Rita Saffioti, Western Australia’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Sport recently put forth a unique, pioneering proposal. She pitched her concepts directly to Andrew Dillon, chief executive of the Australian Football League (AFL). The proposal would see the formation of an AFL version of the State of Origin. Beyond Perth, this marquee event could serve to galvanize the entire local sports ecosystem while bringing some serious global focus to Perth.
Saffioti thinks that holding an event of this nature in February during the AFL’s pre-season would work best. At the same time, she pitched the plan as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the state. This followed on from the highly successful Indigenous All Stars game that was played in February this year. The proposed match aims to celebrate local talent and foster regional pride among players and fans alike.
“Everybody’s talking about the next WA State of Origin game in the AFL,” Ms Saffioti told reporters on Friday. We’re in a very exciting time where really good conversations and debates are happening!
The idea has taken hold as both Saffioti and AFL execs giddy. Saffioti stressed, “I think the AFL were very keen, but we’re very keen.” WA government partners with AFL to develop world-first game WA government and AFL announce partnership to develop world-first game Such a collaboration would surely get cricket lovers from across Australia onboard!
Saffioti said she was excited by the proposal. As she said, “There’s a huge enthusiasm from a lot of players especially those on the east coast who are just really excited and hungry to play and really want to play for their state so there’s definitely a huge push from them. This intense player interest indicates an eager grassroots support base that would increase the event’s attractiveness.
Yet while there is great optimism based on the proposal, Saffioti warned that it remains very much in its infancy. It’s not a fait accompli,” she said. She highlighted that much more negotiation and planning is necessary before any formal agreement can be made.
