VICTORIA and Western Australia have given AAMI AFL Origin the shot of life it needs for a long-term revival after an engrossing clash at a sold-out Optus Stadium that ended with the Big V saluting by 24 points. 

While the star-studded Victorians were able to secure the Polly Farmer Cup with the final three goals of the game, WA's spirited performance ensured the match was a thrilling exhibition of Origin football, with the visitors prevailing 18.17 (125) to 15.11 (101). 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA v VICTORIA Full match coverage and stats

The margin was cut to just six points deep in the final quarter after a four-goal run from WA that ignited the home crowd, but Victoria responded as it had all night, with Geelong champion Patrick Dangerfield kicking a crucial 50m goal on the run before Caleb Serong and Zach Merrett sealed the result. 

The return of Origin and the success of the contest was the story, but there were injuries that will leave the players' respective clubs with headaches in the lead-up to Opening Round, with Jacob Weitering taken to hospital with rib and shoulder concerns. 

WA trio Mitch Georgiades, Sam Taylor and Callum Ah Chee were withdrawn with hamstring issues, while Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell finished early with a finger concern.

In a team full of stars, it was GWS defender Lachie Ash who won the E.J. Whitten Medal as Victoria's best player with 25 touches, with Nick Daicos (38 and seven clearances) and captain Marcus Bontempelli (30 and 10 marks) also starring. 

In a nod to Australian football and Victorian legend Ted Whitten, Bontempelli declared from the centre of Optus Stadium that the Big V had "stuck it right up 'em" in a memorable celebration of pure and exciting football.   

Key forward Jesse Hogan was awarded the Graham Moss Medal as WA's best player after booting five goals and controlling the airwaves inside 50 in a superb performance for his state. 

Key defender Tom Barrass was excellent for WA, while star midfielder Chad Warner and winger Bradley Hill played pivotal roles in a team that looked its best when running the ball at pace.  

In a match that was billed as David versus Goliath, WA targeted a fast and physical start to keep the star-studded Victorians at bay, with Warner snapping the opening goal of the game after a string of big contests.   

Hogan added a second a minute later as the Sandgropers monopolised the ball with the first 15 disposals of the game, with their speed looking ominous as the parochial WA crowd lifted. 

Victoria's slick kicking skills got them a foothold in the game and allowed them to steady before becoming a major weapon as Daicos danced around Warner and pinpointed Bontempelli inside 50. 

While some of the skill in the game was breathtaking, the intensity was also a feature early, with the Victorians working their way ahead before Weitering was taken from the ground after his collision with Georgiades. 

When Merrett and Hugh McCluggage kicked back-to-back goals deep in the quarter, the visitors had a 20-point lead at the first change, doubling WA's inside 50s (21-10) and getting on top in the contest (38-28). 

The second term was full of momentum swings as both teams enjoyed periods on top and combined for 10 goals in a thrilling exhibition of Origin footy, with WA cutting the margin to nine after Warner burst out of the middle and set up a goal for Charlie Cameron. 

The Victorians responded, with Dangerfield providing a highlight when he attacked a contested ball inside 50 to set up Ben King, who finished with a team-high four goals. McCluggage snapped a classy goal on the eve of half-time, setting the margin at 21 points at the main break. 

The pace didn't let up in the second half, with WA again enjoying several strong periods but lacking the final killer blow when it got close. The quality of the contest, however, all but ensured the concept will return.  

Injury fears realised for crucial stars 
Players were accepting that Origin football in February comes with the risk of untimely injuries on the eve of the season, and nobody wanted to see a serious setback as the game's stars sacrificed for the return of state football. Carlton defender Jacob Weitering was the game's biggest casualty, heading to hospital as a precaution after being crunched in a marking contest with Mitch Georgiades and Sam Collins in the first quarter on Saturday. Every player made their way to Weitering to show support as he was taken from Optus Stadium on a stretcher, with Georgiades waiting by the boundary to check on the 28-year-old. The Port forward was then ruled out himself at half-time with hamstring awareness, with WA defender Sam Taylor sidelined for the same reason in the third term. Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell also finished early due to a finger issue. 

New rules get an early tick 
The suite of rule tweaks for 2026 were unveiled in Perth, with the ball thrown up to start the game and rucks Max Gawn and Darcy Cameron leaping for the tap after changes that prevented the big men from crossing the line at ball-ups. Then there was the last disposal rule between the arcs, which saw WA's Bradley Hill win the first free kick for that shift 12 minutes into the opening quarter. The high skill of both teams was a contributing factor to a lack of last-disposal free kicks. The stronger enforcement of the stand rule did not create as many 50m penalties as expected, with the players well briefed. Patrick Cripps gave away the most obvious example, reaching and not standing completely still in the centre square during the second quarter, contributing to an easy set shot goal for Tristan Xerri. 

Butters puts club allegiances to the side 
One of the most entertaining passages of the game came halfway through the first quarter when Aaron Naughton chased down Zak Butters in a brilliant defensive effort, sparking a scuffle that highlighted just how serious these players were. WA pair Luke Jackson and Mitch Georgiades got in Butters' face, ending with the Power pair in a tangle, forgetting for a moment that they were Port teammates and instead flying the flag for their respective states. Butters came across as one of the most passionate Victorian players in the game, with the series of scuffles that broke out through the game providing more proof that the Origin concept has been embraced in a meaningful way by the players. 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA          3.1       8.4      11.6      15.11 (101)
VICTORIA                              6.3      11.8     15.11     18.17 (125)

GOALS
Western Australia: Hogan 5, C.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
Western Australia: Hogan, Warner, Barrass, Hill, Baker, Bolton 
Victoria: Daicos, Bontempelli, Serong, King, Butters, Ash, Stewart

INJURIES
Western Australia: Georgiades (hamstring), Taylor (hamstring), Ah Chee (hamstring) 
Victoria: Weitering (shoulder/ribs), Rowell (finger)

Crowd: 58,141 at Optus Stadium