AFL to confirm Origin return, fixture details after 26-yr hiatus in move to ‘add content’

The AFL is set to confirm the return of Origin after a 26-year hiatus.

For the first time since 1999, Origin footy will make its return early next year in Perth, as first reported by Nine’s Tom Morris.

Morris reports the league will imminently confirm that Victoria will travel to play Western Australia at Optus Stadium on Saturday, February 14.

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Morris added via X: “It’s all part of Andrew Dillon’s plan to add events/content to the football calendar.”

In August, the league and the Western Australian government — known to be keen on hosting major events — were thought to be deep in talks to arrange the match between states.

The February 2026 fixture is set to be the first true Origin game since Victoria downed South Australia by 54 points at the MCG in front of just 26,063 fans in 1999. It will be Western Australia’s first Origin game since 1998.

Victoria and Western Australia haven’t faced off in an Origin match since 1992, when the Vics thumped WA by 67 points at the MCG.

“I know many of the players are actually excited, particularly those based over east, are very keen to play for their state, so I think there’s a huge push from the players,” WA deputy premier Rita Saffioti is on the record saying earlier this year.

Exhibition state matches this century include the Hall of Fame Tribute Match in 2008 between Victoria and the Dream Team, and the 2020 Bushfire Relief Match which saw Victoria face an All Stars side.

The call to reintroduce Origin in Perth comes after the success of this pre-season’s Indigenous All-Stars clash at Optus Stadium, with 37,865 fans fronting up to watch the representative side play Fremantle.

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