AFL State of Origin games could return in 2026, Andrew Dillon says
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has flagged the possible return of state of origin amid a 'groundswell' of support for the concept, as the league weighs up the future of representative football.
Buoyed by the success of last weekend's Indigenous All Stars exhibition, Dillon on Wednesday forecast representative fixtures becoming a regular feature on the AFL calendar for years to come.
'We're absolutely committed to Indigenous All Stars. Whether that's every year or every couple of years, I think that's the bit we've got to work through,' Dillon said. 'In the other years, I think that's where you could look at other types of representative football.
'Whether it's forms of state of origin or all stars, they're the things we need to discuss.'
Origin-style matches have only been played twice this century – both featuring Victoria against the rest of the country. Victoria defeated a Dream Team in a 2008 Hall of Fame tribute match, and also accounted for an All-Stars team in the 2020 bushfire relief match.
The last true state of origin fixture was in 1999, when Victoria defeated South Australia.
'I can't rule it in and can't rule it out [for 2026], but it will certainly be a conversation that I'd like to have with the players and the clubs,' Dillon said. 'I think there seems to be a bit of a groundswell for it. Finding the right time for it [on the calendar] is important.'
Almost 38,000 fans were on hand to see the Indigenous All Stars beat Fremantle by 43 points at Optus Stadium last Saturday night, in the representative team's first match since 2015.
Dillon was happy with broadcast viewership numbers and declared the buy-in from players and clubs crucial to making the concept a success.
'The best thing for us was the way that the players and the clubs embraced the concept, and that led to the fans and people viewing it,' Dillon said. 'I thought the footy was really good as well.
'The question for us now is how often do you play it and where does the rest of rep footy fit in.'
Dillon backed a pre-season slot for representative matches and said a decision on the 2026 schedule would be made about the middle of this year.
'The weekend showed that it is a pretty good weekend for rep footy,' he said. 'How that plays out into the future is something that we'll be discussing with the clubs and players over the next weeks and months.'
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