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CRITICISING the mighty AFL always runs the very real risk of those wiser than I reminding me to "stay in your lane" but as a strong supporter of State-of-Origin footy, I can't believe what the league is about to serve up in Perth on Saturday with its Victoria-WA revisit.

This is no knock on either representative team or reviving State-of-Origin footy.

But playing it in February? Come on now AFL. Make a commitment or don't. This is just half-assing it.

Players in preseason, a long year ahead, the potential for injury - particularly when not fully fit - this Valentine's Day kick-start with WA hosting the Big V has such potential for disaster that a club revolt lies in wait just around the corner.

Maybe that's the AFL plan - to have a few key player injuries and the clubs return to agreeing a State-of-Origin series is unwieldy and irrelevant to modern day football.

Lovers of those epic SA-Victoria clashes, Victoria-WA matches and none of that "Allies" BS - could Tasmania field a team in its own right now? - all want to see the series return in a workable form.

This isn't it and as previously stated, even smacks a little of an AFL attempt to sabotage it while pretending to portray a different impression.

You want State-of-Origin back and meaningful? Here's a simple way to do it.

First, ditch the idiotic "bye" round that follows the conclusion of the minor round and also any type of "play-in tournament" bulldust. No-one desires that crap. It's just the AFL mindlessly following the NBA.

The minor round should be followed by the qualifying and elimination finals through to the preliminary final round.

It's after that the AFL should insert a bye, allowing the two grand final teams to have those players available who otherwise might be out due to concussion protocols from the prelim.

It also gives the two grand finalists the chance to put their best available teams onto the MCG for Australian sport's biggest day ... with all due apologies to the NRL and Melbourne Cup.

So what happens on the Saturday of the bye week between the prelim and grand final?

State-of-Origin.

Annually.

Obviously the two grand final teams play no role in that event but there should be no difficulty fielding outstanding Victoria, WA and/or SA teams from the remaining 16 clubs.

At that stage of the year, the likelihood of injury is diminished and, should the worst still happen, at least any club or clubs affected would have ample time to make adjustments ahead of the next year's season.

Victoria-WA, then Victoria-SA on the MCG - every alternate year in the week between the preliminary and grand finals would see State-of-Origin restored to past glories.

Who knows? One day we might even have a states carnival again.

It sure makes more sense than this weekend's attempt to revive the concept. Let's just pray the match doesn't go the way of the NBA's annual All Star Game.