AFL Daily: players back return of State of Origin, open to finals wildcard
SCOTT Pendlebury has backed the return of State of Origin as AFL players overwhelmingly voted for the representative honour. Meanwhile, three Tigers have avoided a finals ban but Scott Thompson's career could end in suspension. Re-cap all the day's breaking news.
COLLINGWOOD captain Scott Pendlebury says AFL stars would “jump at the chance” to play State of Origin with 79 per cent of players calling on the AFL to revive representative football.
Pendlebury played in the 2008 exhibition match between Victoria and the ‘Dream Team’ and wants players to receive the opportunity at some stage of their careers.
Players were also open to a finals wildcard round with 40 per cent of the 700 AFLPA survey respondents supporting the NFL-style concept.
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The most likely wildcard format would pit seventh versus 10th and eighth versus ninth on a stand-alone weekend, with the winners to advance to the traditional four-week finals series.
“We understand the challenges associated with State of Origin,” Pendlebury said.
“But I think it would receive strong support from players if the right timing and format was identified.
“It couldn’t happen every year, but it would be good to see every generation get a chance to pull on their state jumper.
“Most would jump at the chance to play in a game that pits the top players in the league against each other.”
Victoria won the 2008 AFL Hall of Fame tribute clash in a 39-goal shootout at the MCG.
The only 2018-listed players who featured are Pendlebury, Joel Selwood (Geelong), Shaun Burgoyne (Hawthorn), Lance Franklin (Sydney), Heath Shaw (GWS) and the retiring Jarrad Waite (North Melbourne).
Nearly one in three players supported the radical 17-5 fixture model, where teams would snap off into groups of six after playing each other once during the home-and-away season.
In the final five rounds the top group would play each other for a top-four berth while the middle group would battle for the final two finals positions.
Originally published as AFL Daily: players back return of State of Origin, open to finals wildcard