Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies, states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were regarded with great importance. Football historian John Devaney has argued that: "some of the state of origin contests which took place during the 1980s constituted arguably the finest expositions of the game ever seen".
Until 1976, interstate Australian rules football games were played by teams representing the major football leagues or organisations. From 1977 to 1999, players were generally selected under State of Origin selection rules and they were chosen mostly from the Australian Football League (AFL). Since 2000, all matches have been between teams representing the second-tier state or territorial leagues. Players from the AFL no longer take part in interstate matches.
The matches have mostly been held on a stand-alone basis. However, an Australian Football Carnival, a national championship series, held in either one or two cities, took place between 1908 and 1993, usually at three year intervals. Teams which have taken part have included Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and an Australian Amateurs team. Between 1937 and 1988 the player judged the best at each of these carnivals was awarded the Tassie Medal.
Between 1953 and 1988, the selection of All Australian Teams was based on players performance during Australian Football Carnivals, and the team was named after each carnival concluded.
Video Interstate matches in Australian rules football
History
Intercolony / Interstate competition, 1879-1959
Victoria the birthplace of Australian rules and, with contributing factors such as population and finances, dominated the first hundred years of intercolonial and interstate football. This was the case in the first ever interstate game, held on Tuesday, 1 July 1879 (a public holiday), at East Melbourne Cricket Ground. The final score was Victoria (represented by the VFA) 7.14 to South Australia 0.3. The match was attended by more than 10,000 people.
The third and fourth teams to commence intercolonial competition were New South Wales and Queensland, playing each other in a two-game series in Brisbane in 1884; the result of the series was a one-all draw. Tasmania played its first game, against Victoria, in 1887. New Zealand entered the competition with a victory over NSW in Sydney, in 1889.
Victoria's long-term dominance briefly faltered in the 1890s, when other Colonies recorded their first ever wins over the Victoria: South Australia in Adelaide in 1890 and 1891 and Tasmania in Hobart in 1893 (twice). In 1897, the VFL split from the VFA and the two selected separate representative teams, further weakening Victoria in intercolonial competition, which became interstate competition following Federation of the six British colonies in Australia, in 1901.
Western Australia played its first two interstate games in 1904, including a win over SA in Adelaide.
The VFL's dominance, at least within Victoria, was established by the time an interstate carnival was held for the first time -- in Melbourne in 1908 -- to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of "Australasian football" (as it was known at the time). The widening gap between the three major footballing States/leagues and the others was shown in the organisation of the competition: Victoria represented by the (VFL), SA and WA constituted "Section A", and Tasmania, NSW, Queensland and NZ were relegated to "Section B". The VFA did not take part and the carnival was New Zealand's last appearance in representative football. The Victorian team went through the competition undefeated.
This impression was reiterated by the 1911 Carnival, in Adelaide, which also set the pattern of a carnival every three years. South Australia went undefeated and Victoria won three of their four matches. At the Sydney carnival of 1914, Victoria was once again undefeated. Following the onset of World War I interstate matches went into a five-year hiatus.
During this period interstate matches were held every year, and interstate carnivals were held usually every 3 years, with a few exceptions. In most carnivals, the stronger states competed separately from the minor states; and on many occasions the stronger states and minor states carnivals were held in separate locations or years. At the peak of its popularity, the carnival was known symbolically as "the Ashes" of Australian rules football. Victoria (VFL) continued its dominance in interstate football by winning 15 of the 17 carnivals held during this time, and usually winning the individual matches held every year.
1960-1976
In the early part of the 1960s Victoria's dominance was briefly haltered, when South Australia, Western Australia & Tasmania recorded several wins and close results against the state. But following South Australia's 64 point drubbing against Victoria, which kept the state to their record low score of 19 points, it proceeded a 18-year drought against the state.
