The stage is set, the window is there: It’s time for footy’s biggest grudge match to hit AFLW

3 weeks ago 8

Sport is built on great rivalries. Think Roger and Rafa. The Celtics and the Lakers. Man U and Liverpool.

In its 10th season, the AFLW is starting to establish some grudge games. There are the two powerhouse clubs, the Adelaide Crows and Brisbane Lions. Between them, they’ve won five of the eight premierships so far.

Chloe Molloy is a superstar of the competition and would headline a State of Origin series.

And there are the originals, the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne. They played in the first women’s exhibition match.

That’s fine, but with 540 players in the competition – which has grown so quickly – it’s inevitable player depth has been stretched to the maximum.

As the women’s game continues to develop, it’s crying out for more blockbuster games. The best versus the best. A spectacle. A shot in the arm that draws eyeballs to TV screens and reminds us of how good the best players are. And as the Matildas and NRL women have proved – sports fans will watch elite, high-performance sport, no matter what gender.

So, let’s give the very best female players an opportunity to showcase their skills on grounds that are steeped in history and rivalry.

It’s time to bring back State of Origin. But not a one-off, a series. And what better time to play it than this weekend, when there’s no men’s football because of the pre-finals bye.

The women’s game needs to be elevated in September, the month every footy fan is hankering for the game. And there’s only nine men’s contests to be played.

The AFL stole the idea of Gather Round from the NRL’s Magic Round. It has exceeded all expectations. The temptation is to say let’s steal another game that worked up north, but let’s not forget that AFL played State Of Origin three years before rugby league did.

It was our baby before it became rugby league’s boom child.

Sure, we’d love to see SOO dusted off and brought back for the men. But let’s face it. It’s only ever going to be an exhibition game, given winning an AFL premiership will always be the priority. It will never be played in the do-or-die like the cauldron of the ’80s and ’90s.

But why not for the women?

The series opener should be at Adelaide Oval during Gather Round. The return bout at Marvel Stadium this Saturday night. The opening first few rounds of the AFLW season would act as a selection process for the second game.

In the northern states, the women’s rugby league State of Origin, delivers TV ratings of more than a million and draws crowds around 25,000. Plus, each player is paid $15,000 per match.

The AFL has tried a similar concept before. Eight years ago, a Victorian women’s team played the Allies at Docklands. But the game was a mismatch – the Vics won by nearly 100 points. The game has evolved since then. Players have caught up to the best and their elite skills deserve to be tested against the best in the game.

Some argue a representative game between Australia and Ireland would be better. There are 40 Irish recruits playing in the AFLW this season. Some are stars of the game, others are just learning the caper. I’d be more concerned about that game becoming a one-sided affair. Perhaps it would be better played as a Gaelic version – in Ireland? I’ll put my hand up to cover that game!

For now, let’s start with the return of the famous Big V against the Croweaters. Give us the stage, the crowd, the players, the contest and the drama.