AFL legend Garry Lyon has declared Victoria's upcoming State of Origin clash against Western Australia will be absolutely "fair dinkum," with the Big V determined to "belt" their rivals in the highly anticipated revival match.
Passionate Defence of Origin's Return
The former Melbourne champion turned media personality has launched a passionate defence of the representative match scheduled for February 14 at Optus Stadium in Perth. Lyon will assume a promotional role reminiscent of the legendary EJ Whitten, who famously celebrated Victoria's 1990 victory over WA with the iconic phrase "stuck it right up 'em."
"I've been outspoken and passionate about it (Origin) for a long period of time, but I dropped off a bit because I thought the players had moved on," revealed Lyon, who captained Victoria back in 1994.
"It's going to be a fair dinkum match on the 14th of Feb, and we want to belt them," Lyon emphatically stated on Friday. "That's the bottom line."
Star-Studded Lineups Confirmed
The player commitments for both sides are already generating significant excitement among football fans. Victoria has secured some of the game's biggest names, including Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, reigning Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell, Port Adelaide ace Zak Butters and Coleman medallist Jeremy Cameron.
Bontempelli, who appears to be the leading candidate to captain Victoria, expressed his commitment to approaching the match with full intensity. "It's probably how I've handled my career all the way throughout... once you put your hand up to play, you're ready to go," Bontempelli stated.
He added that the timing at the end of pre-season works well since "we're probably playing a game around those stages, anyway." The Bulldogs star emphasized that "for it to reignite, it needs that passion, and with the people that are involved, I think you'll see that."
Western Australia has countered with their own impressive roster, locking in Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, dual premiership player Shai Bolton, Hawthorn defender Tom Barrass and Western Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton to represent the host state.
New Era for State of Origin Football
The revival marks a significant moment for representative football, which was largely shelved after 1999 due to club concerns about mid-season injuries to their best players. This century has seen only two representative exhibition games - in 2008 and 2020 - making February's clash particularly significant.
Lyon highlighted the unique benefits of State of Origin football, expressing hope that players involved will return to their clubs with stories about what it was like playing alongside other stars.
"Those stories are the things that I carry with me now having been retired for 26 years," Lyon reflected. "State footy is the best footy, the purest footy. Finals are great, grand finals are even better, but we've got to showcase our game at every opportunity."
The Victorian camp appears to be embracing the traditional rivalry, with Lyon even joking about WA's chairman of selectors Glen Jakovich, whom he referred to as "unhinged" - suggesting the competitive spirit between the states remains as strong as ever.