Neil Kerley and Graham Cornes are of significance in the rivalry between Victoria and South Australia, who played for and coached the South Australia team during this period. Neil Kerley when coaching the South Australian team would inject a hatred for Victoria, telling his players all Victorian umpires cheated, all Victorians would cheat if they got the chance. Graham Cornes who was coached by Kerley for South Australia, has stated his hatred for Victoria came from Neil Kerley. Cornes would go on to coach South Australia, with great successes and was a promoter of the South Australian team. Cornes has stated that the success that South Australia had against Victoria during his coaching reign was all to do with the culture in South Australia of wanting to prove they're better than Victoria.
The 1963 game between Victoria and South Australia at the MCG was also of significance in the rivalry between the two states. Before the game Jack Dyer was asked what he would do if he was coaching Victoria, and said, "I'd give them a Pep Talk and go to the races". Neil Kerley who was playing, was in an interview before the game when this was mentioned. After it was said the interviewer said to Kerley "what do you think of that young Kerley", in which he responded "everyone is entitled to their opinion". Kerley angered by this, as a result told teammates before the game "something is going to happen at the first Bounce" and then put down a Victorian player with a "Hip and Shoulder". Kerley also injured another Victorian in the last quarter which saw him leave the field. It was a drought breaking win for South Australia in Victoria. When the South Australians returned to Adelaide they were greeted with a heroic welcome, with nearly 8,000 people attending in poor weather, with the crowd hurling streamers and letting off fire crackers, with hundreds surging onto the Tarmac.
A notable encounter in the rivalry between Victoria and South Australia was in a game in Adelaide in 1963, when South Australian Brian Sawley, slammed Victorian John Peck to the ground in a tackle and then kicked Peck while on the ground. Which led to Peck knocking out Sawley with a Punch and remaining unconscious for at least a minute.
The rivalry with between Western Australia and Victoria, in terms of dislike from Western Australia, largely started around 1970, after a game in Melbourne in that year, in which the visitors narrowly lost, and a homegrown Western Australia player, playing for Victoria, was involved in the winning play. And it was noted at the time, the number of times that Victoria had narrowly beat the state, a native born player playing for Victoria, had proved to be the difference. Talks of a concept where homegrown players representing their states, in representative state matches, started around this time in the west, which lead to businessman Leon Larkin, pursing that concept later in the decade. Historically Western Australia has had a more friendly relationship with Victoria, compared to South Australia when it comes to football. Starting with the first interstate game between Western Australian & Victoria in Melbourne in 1904, when in that year the Victorians had greeted the Western Australians at the Spencer Street train station in Melbourne, and then put on a welcome dinner function, which was well received by both sides. However a match between South Australia and Victoria in Melbourne the previous year, no such welcome was provided. Also interstate players playing in the Victorian Football League prior to 1970's, had largely come from Western Australia & Tasmania.
Post the 1970 game between the two states, more heated and physical contests between the two sides began to be staged. In 1971 Leigh Matthews knocked-out Western Australian Barry Cable, which was widely condemned from the western state. In 1976, in the last year before State of Origin commenced, Barry Cable got his jaw broken, in a clash with a Victorian player. The rivalry continued strongly into the State of Origin era.
State of Origin competition, 1977-1999
By the 1970s, VFL clubs were signing up an increasing number of the best players from other states and Victoria dominated state games. West Australians, led by the marketing manager of the Subiaco Football Club, Leon Larkin, began to campaign for players to be selected according to state-of-origin rules. The West Australian Football League (WAFL) negotiated with the VFL for two years before agreement was reached on the format.
In the first such game, at Subiaco Oval in Perth, on 8 October 1977, Western Australia defeated Victoria, 23.13 (151) to 8.9 (57), a huge reversal of the results in most previous games. In the words of football historian John Devaney:
- "A Western Australian team composed entirely of home-based players had, on 25 June, taken on a Victorian team containing many of the same players who would return to Perth three and a half months later for the state of origin clash. The respective scores of the two matches offered a persuasive argument, if such were needed, of the extent to which the VFL had denuded the WAFL of its elite talent:
-
- On 25 June 1977 Victoria 23.16 (154) defeated Western Australia 13.13 (91) - a margin of 63 points
- On 8 October 1977 Western Australia 23.13 (151) defeated Victoria 8.9 (57) - a margin of 94 points, representing an overall turn around of 157 points
- Western Australia's previous biggest winning margin against a Victorian state team had been a mere 38 points in 1948. Almost overnight, an inferiority complex was dismantled: Victoria, it seemed, was not intrinsically superior, only wealthier."
