"THERE'S not a person in this room, not a single person, who thinks this is more important than your club footy. Not one. But for this week, it is.

"I can do all the hokey stuff – Victorian footy, greatest footy-playing state. But you're the 25 that represent. It's the most feared footy jumper in the game, this Big V jumper. And you're the 25. Which I think is f***ing unbelievable." 

It was the day before the return of AAMI AFL Origin, the first state match in 26 years. Chris Scott had delivered the broad overview of the gameplan and expectations, and Garry Lyon – chairman of selectors, Victorian ambassador and former Big V rep – was there to provide the pump-up.

It clearly had an effect.

Toby Greene had come into the squad under an injury cloud having battled a hip/glute issue across pre-season. 

So determined was Greene to take part that despite being named on the bench in the line-up shown to the team on Friday, 24 hours later he was starting. It was a change that was revealed to players by Scott just half an hour before the bounce.

"Toby should go out there and say, 'I'm representing GWS as much as I'm representing Victoria'. I think I know him well enough already – there's not a chance he'll come away with his teammates thinking (of him), 'He held back a bit'," Scott said.

"Sorry Zach (Merrett), but he demanded he started on the field. So we had to change that."

Merrett was in good company, forced to warm the bench with Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell and Gold Coast skipper Noah Anderson for the opening bounce.

"I wasn't happy when he said I wasn't (starting). I wanted to be there first bounce, I wanted to make sure we played it in the right way, and I wanted to be part of it," Greene told AFL.com.au post-match.

"I knew I'd only play 60 per cent, but we had lots of rotations. Probably ended up playing a bit more than that, and I actually felt really good."

WEDNESDAY

Players from both sides congregated in Perth on Wednesday, the Origin circus rolling into a town bedecked in the state colours of yellow (Western Australia) and navy blue (Victoria).

The lunchtime flight out of Melbourne was particularly stacked with players from both sides. Partners and children were all invited, with Blake Hardwick battling with a particularly stubborn fold-down pram as everyone boarded.

An over-tired Ivy Collins (turning two in April), daughter of Suns defender Sam, sobbed as Wil Powell was dropped off at the Western Australian hotel before the Victorians, crying "POWEEEEEEE" as he left.

Sam himself was simply happy to be there, his career having already included being overlooked by Vic Metro, drafted at 21, a delisting from Fremantle, a state league stint with Werribee, and a call-up to the Suns.

"It's probably something for me to work on – understanding the gratitude piece of accepting that it's OK to sit in and be happy and proud and pleased for yourself," Collins said.

"I don't know any of them in the backline, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they all play and the decisions they make on field. Everyone plays the same defence, but there's definitely differences, and chemistry's such a big thing."

With level one of the Murray Street Novotel locked off for exclusive Team Vic access, players and staff met that evening for a lightning-fast introductory meeting.

Jennie Loughnan, a stalwart of the AFL's footy operations team, rattled through team staff members, including physios sourced from the Dogs, Eagles and Hawks, doctors, dietician Alex Stone (Hawthorn) and welfare/team runner Tony Brown (St Kilda).

THURSDAY

With the team bus leaving for West Coast's Mineral Resources Park at 9.30am, players were left to their own devices in the morning, strolling the streets of Perth's CBD.

Josh Battle took his daughter for a stroll in her pram, while Jack Gunston and Hugh McCluggage, former teammates at Brisbane, caught up over a coffee.

Scott took in a walk, making sure to log it on his watch before grabbing a coffee at the hotel, while players' partners and kids (and a few stray grandparents) boarded a bus to go to Rottnest Island, with Hardwick carrying out that pesky pram for his partner.

Players were blown away entering the top-flight Eagles facility, with most comments unable to be printed. Imagine lots of shocked swearing. The most PC version: "How's the setup?"

Sam Mitchell's competitive instincts took over, taking photos and zooming in on the Western Australia team's training session to suss out just who was lining up where.

"Who runs like a maniac at training and can't help themselves? Zak (Butters), I've seen you at training. (Jack) Gunston, you won't leave the 50. If you want to run around and do a fair bit, you can, but if you want to stand still and warm up slowly, you can as well," Mitchell said.

