Malcolm Blight could prove to be State of Origin’s ‘messiah’ with his bold vision to reboot popular footy concept
AFL Hall of Famer and dual Adelaide premiership coach Malcolm Blight reveals how State of Origin football can make its return for good following next month’s Bushfire Appeal game.
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Malcolm Blight says AFL missed a trick mothballing State of Origin, while revealing his blueprint to reboot the popular concept annually.
The February 28 State of Origin Bushfire Appeal game between Victoria and the All Stars at Docklands, to be headlined by Brownlow Medallists Patrick Dangerfield and Nat Fyfe, has lifted the lid on player and coach support for the concept.
“I think State of Origin might get a recall because of this Bushfire Appeal match,” AFL Hall of Famer Blight told The Advertiser.
“You get the people of the quality of premiership coaches John Longmire and Damien Hardwick letting their players play.
“Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley wants to see it.
“If you ask the coaches, this is the perfect time to play State of Origin in late February/March.”
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Blight – who fronted in 14 state games – believes a model involving heavyweights Victoria Country, Vic Metro, South Australia and Western Australia would prove entertaining and ideal.
“I have done a mock draw for how it could work over those two weekends, everyone gets to play each other and we actually find a winner,” said Blight, renowned for innovation as Adelaide’s dual premiership coach through 1997-98.
“I think this weekend February 28, and the following weekend, I am certain there can be eight teams, Vic Metro, Vic Country, SA, WA, New South Wales, Queensland, Tassie and Northern Territory.
“I can guarantee you that by the time you get to February most coaches and players just want to play footy.
“The (time)slot is the difficult part, but now we are going to try this one, it is probably there.
“You have to go a bit on last year’s form, but good players are good players.”
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Asked if the game had denied a generation including Dangerfield, Lance Franklin and Matthew Pavlich exposure to elite football and state passion since the last State of Origin clash between Graham Cornes’s South Australia and Victoria in 1999 at the MCG, Blight said: “Yes!”
Blight as Geelong coach relished having Gary Ablett, Paul Couch, Robert Scott, Barry Stoneham and Garry Hocking filling Victorian State of Origin teams, while Bill Brownless was aligned to New South Wales.
“I loved it, that great game when Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall and Ablett all played for Victoria in the same game,” said Blight, recalling the 1989 clash where Victoria ended the Croweaters’ domination with victory before State of Origin’s record 91,960 crowd.
“I was coaching Geelong and I think we had five or six players,” Blight recalled.
“That meant you had a good team and acknowledgment we were going to be somewhere around the finals, and we were because all those guys played State of Origin.
“I encouraged it.”
Politics of self interest holding back State of Origins’s return is being exposed.
The injury count during pre-season training – insists Blight – should eradicate concern over casualties in State of Origin games.
Blight argues that high skill interstate games would minimise injury risk to players and polish AFL stars ahead of the regular season.
The current two match pre-season series could feature players not on state duty, or be scrapped.
In January last year, Hawthorn’s 2018 Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell broke a leg in training, then Port Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines required shoulder surgery after a waterskiing incident.
Brilliant Carlton utility Charlie Curnow required surgery after dislocating then breaking his right patella in basketball and home mishaps this off season.
Meanwhile, Crows stalwart Daniel Talia injured a knee while rolling over in bed last pre-season.
“Have a look at the injuries now at training, I think you are a bit sharper game-wise than you are against a teammate,” said SportsdaySA presenter Blight.
Blight is auctioning his one-off, signed and framed photograph of the living Brownlow Medallists from 1925-2000 to raise money for the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.
Bids can made online > HERE