The inaugural game was a physical encounter, with Kevin Sheedy hitting a Western Australian player high late in the last quarter, which lead to a large cut, as well numerous heavy hits. Western Australia & South Australia began to win more games against Victoria.
A full interstate carnival under state-of-origin selection was held with success in October 1979 in Perth. A second carnival was held the following October in Adelaide, but were a financial disaster for the organisers, with only 28,245 people attending the four games. Following this series, the VFL decided to not participate in any future carnivals which put the future of the carnival concept in doubt.
Close and physical contests between Western Australian & Victoria continued well into the 1980s, and was considered the first main contest in the State of Origin era, until South Australia recorded their first win against Victoria in 1983, which was considered a turning point in the states fortunes. Notable games between the states Western Australia & Victoria, include the games in 1983, 1984 & 1986, in which Western Australia won, which have been described in including some of arguably the greatest expositions of the game ever seen. However the 1985 game between the sides was also notable for different reasons. Unlike the games around that year, which were free-flowing and high scoring, the 1985 game was physical, hard fought, with multiple people leaving the ground after being hit with heavy knocks, from both sides, and many skirmishes breaking out between the teams. It also included a fight between fans in the last quarter, when Victoria had safely secured victory, with Victorian fans yelling out chants, of Vic power. The game was also notable, for fight between Western Australian Rod Lester-Smith & Victorian Dermott Brereton, who were Hawthorn teammates, which was noted in newspapers as showing the success and seriousness of the concept from the public and players. There was also a notable incident in the game, in which the states coaches Kevin Sheedy & Western Australia's John Todd, where involved gamesmanship with each other, after a dispute over the use of a training ground. In which John Todd instructed his players to run through the Victoria team banner before the game, with Sheedy responding by not letting his players out after half-time, for quite a period of time.
Close games between Victoria and South Australia began in the early 1980s, with the 1984 game being held in similar regard to 1986 Victorian & Western Australia clash, which has been regarded as one of the sports greatest games. The 1984 Victoria & South Australia clash, was very physically, with multiple people being hit with heavy hits, from both sides. Also after the game it was reported in newspapers, that the South Australia administration was unhappy, with their Victorian counterparts, for not taking the concept seriously, and for not agreeing to play the state and Western Australia in Melbourne out of arrogance, thinking the states weren't good enough, despite close recent results. These sentiments were common around this time, which largely drove the South Australian & Western Australian rivalry with Victoria.
Some big moments in the history of the rivalry between Western Australia & South Australia, were games in 1985 & 1977, which celebrated the century of the sport in the two states. In both years the two states governing body's choose the other state and to hold functions after the game to celebrate the states century, because of both states good record at home against the other. In the lead up to both games, people involved from both states, boasted about their chances against the other in the media, and in both games the visitors won, which is said to have soured celebrations.
The popularity of the concept in Western Australia from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, was shown during this time in a game between Western Australia & South Australia in Adelaide in 1984. When after the course of the game, which Western Australia won by a point, by a kick on the siren, Western Australian premier Brian Burke rang Western Australian coach John Todd and told him to buy seven bottles of Magnum Champagne for players to enjoy at the states expense. Burke who had been watching live coverage of the game, would go on to state it was One of Western Australia's greatest sporting moments.