"Hopefully, by the end of a couple of these drills, we get to know each other's names. And you can start to show a little bit of personality, because you're so quiet and boring, and I'm sick of hearing from Paddy (Dangerfield)."

Given the embarrassment of midfield riches, the coaching group had arranged midfield rotations that were displayed on the screen.

"We're not after perfection at those stoppage structures, we just want to have a bit of cohesion, like have some idea of what we want to do," Scott said, with his Geelong analyst Steve Nicholls running the slide deck.

"If we're going to out-run and out-rotate their midfield, we want speed on the game. There's every chance, with the team they've picked, that they could have a forward line with four talls … the opportunity for us to bounce the ball out of our back half with a little bit of speed should be pretty obvious to us.

"We think we can outrun them, but there's no point thinking we can do that if we play too slowly. Every Victorian player on that field, we want to give the ball to."

Scott worked through three variants of the team sheet, including "small ball", with Gunston as the sole tall target in attack, and was wary of WA's rebounders, including Lawson Humphries (who ended up being among his side's best) and Jordan Clark.

Players moved into the gold-and-blue West Coast gym for individual warm-ups, with the WA boys filtering in off the track after their own training. 

There was a sudden thump and yelp, with everyone turning around to see Mitchell wrestling with former teammate Brad Hill, the younger man ultimately managing to flip and pin the coach who had snuck up behind him.

As a senior coach taking a back seat in the assistant's role, Mitchell took it upon himself to bring the surprisingly quiet and introverted group (Dangerfield, Bailey Smith and Butters aside) to life.

He was a rascal throughout the week, tapping balls out of hands, joining in on jokes, and at one point appearing in an outrageous pair of Meta sunglasses - indoors - to jump in on a handball game that had evolved between Smith, Nick Daicos, Rowell and Anderson.

The warm-up run by Mitchell included a "find a teammate who …" segment. The final iteration saw each pair instructed to pick the best-looking of the two, who was then asked to don a bib. It was a deceptively simple way to split a group of players in two while provoking plenty of laughs (and a tinge of panic), the "hot group" ultimately including Daicos, Sam Darcy, Merrett, Caleb Serong, Smith, Josh Battle, Gunston and Max Holmes.

West Coast AFLW senior coach Daisy Pearce provided support for the training session, taking kick-outs from full-back and being asked by Shaun Grigg – the pair having coached at Geelong together – to mark Darcy, nearly 40cm taller.

Max Gawn talked the group through the preferred centre bounce set-ups, his gravelly tones cutting through the general hubbub (although all players were torn between revealing their preferred areas and exposing themselves for future match-ups).

Marcus Bontempelli streamed from the middle, overlooking a leading Greene and hitting up a deeper Gunston.

"Didn't want to use Toby there?" Smith asked with a knowing grin.

"He was just a bit short, wasn't sure if it'd be paid," Bontempelli replied, the straightest of front-foot defences.

"Training's been something I've been looking forward to. The game's going to be another level, but just being able to run around and have a kick, to see the ball hardly hit the ground was pretty special," Dockers midfielder Caleb Serong said.

"It's no disrespect to the Freo boys, but it's probably the highest-skilled training session I've been a part of. Wherever you look, it's an All-Australian, it's a Brownlow medallist, it's an MVP. The hardest part will be getting the rotations right, but once we do, it'll be amazing.

"I'm a Freo player training at West Coast, as a Victorian playing in Western Australia, so I'm a double enemy. I'm definitely outnumbered, and I've been copping it for a few weeks around the club."

Players moved into the gym after training, working on individual programs provided by their clubs. Tristan Xerri and Ben King spotted each other, Dangerfield chatted rule changes with a roaming Greg Swann, and then pulled out an astonishing set of seated box jumps that was at least 130cm high.

Lunch was a choice of chicken wraps or chicken teriyaki rice bowls, with players then shuttled off to various schools and community visits in the area.

Merrett – who had selflessly taken the kickouts during set shot training earlier that day – jumped in a car with Bontempelli, off to the Kent Street Clontarf Academy for a Q&A, alongside West Australian Indigenous players Hill, Humphries, Charlie Cameron, Kozzy Pickett and Shai Bolton.

