'Can't win': Clarkson skeptical on Origin timing

Perth Now

08-05-2025

Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson believes squeezing State of Origin into an already packed calendar will be a difficult task for the AFL.
Since taking over from Gillon McLachlan in 2023, AFL boss Andrew Dillon has made no secret of his desire to revive representative football.
After the successful return of the Indigenous All-Stars this year, Origin could be back next February, although the AFL are yet to make any official announcement.
Coaches such as Carlton's Michael Voss believe a pre-season window is the best time for representative matches.
Clarkson, in his third season in charge of North Melbourne following four flags at Hawthorn, rates Origin as a "great concept".
"The big challenge for the AFL and all the players is when during the season do you play it?," Clarkson said on Thursday.
"That's the most difficult part.
"From a club perspective and a player's perspective, the challenge with it if it's right at the start of the season, players don't want to risk getting significant injuries and then perhaps losing significant chunks of the season."
"That's why it was moved."
Clarkson also cautioned against staging any Origin games near finals as the best players wouldn't be available.
"You just can't win with it," he said.
"We all love the concept of State of Origin. We see just how popular it is in rugby league, but as we become a national game, it's been really difficult to work out where it fits into the schedule.
"We've all got enormous passion for it, but just working out where it fits has been the reason why it hasn't been in the program."
The last Origin game took place in 1999 when Victoria defeated South Australia in front of only 26,063 fans at the MCG.
Victoria played an All-Stars team to raise money for bushfire relief in 2020, while Victoria and a Dream Team clashed in 2008 to mark 150 years of Australian football.
Voss witnessed how important the Indigenous All-Stars match was to Zac Williams and Jesse Motlop.
"Any opportunity that our players get to be able to represent something is worthwhile doing," he said on Thursday.
"In principle, I would be hugely supportive of it because they're life experiences."
Richmond coach Adem Yze believes most players would rather represent their state than take part in a traditional pre-season hitout.
"You've got to play a game anyway so why wouldn't you want to play with the Big V jumper and use that as one of your practice games leading into the season," Yze said.
Captains of the 18 clubs were broadly in favour of Origin when pressed about it on the eve of the season.