Post 1986, enthusiasm for the concept largely died out in Western Australia, with the birth of the West Coast Eagles, with support from the both the public and players switching to the new team in the expanded Victorian (VFL). And while support was largely still high in South Australia, after the failure of the 1988 State of Origin carnival in South Australia, which was a finical flop with a very low turn out, the concept was considered on its death bed. However the following year, with first game played in Melbourne in nearly 10 years, with over 100'000 people turning up to the gate, in a game against South Australia, the concept made a strong turn around, with it being described as Roaring back to life. However, in the early 1990s support was still strong in South Australia but starting to wane, with people in the west nearly entirely focused on the West Coast Eagles, and Victoria returning to a more modest support compared to the other states, the concept continued on a downward trend though out the decade.
The concept ended in 1999, in which by the end of the decade there were large number of withdrawals, due pressure from clubs, who were now entirely focused on their club in the national competition. The concept was reviewed several times during the decade, with the concept largely being in trouble after the 1993 season. During the 1993 season, the AFL become the governing body of the sport taking over control, from the previous Australian National Football Council, and gained control of the State of Origin competition. In its first year in control, the AFL announced that it supported the concept, and thought that representative level was important to the sport, with it being a showpiece for the game. And announced they would hold a tournament, to give the concept a greater presence. However, after expecting 80'000k, for the Grand Final, with ticket prices raised 10 times their normal amount, only 31k attended the game, with thousands more coming to the ground, only to turn away when they saw the prices. The concept was reviewed in 1995 as well as in 1997, with reasonable support in Melbourne in 1995 and more strong support in Adelaide in 1997, the concept was extended for a further two years. However, before the last game in Melbourne in 1999, the concept was finally cancelled.
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match, 2008
No official State of Origin matches were held between 1999 and 2008. In 2008, the concept made a return to celebrate 150 years of Australian football. In spite of lobbying for three or more games, involving at least six different teams or even an interstate carnival, one all-star game was played in 2008. The sides competing were Victoria and a "Dream Team", a composite team representing all other states, territories and countries. No state-based men's representative matches featuring AFL level players have been held since 2008.
Maps Interstate matches in Australian rules football
Importance
At its peak, interstate matches were among the most important events on the annual football calendar in South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. The crowds drawn to interstate matches in those states regularly dwarfed home-and-away crowds, and at times throughout history would match or exceed grand final attendances. In Perth, interstate matches at the 1921 carnival, during the 1929 season, and at the 1937 carnival successively set records as Western Australia's highest ever sports crowd; the crowd of 40,000 drawn to that 1937 match was more than 10,000 higher than any previous Western Australian crowd and almost double the record club grand final crowd at that time. Likewise in Tasmania, carnival fixtures in 1924, 1947 and 1966 each set new Tasmanian state football attendance records, and the 1966 carnival crowd of 23,764 remains the third-highest football attendance in Tasmania's history. State of Origin matches in the 1980s in South Australia and Western Australia regularly drew crowds between 30,000 and 50,000, on par with grand finals in those states during that era; and interstate matches in Tasmania consistently drew crowds which either exceeded or were second only to the Tasmanian league's grand final attendances.
Interstate football was less popular in Victoria than it was in the other states. A match in Victoria in 1989 against South Australia set the national interstate football record crowd of 91,960, with 10,000 people turned away at the gate. Other large crowds at interstate games in Victoria were between 60,000 and 70,000, on par with some large home-and-away games but lower than a typical finals attendance. At its lowest, interstate games in Victoria during the 1930s could sometimes fail to draw 10,000 spectators - less than the average home-and-away crowd - at a time when state record crowds were drawn to the matches elsewhere. Eventually, due to these lower levels of public interest, less interstate football came to be played in Victoria: and for the majority of the 1980s, when State of Origin football was at its peak, the Victorian team did not play a single match at home. The primary reason for the difference in popularity between Victoria and the other states was the Victorian team's historical dominance in interstate football. Particularly during the pre-State of Origin era, the Victorian team was always expected to win and regularly won easily; therefore, Victorian spectators were disinclined to attend matches because there was little pride on offer for victory and a high chance of a one-sided contest. The record crowd of 91,960 in Melbourne in 1989 came after South Australia had beaten Victoria three years in a row, demonstrating that Victorian fans were willing to embrace interstate football when the rivalry and contests were closely fought. Additionally, differences in supporter culture between the states meant that club football and club parochialism had much greater importance in Victoria than in the other states.
