Victoria Wins in Origin Return
State of Origin returned for the first time in over a quarter of a century, and it delivered.
The original rivalry saw Victoria travel to face the West Australians nearly half a century after the Sandgropers got the job done by 94 points in the first ever game.
This time out it was Victoria by 24 points, 18.17 (125) to 15.11 (101).
Victoria was led by Nick Daicos (38 disposals, seven clearances), Marcus Bontempelli (30 disposals), and Lachie Ash (25 disposals, 498 metres gained), while Western Australia had Patrick Cripps (nine clearances), Bradley Hill (26 disposals, 457 metres gained), and Jesse Hogan (five goals) to rely on.
It all began in a similar style to the first game in 1977, when Kosi Pickett got things started nicely for the Sandgropers.
The Melbourne superstar grabbed the football and got it inside forward 50 from the first centre bounce, before Chad Warner was given space at a forward 50 stoppage and kicked the first goal.
Hogan would add another before two minutes were eclipsed.
For Western Australia it was all about their explosive speed, with fast ball movement helping them generate inside 50, as well as winning the ball in the centre of the ground.
Victoria were willing to go slow and steady, which eventually led to their first goal through the late inclusion of Ben King.
One of the biggest free agents on the market in 2026 didn’t start his career defining season off in the best fashion, when Zak Butters turned the ball over in the centre of the ground.
The Victorian mistake saw Charlie Cameron off to the races, as Country Roads bellowed round the stadium.
Jacob Weitering was taken out of the game late in the quarter, a contest on Victoria’s defensive 50 seeing him in significant discomfort after Mitch Georgiades and Sam Collins landed on the All-Australian defender. The stretcher was called as concerns were immediate for the Carlton player’s neck and shoulder.
After three goals to Victoria, Western Australia had to go back to the drawing board early in the second.
In positive news, Cripps had six clearances, comfortable as he returned to football for 2026, before Luke Jackson, Jake Waterman, and Charlie Cameron kicked goals to reinvigorate the Sandgropers.
However, Victoria hit back, as Western Australia conceded four of the last six goals to trail by 22 points at the main break, after having the margin at single figures twice in the second.
Bontempelli was finding his way into the game, while Butters and Daicos were causing all kinds of trouble, as Victorian transition game cut through the Western Australian ranks.
However, three goals to Western Australia cut the margin again, Waterman, Bolton, and Jackson all getting the home crowd back into song.
At 16 points, the game went to another level.
In the dying embers of the third quarter, Victoria steadied, and Patrick Dangerfield may have accidentally provided the knockout blow as the margin got to 29 points.
Western Australia opened the final term with four quick goals, three to Hogan, threatening to tear the game away from Victoria.
For the first time all day, Victoria had no answer to the Western Australians, as the crowd roared approval for their home heroes daring plays.
For the Big V, Toby Greene and Noah Anderson both fired blanks before Butters, Dangerfield and Daicos combined for the Cat to put visitors 14 points ahead.
From there, Victoria steadied and closed out the result.
The Graham Moss Medal was won by Jesse Hogan, while the EJ Whitten Medal was won by Lachie Ash.
Pre-game criticism hinged on the injury risk so close to the start of the season.
Those concerns were quickly validated. Western Australia finished the night with injury clouds over Mitch Georgiades, Sam Taylor and Callum Ah Chee.
In Victoria’s rooms, Gold Coast’s second ever Brownlow Medallist Matt Rowell and Melbourne captain Max Gawn had an injury concern with their fingers, while Jacob Weitering was already in hospital by half-time.
West Aus: 3.1 8.4 11.6 15.11.101
Victoria: 6.3 11.8 15.11 18.17.125
Goalkickers:
West Aus:
Hogan 5, Cameron 3, Waterman 2, Jackson 2, Warner, Hill, Bolton
Victoria:
King 4, Merrett 2, McCluggage 2, Greene 2, Dangerfield 2, Xerri, Smith, Serong, Daicos, Butters, Bontempelli
Best, (alphabetical order):
West Aus:
Cripps, Hill, Hogan
Victoria:
Ash, Bontempelli, Daicos