Back to the hotel, the players emerged transformed in their Big V blazers ahead of the official welcome dinner at Crown, with Smith the unlikely player helping others with their ties.

While the WA edition had a modern yellow trim, the Victorian jacket was based on the style of teams gone by, navy blue with a single embroidered white V on the pocket.

Fittings had been done the day prior, along with a try-on of uniforms. Rowell and Anderson did a run test in their shorts to make sure they fit perfectly.

Merrett and wife Alex chatted with Mitchell and wife Lyndall around a stand-up table before entering, with blue and orangey-yellow cocktails served on arrival.

A host of former state players were at the dinner, including Ross Glendinning, Simon Madden, Stephen Michael, Bruce Monteath, Graham Moss, Ted Whitten jnr, Rob Wiley and Don Pyke, in his role as West Coast CEO.

Players were presented with their guernseys, one by one, before captains Patrick Cripps and Bontempelli were interviewed by Ryan Daniels on stage.

After an array of media commitments in the weeks prior, it was a question around the intensity of the game that finally caused the calm Bontempelli's façade to crack.

"I'm sick of answering the question, I think a few of the boys are, to be fair. In many respects, (the question) is probably not respecting the guys behind us and what they do for a living and how we like to play the game, especially in regards as to something as important as state pride. I think everyone's going to take it seriously."

FRIDAY

It was a morning of activities, with players able to choose between a variety of options including golf at Lake Karrinyup, snorkelling with sea lions at Carnac Island, crayfishing, chilling by the pool at Crown or simply taking time for themselves.

Chad Warner got caught out by the strict dress code at Lake Karrinyup and had to buy a new kit before he could play, the crayfishers managed to land a baby wobbegong shark, while Jack Sinclair and partner Jess were the only childless pair to jump on the snorkelling trip, which was populated by kids ("a floating creche", in the words of Dangerfield).

Players strolled out on Optus Stadium for a casual kick before training started properly, the tune of 'Smooth' by Santana and Rob Thomas blaring as the best the state of Victoria had to offer moved the ball around with ease.

"I want to see this tomorrow," Daicos told Dangerfield, imitating one of the champ's classic moves, a one-handed scoop off the deck and wheel around, arms pumping and cheeks puffed out in exertion. 

Bailey-mania was happening on the boundary as players signed autographs and took selfies, until the sound of the crowd somehow picked up a notch with a more guttural roar. Daicos had wandered over. 

The quietest player in the team was Sinclair, who was more than comfortable watching on with a slight smile on his face as the extraverts got to work.

"It's been unreal, unlike anything I've been a part of before. Really enjoyed being around the guys, really welcoming. It's a bit intimidating coming in, so many great players, but it's a great experience to be a part of," Sinclair said.

"I definitely am (a bit shy), but I haven't felt like I've had to make too much effort around the guys, everyone's really chatty and coaches are the same, so it's been a really easy environment to step into. 

"The main training session the other day was a pinch-yourself moment, looking around and seeing the calibre of who you're running around with. Get the ball in your hands and you don't know who to give it to, there's so many stars. Never saw myself being able to do this, never played in a state team at any level, so to be able to be here is unreal."

Players filed in for a team meeting, with Tom Stewart and Holmes the backrow bandits.

Grigg had organised drone footage and a small number of edits from training the day prior, highlighting basic stoppage structure and the required forward spacing to juggle all the big boys.

Scott spoke about the 'Lambert role' out the back of the stoppage and pushing forward (a running pattern brought to the fore by Richmond premiership half-forward Kane Lambert) and nominated Daicos for the spot, "but it could be 10 of you".

"We're not kidding ourselves, we're not asking you to play like your life depends on it. But if we walk into this fight tomorrow and they throw the first punch, and we're three goals down because we didn't realise it'd be that hot, we'll be really disappointed," Scott said.

"Getting to know you guys, the biggest mistake we can make is just thinking, 'I'm going to play my role, I'm going to be a really good teammate and be really selfless'. We want you to play to your maximum. The only thing you need to consider is don't stay out on the ground too long. Other than that, do your stuff.

"If we make a mistake, we should make a mistake playing too fast. Let's be prepared to use overlaps, and I reckon out here, firm ground, good weather, really back yourself. Be prepared to take on the tackle and use the extra handball."