Amongst the competing states, the rivalry with Victoria was the strongest. Victoria's long-term dominance of interstate football created a culture of disdain towards it and, as a result, the most popular games always involved Victoria and beating Victoria was considered the pinnacle of interstate football in South Australia and Western Australia. South Australia's rivalry towards Victoria was characterised during the 1980s with the slogan "Kick a Vic".
Players from all states, including Victoria, viewed selection and participation in interstate football with great importance. Ted Whitten, who was widely noted for his involvement in and passion for the Victorian team described how "the players would walk on broken glass to wear the Victorian jumper". Graham Cornes, well known for his involvement in the South Australian team, always spoke equally proudly of the experience of representing his state. John Platten, a highly decorated player, described a drought breaking victory playing for South Australia, over Victoria, as one of his proudest football moments. Comments from other players included:
- Matthew Lloyd (Victoria) - "immense pride - you feel like you walk a bit taller when you pull on the Big V".
- Stephen O'Reilly (Western Australia) -- "State of Origin football is the pinnacle for AFL players".
- Andrew McKay (South Australia) -- "I never dreamt of playing VFL/AFL as a child, but I always dreamt of playing for my state".
- Graham Cornes (South Australia) -- "pulling the South Australian jumper on is like a dream come true".
- Tony Lockett (Victoria), who commented after he won the E. J. Whitten Medal -- "this will probably go down as one of the happiest days of my life, and I'll treasure it forever".
Selection criteria
Prior to introduction of State of Origin rules, players were selected on the basis of which state they were currently playing in.
The State of Origin eligibility rules varied from game to game, and matches during the 1980s were sometimes played under partial, rather than full, State of Origin rules. This was in large part so that neutral leagues were not disrupted by a stand-alone game between two other states; e.g. VFL clubs would not lose access to interstate origin players on the weekend of a game between South Australia and Western Australia. For example, in the stand-alone 1982 match between South Australia and Victoria, a quota of up to six VFL players of South Australian origin, and no more than one from any VFL club, could play for South Australia; but otherwise, all SANFL and VFL players were eligible to play for South Australia and Victoria respectively - indeed Victoria fielded five VFL players of Western Australian origin in that match, including their captain, Mike Fitzpatrick. Jason Dunstall and Terry Daniher, who were born in and recruited from Queensland and New South Wales respectively, both played several partial-origin matches for Victoria; and in a partial-origin match against Victoria in 1990, New South Wales was allowed to be represented by players of New South Welsh origin and any player who had played for the Sydney Swans.
State of Origin in popular media
Greg Champion wrote a song, "Don't Let The Big V Down", about the traditional navy blue jumper with a large white "V" used to represent Victoria in state games. The song is about a young man who is about to play his first state game and is approached by another man who tells him to not let the Big V down.
Champion also wrote another song, "Came From Adelaide", about two people watching a game between South Australia and Victoria. One of them turns to the other and says that the Croweaters cannot play. The other replies that this is not true and that the South Australians are great.
State & Territory & Representitve Teams
Rivalries
Victoria vs South Australia
The rivalry between Victoria and South Australia was considered the strongest in interstate football. Although there is a bitter rivalry on both sides, the make up of the rivalry is slightly different: for Victoria, being the most successful state in interstate football, it meant that protecting that reputation was of prominent importance; for South Australia, the rivalry stemmed from dislike, and the feeling that Victorians did not give the state the respect it deserved. Graham Cornes, who was heavily involved in South Australian state football, described the football culture in Victoria as insular having a lack of regard for football outside their state, which drove that feeling.
