURY, RUSSELL,SCAHDE,LONERGAN, PHILLIPS, MOHR. HOWE,RIEWOLDT,NANKERVIS,DARLEY.
FB Mohr
HB Birchall Grima
C Burbury Russell Lonergan
HF Green Nankervis Hall
FF Howe JReiwoldt
Ruck Bellchambers Robinson
About dave warner
East Freo supporter, musician, writer who has used football themes in songs (Half Time at the Football, Suburban Boy, Free Kicks) and books (City of Light, Footy's Hall of Shame)
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Would love State of Origin to return. Even if it can’t/won’t, I’ve long said that the SANFL should still pick an honorary “All-South Australian” team each season in a similar fashion to the All Australian side so at least the current day players don’t miss out on the honour.
insightful dave. re nsw LRT has hung up the boots today but if we contact him he could make himself available. that tex walker as a broken hill boy would reckon he is a croweater as all at the hill reckon they are.
would also claim Hawkins as nsw as he hails from finley across the border.
nank
Once every three or four years hold a weekend to celebrate the game of Australian football, a game of our own.
Would make it rare enough for players to compete.
All states involved. Division 1 winner takes the title. All winners move up a division for next match in future years, losers move down a division.
Would be spectacular.
I take it that it’s NSW/ACT, not just NSW?
If so, can we claim Phil Davis who was a Canberra lad that then moved to SA when he was in his teens? It’s a bit rich but NickNat being born in Penrith can’t really be claimed.
And we’ll take Pyke – even though he’s from Canadia.
Like the conceptualisation here Dave. Surprised that Tasmania is under represented, (give A. Lynch a call), and would like to see an NT team thrown in as well. And more regionaly inappropriatel names like the Two-heads and Rednecks like the RL SoO.
Culd be on to a winner if the clubs weren’t so precious…
You need Vic Metro and Vic Country. That way WA and SA both get to play against Victoria. Which is what it is all about. The other four can play amongst themselves. Same as the under 18s really.
Liam Jones, Ben Brown and Colin Galalnd should help in the big man stocks. A couple of Kolodjashijs, R Harwood, M Weller, J Webster and J Thurlow are a few more for the Tassie side.
Great idea Warner, idleness is indeed a stimulant.
A friend of our son has just played for Victoria in the National Under 12s competition. Seeing him wearing the big V certainly stirred sentiments about the jumper (best jumper ever, no question). So your post was timely indeed.
That you included so many Hawkers had me misty eyed and wondering if you had found your senses (after the Hawks great win recently against the Swans) and finally found your home.
One small quibble. How do we fit Rioli into this great idea?
Dave – as I pointed out – you missed Dean Rampe – UNSW – Eastern Suburbs.
My old team mate from UNE, Nankers gave us (NSW) a good get with Tom Hawkins!
Nank – Tex Walker’s Dad – Wacky was a passionate NSW player – drove from Broken Hill to Albury to play and beat the VFA in 1987. Great player, even better bloke!
rocket,
wacky walker eh. did he have a mullet in his early years like young tex. I just wonder again where the swans will play him next year. I was in the hill a couple of months back and showing the missus where my mother was brought up in oxide street, when we came across three lads bouncing the footy one with a crows jumper ( not wool). they had beautiful tex mullets. when I pointed out that tex had gone post mullet, they weren’t phased. he’ll get it back they reckoned. they weren’t changing so it was up to tex to rejoin the mullet fraternity. they love the walkers in the hill. I met a bloke called terry trezize in a pub and he mentioned that tex’s dad was a pretty fair sort of player and also confirmed he was very popular in the hill.
mike fleming a UNE legend just texted me and got in early re cliff Richards. he said bet he regrets penning and singing the young ones all those years ago. always first cab of the rank our mike.
