State of Origin to make an AFL return? Out west, they're keen

Sydney Morning Herald

6 hours ago

Western Australia is keen to host a State-of-Origin match at Optus Stadium next year, with preliminary discussions underway between the AFL and the state government to reignite the concept.
The government is yet to put a formal proposal to the league, however three anonymous sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed that a potential State-of-Origin match has been discussed informally.
Optus Stadium in Perth is hosting game two of the NRL State-of-Origin series on Wednesday night, and is keen to attract other big events to Perth, aware of the potential economic impact it could have.
The exact format is yet to be determined, but the initial thinking is for a match to be played in February between Western Australia and Victoria. Western Australia hosted the first State-of-Origin match under the modern format in October 1977 with its team playing Victoria at Subiaco.
Optus Stadium remains relatively free in February before hosting Asian Cup women's soccer matches in March.
AFL chief executive officer Andrew Dillon planned to discuss the issue with the state's deputy premier and treasurer Rita Saffioti when he visited Perth for two matches at Optus Stadium last weekend.
Any decision about the proposal would need to be made before season's end to give clubs the chance to plan their 2026 pre-season with certainty.
Saffioti, a Fremantle supporter, has been focused on delivering the state budget on Thursday night.