Many footballers described beating Victoria as one of the top achievements in South Australian football. Neil Kerley ranked beating Victoria above his club premierships. Victorian footballers have commented on the passion and hatred directed towards them in interstate games played in Adelaide. Garry Lyon described the fans as "hostile and maniacal", and "by the time the games came around they were whipped into a frenzy". Paul Roos commented about the first state game he played in South Australia that "when walking up the entrance and onto Football Park was an experience in itself. I quickly realised how much hatred existed towards Victorians and their football."
Victoria vs Western Australia
There is an intense rivalry between Victoria and Western Australia. Western Australia's rivalry likewise stemmed from the feeling in Western Australia that Victoria never gave their state the credit it deserved, despite some of the best players of all time coming from the state. Some games widely regarded as some of the best in the history of Australian football were played between Victoria and Western Australia in the 1980s. Shane Parker a former Western Australia player, said of the rivalry "When I was a kid, the State of Origin games were the greatest ever. It was a really big thing to see the WA side play, particularly against Victoria".
Western Australia vs South Australia
There was also an intense rivalry between Western Australia and South Australia, with fans at games between the states always vociferous and parochial.
Other states
Although other and minor states haven't competed regularly or consistently against the main football states in the sport, there have been big moments and which have shown the passion that players have had playing for their state. Tasmania the only other main football state or territory, that competed regularly against the other main states in the sport, although not quite as regularly against Victoria, was passionate about the concept, comparable with the other heartland states. Some big moments in history where when they defeated Victoria in 1960 & 1990. Although the 1990 game the Victorian side was under strength, the 1960 clash had some of the biggest names in the game, and has been called the greatest moment in states football history. Tasmanian players such as Stuart Spencer, who was a VFL premiership player with Melbourne, has described the game as One of the greatest highlights, if not the greatest of my career. The 1990 clash between the states, was not just important because the victory over Victoria, but because of the events of the previous years. In 1988 State of Origin carnival, Tasmania the only other main state in the sport, which was excluded from division one, in favour of New South Wales. And sentiments in Tasmania was it was because people in the national governing body, thought the state because of population, was more important than Tasmania, to spreading the game nationally, a notion which Victoria was pursing. This notion was used as motivation in the buildup to game. Tasmania player, Dough Barrwick who was an AFL premiership player, has described the game as Being bigger than a premiership. This sentiments echo similar wording from people in the other states, that playing against and beating Victoria, was the pinnacle or one of the biggest things in the sport.
Non heartland state New South Wales, has also had moments of passion for the concept. The 1990 victory over Victoria, which was states first since 1925, caused attention in the state, and comments from players like Anthony Daniher described it as special in his career. Also other comments from other players such as Neale Daniher, Terry Daniher & Chris Daniher described it as History in the making, and They where thrilled to be a part of it.
Results
Australian National Football Carnival, 1908-1988
For most of the 20th century there was a national football carnival usually held every three to five years. Some of the carnivals the format consisted of qualification matches at the start of the tournament, with the winners playing off in a final. In some other carnivals the format was a round-robin format, with a points system in which the team with most points at the end of the tournament was declared the winner.
State of Origin competition, 1977-1999
Non-State of Origin games are marked with a *
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988 Adelaide Bicentennial State of Origin Carnival
1988
1987
1986
1985
The match between South Australia and Victoria was awarded to South Australia on protest, as a result of Victoria playing with four interchange players instead of the permitted three.
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1980 Adelaide State of Origin Carnival
1979
1979 Perth State of Origin Carnival
1978
1977
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match, 2008
Other interstate matches
State League Representative matches, 1990 to present
With the advent of interstate teams into the expanding VFL and its eventual re-badging and change to a national league in 1990, the state leagues would undertake steps to ensure that representative football would not be reserved solely for those players in the Australian Football League. State League Representative matches would allow those players participating in competitions that would be, in later years, categorised as second-tier leagues, to be selected for interstate duties. While State of Origin would continue for several more years with pre-dominantly AFL-listed players, this format would for many players, become the pinnacle of their football careers outside of playing in a premiership. For the most part during the ensuing years between the inception of State League and the end of Origin, it was the South Australian and Western Australian leagues championing the concept with the two leagues facing off many times. The other state leagues did take part in the concept, but on a far more limited basis. The Queensland, ACT and Tasmanian competitions featured on several occasions, the New South Wales league made scattered appearances while the Northern Territory was far less featured on the interstate stage mainly due to their domestic league being played in a different part of the year. Meetings between those competitions and the SANFL or WAFL were a rare occurrence.
