Garry Lyon believes the AFL should be embarrassed that State of Origin football is not prevalent in the code.
The topic of Origin seems to be raised at this time every year when the NRL prepares for its own savagely successful series between New South Wales and Queensland.
The last serious Origin AFL game, not counting the Big V v All-Stars match in 2020, was played between Victoria and South Australia in 1999 with the concept disregarded by the league and its clubs since.
However, Lyon feels the AFL is constantly missing out on opportunities to continue growing the game around Australia.
The comments from the 1994 Victorian captain come as the Blues and Maroons get set to play at the MCG in Game II on June 26.
“It is an unmitigated disgrace that we don’t have State of Origin football,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“I know people say, ‘you’re flogging a dead horse’.
“It’s an out and out disgrace that we don’t have it. I’m embarrassed that we don’t.
“We gave it up, we ceded control of the golden ticket and now they’re going to wander into our town in the middle of the football season and have 95,000 people watching their State or Origin while we play tiddlywinks in the corner.”
Lyon would love to see some of the game’s brightest stars compete against each other at the absolute elite level.
“On June 26, it’s Victoria versus whoever, Harley Reid would be playing for Victoria, Nick Daicos would be playing for Victoria, Zak Butters would be playing for Victoria,” he continued.
“Tell me why we don’t have that in our game? It is a disgrace!
“Didn’t you hear Billy Slater? The game owns the players. Give something back.
“The clubs’ entitled view on things - look beyond it. It’s beyond you. Grow this game.
“We are getting taken over by the game in the northern states in the eyes of the country. We will become a little, small game and code again that pleases ourselves when we had the capacity to please the broader community.
“Reid, Daicos, Butters against Gulden, Heeney, Warner, all playing at the elite top level. Their CVs are worse off for not having been able to establish themselves in this game at that level.
“Those that run the game, you have let us down badly.”
Lyon’s impassioned plea came after Queensland Origin coach Billy Slater said the game owns the players and not the other way around.
The Melbourne Storm great also feels that coaches love the fact that their players are gaining experience on the biggest of stages.
“It’s why that game is still so healthy because of the passion and the want to be involved in it,” Slater said on SEN Breakfast.
“We grow up wanting to represent our state, I grew up wanting to wear that maroon jersey. It’s a dream of all our young players.
“Everyone in our game has got an understanding that the game owns the players, the game pays the players.
“This generates a whole heap of revenue for our game. We’re going to fill up the MCG, it will be one of the top five rated sporting events on television throughout the whole year. There’s a lot of revenue that’s created from State of Origin and I think the clubs understand that.
“A lot of the great coaches in our game understand that if their players are playing State of Origin, they’re getting big game experience. If they can get there on the big day at the end of the year, well they’re going to be more equipped and better prepared to perform on that big day.”
The first Origin clash of 2024 takes place at Accor Stadium in Sydney on June 5.
While that goes on the AFL will be focusing on club footy ahead of Round 13.