Fremantle Dockers CEO Simon Garlick and West Coast Eagles boss Don Pyke in push to keep AFL Origin in Perth

Fremantle and West Coast are both behind a push for Western Australia to kick off each AFL season with a marquee event like State of Origin. And Dockers chief executive Simon Garlick believes all major football states should rotate through the showpiece match to keep the concept invigorated — which could mean radical matches between Victoria and South Australia in Perth — while Eagles counterpart Don Pyke says it’s a matter of “finding the right balance”. Last Saturday’s clash between WA and Victoria at Optus Stadium was a roaring success, with a sold-out crowd at the venue and millions tuning in on TV to watch stars like Nick Daicos, Marcus Bontempelli and Sam Darcy take on Patrick Cripps, Chad Warner and Kysaiah Pickett. South Australia is pushing to host the match and renew their time-honoured rivalry with Victoria, but Adelaide is already the home of the hugely successful Gather Round. Club CEOs were all canvased for their feedback on the return of Origin in a conference call with the league’s new chief operating officer Tom Harley this week. Garlick said the timing for the match is there and that it is clear WA fans are hungry for it. “Going off the amount of WA State jumpers worn to the game and the energy in the stands, the want from the fans is clearly there,” he told The West Australian. “The consistent availability and willingness of talent is the key for its success and longevity. “To that end the timing feels right, and consideration needs to be given to how it might potentially rotate to ensure freshness and enthusiasm from players every year.” Pyke said he was a “fan” of Origin but South Australia, the Allies and the Indigenous All Stars also needed to be catered for. “In your career as a player, if you are good enough to be selected you want a handful of opportunities to be able to play for your state, it’s part of your CV as a player,” Pyke said. The WA Government revived Origin, which was created in Perth in 1977, but had not been played for the first time in more than 25 years. Pyke said the games might need to be shorter but “not significantly”. “At that time of year it is a reasonable step up for players in their preparation so how do we give them the best chance of doing what they do and enjoying the spectacle but not elevating the risk of injury?” he said. “It was pinging up and down, it was a high-quality game played by highly skilled players and you fill up the stadium with 60,000 people and there’s an energy to it as well which also kicks into the players. “They can feel it from the ground. They are not doing a match sim session; it is a bit more than that.” The AFL and WA Premier Roger Cook rated it a resounding success with Victoria beating the hosts by 24 points in front of a sellout crowd a tick under 60,000 last Saturday at Optus Stadium. Deputy Premier Rita Saffiota has already flagged the possibility of WA playing South Australia in the same February timeslot in Perth next year. “Well done to the State Tourism, including Rita Saffioti, and the AFL for getting this initiative off the ground and putting our State on the big stage,” Garlick said. “The weekend clearly shows that there’s something special about getting the best players in the game playing each other and that having a marquee football event in WA to kick start the AFL year is something that could and should have a permanent place in the calendar.” Pyke played for WA the last time it beat Victoria in 1991. “It was also played during the season and between games so you were playing on a Tuesday and you were playing the Saturday before and after so there was an additional load on players back then,” he said. “That would be the challenge if you brought it in season and that’s probably why it died initially. “I wouldn’t say it’s the only time to play it (pre-season), but I think it’s the preferred time to play it. “You have high availability because it’s the start of the year and you can’t guarantee availability in the middle of the year or at the end of the year.” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, who was a driving force behind its revival, has already declared Origin football will be back in 2027. Dillon’s comments followed endorsements from Origin coaches Dean Cox and Chris Scott, who not only backed the concept to continue but said it should remain in WA. GWS coach Adam Kingsley, however, said the AFL should consider moving Origin from the “highest risk month” of the year after his gun defender Sam Taylor suffered a hamstring injury in the match. The AFL is considering introducing women’s representative football in 2026, reviving the Australia-Ireland international rules series, while the Indigenous All Stars, who beat Fremantle in front of 37,865 at Optus Stadium last February, has support. Origin also hit the mark with viewers with 367,000 West Australians watching the game across Seven and 7Plus Sport. A total TV audience of 843,000 was 34 per cent higher than last year’s full season average of 630,000, while more than 182,000 streamed on 7Plus, up 227 per cent on the 2025 season average.