The Victorian Football Association eventually made some appearances of their own at state league level from 1994, but also did not have games against South Australia or Western Australia for a few years. Eventually, after a restructure of that competition in 1996 which saw them adopt the name of the VFL, they faced the SANFL on the MCG in the curtain raiser to what would be the swansong of State of Origin football in 1999. From this day onwards, interstate football would become the domain of the leagues that underpin the AFL. In the years following, the participation of the "non-traditional" football states was not as high as that of South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory continued to play a part, while Tasmania's football system was split in half between north and south, as well as the state team being replaced by a club--Tasmanian Devils--which entered the VFL in 2001. The "Big 3" in the SANFL, WAFL and VFL entered into an agreement in 2003 to adopt a program where they would play each other in a rotational system over three years, which saw one state either sit out interstate football for one season or require that league to find alternative opposition.
Towards the end of the 2000s, the AFL by this time had control of the football administrations across the eastern states and the Northern Territory. Tasmania withdrew from the VFL and relaunched the statewide Tasmanian State League competition in 2009, then in 2011 the AFL created the North East Australian Football League out of established state league teams from New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and the Northern Territory as well as reserves sides from the four AFL clubs in those regions. With this, the representative football calendar would virtually encompass all of Australia. At first the NEAFL's conference system would allow two representative sides with Queensland and the Northern Territory making up the Northern conference team and the New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory combination forming the Eastern conference side. A couple of years later, the NEAFL would be represented by a single team. How this arrangement fits into the individual state league schedules is still being worked on, but it has largely not disrupted the existing arrangements undertaken by the traditional football states. In fact, what would normally have been a "bye" year for the SANFL, WAFL or VFL allows them to instead play the NEAFL or the TSL.
Under this arrangement, the leagues of New South Wales (AFL Sydney), the Australian Capitol Territory (AFL Canberra) and Queensland (QAFL) were practically relegated to third-tier status behind the NEAFL and, as a result, any representative matches involving opposition outside of these territories have involved amateur-level leagues.
The state league representative matches, like State of Origin matches, also have individual best on ground medals:
- Queensland and Northern Territory (NEAFL North): Zane Taylor Medal
- South Australia (SANFL): Fos Williams Medal
- Victoria (VFA/VFL): Frank Johnson Medal
- Western Australia (WAFL): Simpson Medal
- Tasmania (TSL): Lefroy Medal
Results
Bold text indicates the home team.
E. J. Whitten Legends Game, 1996 to present
Following the death of Ted Whitten -- who is regarded as one of the finest ever players of Australian rules -- from prostate cancer in 1995, his son Ted Whitten Jr organised an interstate charity match between teams of retired players, to raise money for research into the disease. The only two teams which have taken part in these games are Victoria and the All Stars (similar to the AFL's "Allies"), who represent the rest of Australia. The first E. J. Whitten Legends Game was played at Whitten Oval in 1996, and it has become an annual event. The games have often attracted crowds of over 10,000, and this has resulted in it being moved from the Whitten Oval to Optus Oval, to Adelaide Oval (South Australia) and finally to Etihad Stadium.
Women's State Of Origin, 2017
After the success of the Inaugural AFL Women's season the AFL announced in mid-July that a State of Origin representative match would be held for AFL Women's players during the AFL season pre-finals bye. A team of players born in Victoria played a single exhibition match against Australian Alliance (a team of players from the rest of Australia) at Etihad Stadium on the evening of Saturday 2 September.
Results
References
External links
- AustralianFootball.com, "Interstate Football"
- Convict Creations State of Origin
- AFL Statistics
Source of article : Wikipedia
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