It’s May — and the habit of picking would-be Origin teams highlights South Australia’s weak spot
Each May there is the romantic thought of reintroducing Origin teams during an AFL mid-season break … and picking the SA line-up is far from a dream task this year.
Michelangelo Rucci
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SIMON Goodwin should be grateful he has not been handed another “mission impossible” this year.
As the highest-ranking South Australian coach in AFL ranks, by his work in delivering Melbourne to the preliminary finals last season, Goodwin would have been the standout choice for the SANFL State-of-Origin team.
Goodwin would have inherited a State line-up that — much like the Demons today — cannot impose itself in a game to be sure of winning. And the major limitation to SA’s chance of beating any of its Origin rivals — Victoria, WA and the Allies of NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and the territories — is key forwards.
Former State captain Chris McDermott and the would-be SA state selectors at AFL House have stumbled in finding go-to men in attack to live up to the memories created at the start of the Origin series in the 1980s with Stephen Kernahan at centre half-forward and in the 1990s with Tony Modra.
Both crews have needed to recast ruckmen as full forwards — McDermott with Geelong ruckman Rhys Stanley and the AFL-promoted line-up opts for Port Adelaide and West Coast premiership ruckman Scott Lycett.
Centre half-forward falls, with both selection panels agreed, to Port Adelaide club champion Justin Westhoff.
Goodwin would need to pray for rain all through the match and inherit Power coach Ken Hinkley’s “dirty ball” tactics successfully used against West Coast to defy the tall defenders in the other Origin line-ups.
SA is not short of a quality ruckman to call — All-Australian and Collingwood tapster Brodie Grundy maintains the image of SA Origin engine rooms working to outstanding ruckmen. But there is not the roving talent to rekindle the memories of John Platten and Tony McGuinness.
The AFL’s would-be selection panel for SA is handing first roving duties to Sydney midfielder George Hewett …
And there would be some difficult debate on centre half-back too. Key position players are not SA’s strength today.
State-of-Origin has been — by the AFL clubs winning the battle to protect their players from injury in exhibitions games — off the Australian football calendar since 2008 when Victoria played “The Rest” in the Hall of Fame tribute match at the MCG.
The SA Origin team has not gathered for a competitive game since 1999, although there is the meritorious task of looking each May at how the much-loved red jumper would be filled out for battle against the Big V.
The comforting note on the state of SA football is the rise of Port Adelaide’s first-year forward Connor Rozee. He merits selection beyond a training squad to the 22-man playing line-up after just eight AFL games.
It is fair to say that SA football should be grateful Origin is off the AFL agenda again. And with injury testing Origin candidates Tom Jonas (Port Adelaide), Chad Wingard (Hawthorn), Orazio Fantasia (Essendon), Bryce Gibbs (Adelaide) and Phil Davis (Greater Western Sydney), Goodwin has more reason to be grateful he has not been honoured (or burdened) with the task of upholding SA pride.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
Chris McDermott’s SA Origin team
B: R. Laird, T. Jonas, S. Hurn
HB: R. Burton, P. Davis, B. Smith
C: B. Gibbs, B. Ebert (c), W. Milera
HF: E. Betts, J. Westhoff, O. Fantasia
F: C. Wingard, R. Stanley, W. Hayward
1R: B. Grundy J. Redden, L. Neale
Int: S. Edwards, C. Rozee, S. Lycett, A. Francis
AFL.com.au’s choice for SA Origin
B: R. Laird, P. Davis, C. Daniel
HB: B. Smith, J. Hombsch, S. Hurn
C: T. Dumont, J. Redden, J. Polec
HF: C. Wingard, J. Westhoff, S. Edwards
F: R. Stanley, S. Lycett, C. Rozee
1R: B. Grundy, L. Neale, G. Hewett
Int: S. Burgoyne, L. Brown, C. Ellis-Yolmen, S. Gray
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