WA to host State of Origin’s return as AFL to end 27-year exile

For the first time in more than two decades, State of Origin football will return with WA locked in to host the historic clash.

As reported by The West Australian, the WA government and the AFL struck a deal to bring back the showpiece event set for a return on February 14.

While it was expected the AFL would officially announce its return after the grand final, that timeline has now been brought forward.

It comes as AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon was in Perth on Sunday to present Fremantle with the AFLW western derby following their seven-point victory over West Coast.

As expected, the game will be between a West Australian and Victorian team, with the majority of gate-day revenue to be pumped back into WA grassroots footy.

The last time the two sides met was in 1992, when Victoria romped to a 23.19 (157) to 13.12 (90) win over WA at the MCG.

It will see the likes of superstars Patrick Cripps and Chad Warner compete against Harley Reid, with the game to count towards players’ pre-season schedule excusing them from another game.

The push for the historic clash comes off the back of a clash between Fremantle and an Indigenous All Stars side at Optus Stadium in February, which was a raging success.

State of Origin’s inventor Leon Larkin backed the game’s return in July, suggesting it would be a roaring success.

“Yes, it will work,” Larkin told The West Australian. “But for different reasons than the original one.

“Australian football players are now full-time professionals, and when you’re a professional, you always want to test yourself at the highest level.

“The best athletes in the world have the Olympics, Australian footballers have got nothing. They got this sort of mongrel game with Ireland occasionally, but they haven’t got anything else.

“So the way that they can test themselves against the best is to play in something where they are tested at the very highest level.”

It follows the hugely successful Indigenous All Stars match against Fremantle in February earlier this year.