DARREN MONCRIEFF
Friday 8 June 2012
Updated 11 June 2012
NEXT year's scheduled AFL Indigenous All-Stars match is in danger of being squeezed out of the football calendar if plans to bring back representative football come to fruition.
The AFL Players' Association has told the AFL it wants a representative match next year, during the pre-season.
The AFLPA last Thursday presented to the league its proposal for an All-Star game, in which the two All-Star teams would be made up of players from across the league.
It is understood the plan is for the match to follow the model of the last AFL representative game in 2008, which pitted Victoria against an all-star 'Dream Team'.
The AFLPA's plans, which excludes players' State-based origins, would simply pit the best of the best against each other, similar to the NFL's end-of-season Pro Bowl.
The proposal would have the game played at the end of the annual pre-season NAB Cup series in March, followed by a week's break before the season proper.
But this would jeopardise the Indigenous All-Stars match, which is slated to be played in February next year, continuing the schedule of such games played every second year since 2003.
THEY'RE ALL STARS: The 2007 AFL Indigenous All-Stars and Essendon players mingle after their game in Darwin.
The bi-ennial Indigenous All-Stars match is traditionally played in February following the Indigenous AFL players' annual camp.
The possibility of a crowded pre-season, therefore, becomes a real issue.
The last Indigenous All-Stars match was held in 2009 in Darwin. The 2011 match, to be held in Alice Springs, was washed out due to Cyclone Yasi.
The AFL has yet to respond to questions put to it in regards to these issues.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 11/06/2012 16:54