Did Origin Work?

Does State of Origin work in the AFL? 

On Saturday night, a sell-out Optus Stadium gave a clear answer.

“The fans turned out,” said Jesse Hogan, winner of the Graham Moss medal as WA’s best player.    

Victoria and Western Australia thrilled a sold-out Optus Stadium.   

It was the Victorians who won by 24 points, 18.17 (125) to 15.11 (101)

The game was a real arm wrestle. WA repeatedly threatened a comeback, but Victoria’s class proved decisive.

The Western Australian side was explosively quick with the ball, but the Victorians were a class above on transition, and that, in the end, was the difference.  

The knockout blow came at the 15 minute mark of the last quarter, when Zak Butters, Patrick Dangerfield and Nick Daicos combined for the Cat to put visitors 14 points ahead, after a run of four Sandroper goals, as they killed any moment the home side had.  

Big V was led by Nick Daicos (38 disposals, seven clearances), Marcus Bontempelli, (30 disposals) and EJ Whitten medallist Lachie Ash, (25 disposals, 498 metres gained). 

“It certainly was a resounding success from our perspective,” said Chris Scott, Victoria’s coach.

“I felt a real responsibility because I'd sort of made the big statement that I had supported it. 

“The unknown was how well the players were going to support it, and they were amazing.

“I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be every year.”

For Western Australia, Patrick Cripps (nine clearances), Bradley Hill (26 disposals, 457 metres gained) and Jesse Hogan (five goals) all played brilliantly. 

“I think to get the best players together on a Wednesday, play on a Saturday in preseason and put on a spectacle like that, it's a credit to the AFL,” said Dean Cox, Western Australia’s Coach.  

“I think it needs to be in the fixture.” 

For Victoria, the visitors enjoyed themselves as much as their hosts. 

The timing of the event also got some question marks, but with clubs playing practice matches in February anyway, the opportunity to have Origin on the map still works well.  

Injuries were a real concern pre-game and when Jacob Weitering was taken from the ground on a stretcher, those fears seemed validated.  

“There's never a situation when an opposition player gets hurt where you feel nothing but sorry for the player as an individual,” said Scott. 

The Carlton fans would have been disappointed with the injury to their star, but Scott believes that they won’t be more sad than a GWS fans in regards to Tom Green.  

“I don't think that they will be any more disappointed than the GWS fans about Tom or the players that inevitably get injured at preseason training or preseason games,” he said. 

“The only coherent argument you could make is the intensity here is likely higher than a practice game.” 

But did the concept actually work? 

A sell-out crowd, and the best players in the league scrapping for state pride.  

That’s a massive tick for the AFL.  

For Western Australia, footy fans out West finally had a marquee event, and they flocked to it.  

The players had brought in, potentially the most evident point was Port Adelaide duo Mitch Georgiades and Zak Butters found themselves engaged in a melee during the seesawing first quarter.  

Whether South Australia gets its turn remains to be seen, but for one night in Perth, Origin belonged.