nank
Very impressed at the passion and perspicacity of my fellow Almanacers. More brain power here than in a Barry Jones think-tank. As I expected I missed a number of worthy players – Hawk for NSW would be a beauty – but the point of the exercise was to raise the discussion, so thumbs up. A Carnival every 3 years would be fabulous: Easter? ANZAC Day? Have had one other idea for annual event which unfortunately would exclude players in GF teams – the state games could be played on GF eve in Melbourne (for those of us not from Vic it’s a long way to go for one game) or as curtain raisers. If the GF became a night grand-final, a state game could be played either at MCG or Etihad in the arvo, or night before: AND/OR interstate with free entry and GF to follow on big screen. Squads could be announced end of Home and Away and progressively added through finals as teams are eliminated so that the players involved keep themselves ready. It’s the end of the season so coaches can’t bitch and moan about losing players. I’m sure there would be a sponsor to make it worth players’ time to be involved. Imagine if Port say were playing in a GF with Essendon in a night GF. Free entry to Adelaide Oval for WA/or Vic v SA followed by GF on big screen. In Melbourne NSW v QLD as a GF curtain raiser (Friday night or MCG arvo) We need somebody with national vision to push the S of O agenda though. Rocket, you’re mates with Gerard Healy aren’t you? Let’s make GH State of O Ambassador.
Well done Dave – only one quibble – Ryder very unlucky to miss out for WA. I rate him ahead of Natinui, but I suppose tomorrow will tell a story.
Very nice work, Dave. Looking at the SA side, Boris finds himself in very watery company on the backline. if only Wells had come from there that State, you could have had the treble.
The only ones ever really interested in these meaningless matches in the past were those outside of Victoria who wanted to see Victoria get beaten.
As a kid I first thought it was a big deal to have one or two of my teams players wearing the ‘big V’ but soon cooled on the idea when it was realised that star players were not available for vital matches and even when the matches were played separately from premiership matches, players risked being injured in matches that had nothing at all to do with the winning the League premiership.
One of strengths of Australian football is that it has been tribal and local and it is why no other football code in the world attracts spectators on a higher per capita basis as does the AFL. Football followers support their team not made up faux teams. But of course with the right promotion you can sell all sorts of nonsense.
Dave
I like the concept in principle but as with all things football, the coaches will put the kibosh on anything that may impact on their team or themselves. Sadly thats what brought about the end to SOO . Carey and Dunstall where always “sore”. It is a shame because the memory of Locket, Ablett, and I think Salmon, playing side by side was terrific.
Great read
Cheers
Tony
Love it Dave. I was a massive State of Origin fan growing up and have very much missed it since it’s demise. Much prefer the 6 state model than the ridiculous ‘Allies’ concept. Don’t agree with playing it without players involved in the GF though. I’d like to see a weekend spared for the event. Whether it’s before, in the middle of or after the season doesn’t matter.
6 teams. 3 Divisions of 2. Top 2 teams play off for the title. Loser gets relegated. Teams ranked 3 and 4 play, the winner challenges the champion the next year. The loser gets relegated. Teams 5 & 6 play. Winner goes up to Division 2 to play the team relgated from the top Division. Every game means something. Play it every year. Give it an extended run.
Bring back the Big V!
I’m still not sure that it would work. Rugby League State of Origin works because there are only two states involved and Queensland has a (legitimate) chip on its shoulder going back six or seven decades. Queenslanders might really feel that a Cane Toad victory is more important than a Bronco victory. No Pie, Blue or Bomber fan would consider a victory by the big V more important than a club victory. So the only time that you could play an Origin tournament is after the end of the season when clubs would not be risking injuries to stars or the setback that has damaged the Storm during and after the Origin matches.
South Australians, who have a similar attitude to Victoria in Aussie Rules as Queensland has to NSW in Rugby League (for similar reasons), might be prepared to play mid-season but I doubt that Victoria and WA would play along. Besides a three way comp doesn’t work as well as a two State rivalry and WA and SA don’t hate each other at all.
On the other hand a look at Dave’s teams makes it clear why there have to be two divisions. Just using players from my team, Travis Cloke and Dane Swan can’t get into the Victorian team, Alan Toovey doesn’t make the WA team, but Witts, who is developing nicely but still has a lot to learn gets selected for NSW and Beams, Keeffe, Josh Thomas, Jesse White and Adam Oxley are in Dave’s Queensland team. Beams is a star and Keeffe may become one in a couple of years. It is an open question as to whether Thomas has what it takes to be a regular in an AFL team and it is my opinion that White does not. Oxley played two games last year and may play some more next year although I wouldn’t take any bets!