Origin’s Back and Vic’s Out – About Bloody Time

Carn the Pies, but first things first – the AFL has finally sorted out the State of Origin future, and guess what? Victoria’s not even in the 2027 game. Ripper news if you ask me.

For years we’ve been begging for Origin to come back properly, not just as some one-off exhibition rubbish they wheel out when the fixture’s looking thin. Now we’ve got a proper plan, and the best bit is the rest of the country finally gets a genuine crack without Victoria hogging the guernsey every single time.

Why Leaving Out Victoria Actually Makes Sense

Now before every Victorian reading this loses their mind, hear me out. Origin footy has always worked best when it’s the state underdogs versus the big bad Vics. That’s the whole point of it, isn’t it?

If Victoria’s in every single game, where’s the romance? Where’s the jeopardy? You want SA and WA and the Allies sides building genuine rivalries, not just constantly measuring themselves against the MCG mob every second year.

Giving 2027 to the other states lets Origin breathe a bit. It stops it being teh Victoria show and turns it into something the whole competition can actually get excited about.

Remember When Origin Actually Mattered?

I’m old enough to remember when State of Origin was appointment viewing. Not this modern soft stuff either – I’m talking blokes literally lining blokes up because their state colours meant something.

Ask any Collingwood supporter over forty and they’ll tell you about watching Vic teams stacked with legends taking on SA or WA in absolute arm wrestles. That’s the history the AFL’s trying to tap back into here, and fair play to them for actually having a red hot go at it.

The last decade or so it’s felt like an afterthought, some All-Stars exhibition nobody trained for properly. This new structure at least gives it a bit of a heartbeat again.

What This Means for the Pies Faithful

Now I’ll be honest, part of me wants Victoria in every game because that’s more chances for our Collingwood boys to strut their stuff on the big stage. Selfish, I know, but that’s footy for you.

But look, if it means Origin survives long term and doesn’t get canned again in five years like it nearly did last time, I’m all for the occasional miss. Better a healthy concept that skips Victoria once than another dead concept that skips everyone forever.

Plus, let’s be real – our best players get plenty of representative honours already through All-Australian selection and finals footy. They’ll survive missing one Origin game, I reckon.

The Bigger Picture for Footy

This isn’t just about one match in 2027. It’s about the AFL actually committing to something instead of the usual half hearted approach where they announce a concept then quietly bin it two years later.

Grassroots footy in the non-Victorian states needs this kind of promotion. You want kids in Perth and Adelaide growing up dreaming about pulling on the state jumper, not just the club colours. Origin footy used to build that dream, and it definately can again if the AFL sticks with it properly this time.

Should the AFL have done this years ago? Absolutely. But better late than never, and at least now there’s an actual calendar and actual commitment behind it instead of vague promises every off season.

Will the Umpires Even Cope With It?

Look, I can’t write an article without mentioning the umpires somewhere, can I? Origin footy always brings out a different physicality, blokes from different states with a point to prove, and historically the whistle blowers have struggled to keep a lid on it.

I’m not saying they’ve got it in for anyone specifically, but you watch, there’ll be some contentious free kick in the goal square that has half the country ropeable. That’s just Origin footy tradition at this point.

Genuinely though, if the AFL wants this concept to last, they need consistent officiating that doesn’t feel like it’s making things up as it goes. Get that bit right and this thing could really fly.

Final Word from a Pies Tragic

So there you have it. State of Origin’s future is locked in, Victoria cops a miss in 2027, and honestly, good. It forces the concept to be bigger than one state’s ego.

Should the AFL have brought this back sooner? Yeah probably. Should Victoria be spitting chips about missing out? Nah, not really – it’s one game in a concept that’s finally got some proper structure behind it.

Give it a few years and we might actually have something the whole competition genuinely looks forward to again, not just another forgettable exhibition match nobody remembers by round one the following year.

Carn the Pies, and here’s hoping Origin footy sticks around long enough for our boys to get another crack at it down the track.