Follow AFL State of Origin 2026, results, odds, squads and start time from Optus Stadium in Perth

We should know the future of State Of Origin football by 7.45pm.

By then, the sell-out game in Perth will be five minutes old, and fans will know if players such as WA captain Patrick Cripps have delivered on their pre-game promise of “having a crack”.

It has been the most asked question of players this week: Is this going to be a Mickey Mouse clash?

“I’m a bit sick of answering it, to be honest,” Victorian captain Marcus Bontempelli said on Thursday night.

Excuse us for being cynical, Bont, but we want to see it with our own eyes.

Just because Perth Stadium is a sell-out, and just because players say they are taking it seriously, does not mean that AFL fans across the country are invested in the concept’s revival. Not yet, anyway. We want to see it with our own eyes.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon is less concerned. Despite lingering doubts, despite injury fears, he has all but guaranteed the future of State Of Origin football – whether we want it or not.

“I think what we’re looking for is, ‘OK, what does it look like next?’,” Dillon said in Perth ahead of Saturday night’s historic revival of the state-versus-state concept.

“Because we’ve got, you know, WA versus Victoria, but we are a national code, so are there different ways that we can play representative football?

“I know the South Australians are really keen to get involved. We’ve also got over 50 elite players at our level for New South Wales, ACT, so it’s more about how it might look in the future.”

Dillon said the build-up in Perth had shown that fans were willing to buy into the concept if the best footballers wanted to play.

“Every single player who was asked, they were queued up wanting to play,” he said.

“We want to get through tonight, but the momentum behind representative footy is real.

“I think it’d be great to also see something similar in (AFL) W. But we’ll work through that in the aftermath of the game.”

Victorian coach Chris Scott is also a convert.

“I suspect that after Saturday night there will be a burning desire to do it again,” he said.

“I’d be staggered if some of the great players in the comp who are aligned with South Australia or the Allies team won’t be beating down the door to at least have two games next year.”