Both the AFL and Saffioti’s office declined to comment when contacted by this masthead.
The Indigenous All-Stars match in February was a great success, with 37,865 spectators watching the Indigenous All-Stars defeat Fremantle. It sparked a discussion about the prospect of playing representative games at that time of the year, with club captains expressing cautious support during the pre-season for the return of State of Origin.
Players would be able to use the match as preparation for the 2026 season rather than playing in their own team’s practice matches, and the time of the year could make the contest a serious battle between parochial states.
Western Australia could have stars such as Chad Warner, Shai Bolton, Jesse Hogan, Patrick Cripps and Kozzie Pickett playing against a Victorian team including Matt Rowell, Nick Daicos, Jeremy Cameron and Marcus Bontempelli.
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In 2021, Perth hosted the AFL grand final and the Dreamtime at the ’G match between Essendon and Richmond at Optus Stadium because COVID restrictions meant those games couldn’t be played in Victoria at the MCG.
North Melbourne has played two home matches in Western Australia in the past fortnight.
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