Nearly two decades on, a hypothetical SA line-up still has plenty of representatives from Adelaide and Port Adelaide, but far more features a spread of talent from teams around the country reflective of a competition which has long since opened up its borders.

Our South Australian team has a total of nine players from the Crows and Power, 13 from elsewhere. Interestingly, despite their position on top of the ladder for most of this season, Adelaide provide just two of those nine, ruckman Sam Jacobs and running defender Rory Laird.

The fact is that on a senior and rookie list of 45 players, the Crows have only 13 hailing from South Australia, the "foreign legion" including Rory Sloane, Eddie Betts, skipper Taylor Walker, the Crouch brothers, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch.

Port have 17, and of that lot, many have been absolutely pivotal to the Power's resurgence this season.

Take our backline, for example, which in 2017 remains one of the AFL's more anonymous defensive units but which has been as effective as any. We've acknowledged that in this state line-up by including three of them, key position pair Tom Jonas and Jack Hombsch, along with experienced rebounder Matthew Broadbent.

Port have also got three on-ballers having great seasons - Brad Ebert, Jared Polec and Chad Wingard - along with a key forward in Justin Westhoff.

We've got players from no fewer than 12 teams in this state 22, and not just the obvious. There's a couple of young guns in rapidly-emerging Hawk Ryan Burton, and North Melbourne's Trent Dumont, Essendon's Orazio Fantasia also getting a guernsey.

If Westhoff seems a tad lucky to be making a state-of-origin team at centre half-forward, he's not as lucky as Hawthorn youngster Tim O'Brien, who is our full-forward not so much because of a great season but because isn't really another option.

Not that this team wouldn't be competitive indeed. In some areas, like the ruck, the contenders might also be fighting out All-Australian honours. We've gone for Adelaide's Sam Jacobs over Collingwood's Brodie Grundy, but only just, with Westhoff to do any relief work.

And while they key forward posts look a little thin, there's no shortage of good support around them. Dan Menzel is having a great season for Geelong, and can be expected to provide a good marking target on the lead and at ground level. There's good crumbing support, too, via Fantasia.

One of the real strengths of this 22 is the depth and versatility of the on-ball department. Wingard and Richmond's Shane Edwards can play either there or up forward, a reason a small forward specialist like Hawthorn's Paul Puopolo was squeezed out of the mix.

He's in good company, though. On form, we couldn't even find a spot for West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn, nor Sydney defensive stalwart Heath Grundy. All-Australian defender Brodie Smith might have been a touch unlucky as well.

That should be an indication of the selection resources at our disposal for any hypothetical state-of-origin game. This South Australian side is a lot more than a Crows-Power combine, and would do those parochial local supporters proud.