INAUGURAL Western Australia captain Graham Moss says the WA team's pride in representing their state will carry them to a win in Saturday's AAMI AFL Origin clash as the squad prepares to assemble this week. 

Moss, who led WA to a win against Victoria in the first football match played under the Origin format, said he could sense how proud and committed this year's Black Swans were as they enter Saturday's clash at Optus Stadium as underdogs. 

The 1976 Brownlow medallist, who will present the medal named in his honour to WA's best player on Saturday, said the WA team understood that pride would be on the line as Origin returned for the first time since 1999. 

"Listening to the media comments from players picked for Western Australia, there is a passion to do well," Moss said on Monday. 

"Their own personal pride is at stake. The pride I got out of being a West Australian player and the captain of the Western Australian team that won the first State of Origin game is everlasting.  

"I was very proud, and I'm sure these players, their pride will carry them through the game to a win."

The Graham Moss Medal was presented in WA's last Origin game in 1998, with former Fremantle captain and dual North Melbourne premiership player Peter Bell winning the award in a loss to South Australia. 

Moss represented WA 23 times and was a champion ruckman for WAFL club Claremont, also playing 84 games for Essendon where he won three club champion awards and the 1976 Brownlow Medal. 

He was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and is a Legend in the WA Football Hall of Fame. 

The 75-year-old said the 1977 WA team he captained had drawn its motivation from coach Polly Farmer, who finished his legendary playing and coaching career in that Origin match. 

"Polly asked all of us to give a personal commitment to our contribution for the game. We did that, and you could sense that there was an underlying passion from all of the Western Australia players that were picked," he said. 

"We'd all played state football against the Vics under the old regime, and normally they would beat us because there was a certain aura attached to the Victorian team with Big V where we would almost be beaten before we went out on the ground.

"But because we had this influx of players that were currently playing in the VFL or had VFL experience, that aura tended to disappear.

"We all gave our commitment to Polly and as it was Polly's last official game as a coach or player in the WAFL, we gave a personal commitment to him to play well, because we would have to send him off in style."

Moss said he supported the Origin format returning during the pre-season and he expected South Australia to become involved in future matches. 

The 1977 Simpson medallist said there was an appetite for high-stakes football in February and Perth would deliver a showcase game after selling out Optus Stadium.  

"If we get a great game like we expect, you'll fill the stadium again if it becomes an annual thing," Moss said. 

"I think pre-season is the best time to do it. People are now getting hungry for football, and it's the opportunity to see the best players in Australia compete, which is what we're looking for."