Scott then handed over to Lyon, who among his pump up, jokingly offered to pay for any fines accumulated by the oft-cited Butters ("but maybe not yours, Bailey").

Butters promptly got into at least three scraps during the game – including one with Port Adelaide teammate Mitch Georgiades – all with his customary cheeky grin, with the simultaneous charm and annoyance of a ratbag 10-year-old on the playground.

"It's hard not to be happy. Getting to play with the boys was special, and I was just happy to play footy again. Proud Victorian, so good to get the win," Butters said post-match.

"I thought I was pretty well-balanced, I didn't do anything too crazy. I handled it pretty well. I got a bit excited, but just backing up my teammates, I guess.

"My head was in the dirt, and I was thinking, 'Who's doing this to me?', and it was Mitch, and he definitely got me. But it's all in good fun."

GAME DAY

A 4.40pm start meant the bus was leaving at 2.10pm, and a chilled morning for most players, with walks and coffee the order of the day. 

Lunch was a free-for-all buffet, with options including rice, chicken schnitzel or strips, spaghetti bolognese, steamed veggies, a variety of salad ingredients, ham, bread rolls, sushi, fruit, crumpets, muesli and protein bars.

Over the corridor in the kids' room, Ivy Collins played with a provided nanny, proudly showing everyone a badge with 'Dada''s face on it given to her by Victorian and Gold Coast team manager Darcie Finlayson. Collins had already gone to the ground, his normal prep seeing him arrive three hours early.

Anderson strapped his own heels, putting on pads to prevent blisters. Hardwick munched on some veggies as a pre-game snack, while Battle opted for sushi. Gawn took advantage of the pod machine, making himself a long black in his soft pink stainless steel reusable cup ("milk can be risky before a game").

There were schedules printed and posted everywhere in the Victorian rooms, accurate to the minute, including the first on-field warm-up starting at 3.58pm, three minutes of "own time" between indoors and on-field runs, and access to the centre square from 4.23-4.26pm.

The snack table was heaving with everything a player could want – grapes, apples, fruit chews, crackers, pretzels, popcorn, milo bars, protein bars, jam sandwiches, hydralyte, water and Powerade - with burgers, burritos and risotto (Battle's favourite) organised for post-match.

Two industrial air conditioners pumped in the warm-up space while Serong juggled. King held the ball aloft, visualising his overhead marking. Daicos stretched his hip flexor, foot on knee, while simultaneously rolling his glute on a small physio ball.

Stewart, as had been the case all week, was the first one kitted up.

Footwear was a mix of runners, socks and boots, and then there was the bare feet of Rowell.

All through the trip, Rowell's preparation had been immaculate. He wore compression socks on the flight. He had extensive stretching and muscle activation routines both at training and pre-match, and comfortably sat, cross-legged against a wall and meditating, as music pumped. 

It didn't matter if it was an exhibition match; everything was going to be done perfectly, right down to donning the same mouthguard he has worn since he was 12, as outed by Anderson at training earlier that week. That revelation was much to the horror of Smith, who realised he had been beaten by Rowell in a junior footy match more than a decade ago while he wore the same mouthguard. Players' attention quickly moved from fascinated revulsion at Rowell's hefty off-white guard to the fact Smith was still holding onto a junior footy loss from many moons ago.

"I prepared like it was a normal game, and you've got to. Coming up against the players WA have, all of us really bought into that, and I think that was on show tonight," Rowell said post-match.

"I have a set order for things. I like to make sure I tick off all the things I need, and that mind and body is ready to go every week. That's important for me in my prep, and you don't leave too much to chance.

"(Winning the Brownlow Medal) doesn't really change things. You've always got to have self-belief at the highest level, and you don't want to let it become arrogant, but you've got to have that deep self-belief that you can do it. It's what you can see in this group – all those boys have that belief that when they run out, they can do it."

In the seconds before running out, Xerri and Gawn wrestled to fully prepare for the incoming physicality. 

Collins and Rowell bumped shoulders with ferocious intensity.

Lachie Ash finally put his jumper on.

And Greene trailed the group as last player out, ready to make an impact from the opening bounce.