Veteran coach offers suggested AFL Origin timeframe

Veteran AFL coach Alastair Clarkson has thrown forward a left-field suggestion for when to hold AFL Origin in the future.

The representative game's return was well received by fans and players when staged last month, but caused a significant injury toll due to the speed of the game.

"I've got a view that players are the most important asset in the game, and if you want to do a forensic deep dive into the casualties from that game, it's pretty deep if we're thinking about it," Clarkson said.

"Why do we need to put our players at risk at that point in time. (We can) chest beat about the fact the game was great and it was quick, I just think it's an unnecessary risk. 

"I'm all for State of Origin, so is the club - I just think the timing of doing it at the start of February is just crazy."

The North Melbourne mentor described pre-season and September as the best times on the footy calendar and suggested the excitement of late in the season be capitalised on.

"I'd like it to be (in) the week before the grand final, like the states with the Super Bowl, where you spend two weeks preparing for the grand final," Clarkson said.

"You wouldn't have the grand final teams being able to have a participant in State of Origin, of course, but they've got a pretty big prize to chase the week after.

"I reckon it would be a great celebration of the game, to have State of Origin (after) preliminary final week, get all your events like the Brownlow and All Australian  done before the grand final and you clear out the second week for the players to prepare for the game."

Issues with the late September timeslot include that players will be bruised and battered after a long season, and some players will be several weeks into enjoying their off-season.

However, the game's stars have embraced the concept, going helter-skelter in its return last month.

Sam Taylor, Matt Rowell, Callum Ah Chee and Jacob Weitering were among the players who suffered injuries out of the game, with Taylor to miss the early part of the season and Round 1 preparation of the latter three all affected.