5 days ago
State of Origin AFL: Players' teenage years to determine eligibility
AFL players have asked for a roadmap for the future of state-of-origin as they haggle for up to a third of the revenue generated from an annual state versus state series.
It comes as league boss Andrew Dillon declared a player's place of birth would not be the qualifying rule for representation, with interstate-born footballers who were schooled in Victoria able to play for the Big V.
The AFL's players are understood to be strongly in favour of playing a yearly representative series but also want strong guidelines around their participation and commitment to the contest.
The AFL and WA state government are in talks for a February 14 clash next year between Victoria and a West Australian side after the success of the Indigenous All stars game.
But rather than a single one off game the AFL is keen to return representative football to an annual event that could involve various states every year.
Dillon confirmed the criteria for players to qualify for respective states would follow a historic trend.
'I think it will be about where you spent the most substantial part of your teenage years, which is what it has been historically,' he said.
It could mean players who have grown up boarding at some of Victoria's football-heavy schools or moved during their adolescence would be eligible to represent the Big V.
Under Dillon's clarification, the Queensland-born Ashcroft brothers – Will and Levi – would be eligible for Victoria having grown up in Melbourne's southeast.
It will be upbringing over birthplace for next season's State of Origin. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge
Brisbane Lion Zac Bailey – born in Northern Territory but educated in South Australia – would also represent SA.
Dillon said there would be an announcement confirming the matches and all the details surrounding them in the not-too-distant future.
'It's a conversation in progress with state governments and also our players and our clubs,' he said.
'I am really keen to see our best players on the ground at the same time. I think the All Stars game at the start of this year showed there's a real appetite for seeing that.
'Hopefully, there will be an announcement soon.'
The collective bargaining agreement states that players are handed access to 31.7 per cent of all agreed revenue from the AFL as part of their pay deal.
But this game is on top of that commitment so would require a separate agreement between the AFLPA and the league.
That 31.7 per cent figure would be a rough starting point for the players to broker a deal to agree to play the series on top of their 23-game home-and-away series.
The AFL has started negotiations with the AFLPA over the concept with forecast revenues a big part of that deal.
Having a financial deal in place will also help players commit to the concept when clubs get cold feet in the weeks leading into the state of origin game.
Some clubs were keen to manage game time for players for the Indigenous All stars game.
But if players have a contract for the game they would give their all in a month when most players are timing their preparation for the home-and-away season to the limit.
Tyler Lewis
Sports reporter
Tyler Lewis is a sports reporter based in Melbourne's south east.
@tmlew_
Tyler Lewis
