All Hands Raised for State of Origin AFL Bushfire Relief Effort

The AFL will stage its first State of Origin style game on February 28, less than a month prior to the beginning of the Toyota 2020 AFL Premiership competition.

The NRL has its State of Origin during the middle of the season and under normal circumstances, it would be normal for the AFL to do something similar, or even wait until after the Grand Final, but the circumstances are anything but normal and the AFL intends the match to raise money for bushfire relief efforts.

Sydney Swans coach John Longmire has been selected to coach the All Stars in the Victoria versus everyone else one-off.

There has been movement to bring back rep Aussie Rules football building for some time.

Coaches and many players often take a jaundiced view of all-star games, but this one between the All-Stars and Victoria has the unanimous support of the AFL coaches, even if the very real possibility of injuries to key players looms.

The game will be played at Marvel Stadium and the coaches from all the AFL clubs responded by offering their best players and any other support they can provide.

Commenting on the unusual circumstances, Longmire indicated that all the other coaches would welcome any opportunity to be involved.

We would like to see some form of Origin return to Aussie Rules.

There has been nothing since 1999, other than a Hall of Fame commemorative match in 2008.

The NRL players are fiercely loyal to the State of Origin series between Queensland and New South Wales and selection for the Blues or the Maroons is viewed as a rare feather in a cap made entirely from feathers.

Rugby players are a breed apart, though, and while no one is suggesting that Aussie Rules players are not equally tough, a series during the middle of the season seems like a tough prop to sell.

Some key AFL players support pursuing Origin.

AFL players who took part in the short-lived AFLX spoke highly of the experience and in the words of Longmire, “I’ve spoken to our senior players about what it was like to play AFLX. Even though that wasn’t as big as what this is, it was certainly an experience they enjoyed,” Longmire told AAP. “They loved that chance to play with players from other clubs and some of the AFL’s best.”

Longmire, while supportive of some form of Origin for Aussie Rules, said, “(I’m) the wrong person to ask and the reality is it’s not my decision.”

Longmire played rep football for both Victoria and New South Wales in 1990. Apparently, Victoria and NSW have lax residency/origin rules similar to those the Maroons use.

He kicked eight goals for NSW beat Victoria.

Smoke is still plaguing AFL training, including that training Longmire is overseeing.

“We had to cut short a couple of training sessions because of the smoke. We just got on with it. It’s nothing compared to what a lot of people went through,” he said.