It's East v West as Victoria is set to allign with interstaters in All-Stars concept Michael Warner
From: Herald Sun
August 11, 2012 VICTORIA'S 10 AFL clubs will be split geographically and aligned with interstate rivals to form footy's All-Star representative concept.
The player-driven plan would see five teams in Melbourne's east - Hawthorn, Richmond, Collingwood, Melbourne and St Kilda - join forces with eastern seaboard clubs Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast, Sydney and Greater Western Sydney.The western conference side would be made up of stars from Essendon, Geelong, Carlton, North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and the four sides from Western Australia and South Australia - West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
The Herald Sun can reveal plans for the All-Star match have been shelved for next season but will be on the negotiating table for 2014.
East would play West every season at the end of the pre-season competition or mid-year, with fan involvement in the selection of the teams.
East would boast Lance Franklin, Gary Ablett and Scott Pendlebury, while West would claim Chris Judd, Joel Selwood (below) and Nic Naitanui.
Players have told the AFL Players Association they are keen on the All-Star concept, despite lukewarm support from clubs, coaches and league chiefs.
"There's a real desire from the elite players to play and compete against their peers," AFLPA executive Ian Prendergast said yesterday.
"We've been in ongoing discussions with the AFL in relation to a concept that our players' board endorsed.
"The proposal was designed to celebrate the elite talent in the competition, allowing all players to be eligible for selection. From a player availability point of view, we believe the pre-season is the best time to hold it."
AFL chiefs have told players it would be difficult to market the concept early in the year and favour a mid-season fixture.
The AFL has announced next year's season will span 23 rounds with teams playing 22 matches, denying players a second mid-season bye.
The All-Star game would supersede the State of Origin concept, which hasn't been played since 1999 aside from a Hall of Fame tribute match in 2008 when Victoria beat a "Dream Team", drawn from every other state and territory.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/its-east-v-west-as-victoria-is-set-to-allign-with-interstaters-in-all-stars-concept/story-fnelctok-1226447907111
