The AFL admits the passion for State of Origin could be there but says there are too many hurdles to consider its reintroduction.
Lack of public interest, the potential for injuries and a packed calendar have been thrown up as reasons to keep the traditional interstate games in the last century.
Both incoming chief executive Gillon McLachlan and his outgoing number Andrew Demetriou have their reasons, stemming from the growth of the league itself.
Last played in 1999, Victoria’s nine-goal win over South Australia only gathered 26,063 to the MCG in support.
But each year, hundreds of thousands of AFL fans tune in to rugby league’s state of origin series and think – why not our sport?
New South Wales’ incredible triumph over Queensland on Wednesday night set new ratings records – with 2.487 million viewers tuning in across Australia’s biggest five cities.
Brownlow medallist Michael Voss called for the league to swap the international rules series for an origin series.
But it seems not even the commercial lure from the mammoth audience could change the AFL’s collective mind.
McLachlan paid tribute to the rugby league series, which held its 100th match in Brisbane on Wednesday night.
“It’s an amazing event, it always has been,” he told FoxSports.
“It’s a huge event and a great success.”
McLachlan said the AFL State of Origin, last held in 1999, was compromised by the growth of the nationwide club competition.
“(An AFL State of Origin series) has been huge in our time too, the old Victoria-South Australia, Victoria-Western Australia games were massive.
“Our game is different now.
“We have at least two teams in every main state in Australia, we play in every state and territory of Australia.
“There has been a push from the players, and a lot of people would love it, but unless we can get our best players playing, it’s really challenging.”
Demetriou agreed.
“At club level, we’ve got the greatest club versus club competition in the country and that’s what we pride ourselves on,” he told Radio SEN.
“Every week there are classic games that get 50, 80, 70,000 (fans); we should be pretty proud of that and shouldn’t try and be what we’re not.
“We shouldn’t pretend we’re anything else.”
