I'm not sure what I like most about this dream Team concept, the fact that the Victorians are getting so excited about playing in it or that they went to so much effort not to design a jumper for the Not Victoria side. I'm hanging out for the point in the match when Victoria realise how irrelevant the big v is to everyone else's lives.

Your key to a game like this is that both sides care. A point shown by the fact that a Derby sells out in about 5 minutes and a you can buy tickets at the gate to the same game in the NAB Cup.

Which brings me back to the State of Origin Lightening Carnival or, to be hip and happening, Twenty-20 football.

You have two twenty minute halves, no time on. Basic AFL top 8 finals system. So 1 plays 2, 3 plays 4, 5 plays 6, 7 plays 8 and so forth.

1. WA v SA
2. Vic Metro v Vic Country
3. Tas v Qld
4. Nth Ter v NSW


You could play double headers with the main games at the MCG and the leper states playing at the same time at Telstra Dome with highlights and score updates on opposite grounds big screen.

Have a day session with the first rounds and an evening session so the players can rest up for the last two rounds with the Grand Final.

If you had a squad of 30 players for each team they'd probably end up playing not much more than a full game of football spread out over an entire the day so it wouldn't be too taking and, being twenty 20, it would have the added benefit of keeping stilt walkers off the streets for the afternoon.