It's footy's new 'ultimate' - turning out at the 'G on that day in May.

THE AFL says a lot of stuff, doesn't it? Have you heard the one about the fixture?

In two rounds' time, teams will start playing each other again (Melbourne faces its round-one opponent, Hawthorn), even though some teams are yet to meet.

The AFL says this happens because it tries to satisfy all the requests of the clubs, and that's great.

I know my club has already submitted its wish-list for next year, with the main request being not to play Hawthorn and Geelong at all.

And I've heard Collingwood has just re-submitted its 2003 wish-list for 2009, which demands 22 games at the MCG.

Unfortunately for the Demons, their proposal of playing every team once before playing the hottest teams in the comp twice has been torn up and chucked into the too-hard basket.

Unworkable, says the AFL, and we believe it.

We also believe it when the AFL says we need state-of-origin football — or Vics versus the World — just before round eight.

What I really like about the concept is that it is a one-off event, completely meaningless and that the superstars of the game are preparing to risk their knees, shoulders and seasons for a contrived cause.

If Buddy does pop a knee, and is ruled out for the season, and misses a grand final (Hawthorn is second-favourite at $3.80) and a Coleman Medal (he's currently a $1.65 favourite for it) and a Brownlow (he's on the third line of betting at 11s), it won't matter because he had the experience of playing for the big Dream Team in front of a big crowd against the Big V in the big month of May.

And Hawks won't mind, either, because if they do find themselves in a grand final and Scarlett blankets Roughead and they lose by 10 points with Lance sitting on the sidelines, at least they can say: "Well, Buddy got to play state footy."

Then they could all have a belly laugh about how the Dream Team ($2.15) beat the Vics ($1.65) and how Buddy busted his knee for the cause.

When the AFL consulted me about the Hall of Fame game, I told them it was a tremendous idea and suggested having it as a curtain-raiser to the grand final.

Andy wasn't impressed with that because he thought the players might want to play in a premiership rather than an exhibition game, so I came up with the ingenious concept of having the grand final as a curtain-raiser to the HOF game.

Andy frowned; as for plan C, the Hall of Flakes tribute game, with stars such as tricky Nicky Davis, the Wiz, Stevie Milne, Stevie Johnson and Des (why so many small forwards?), Andy said: "No."

So here we are, the Vics versus the Dream Team and as for finding a winner in a two-horse race with no form and both teams boasting considerable talent, best to take the best odds.

Oh, and don't back the Hawks for a flag just yet; wait and see if Buddy survives the weekend.