The AFL’s rebirth of State of Origin has lived up to the hype as Victoria overcame a late Jesse Hogan onslaught to post a 24-point win over Western Australia in front of 58,141 fans at Perth’s rocking Optus Stadium.
Victoria led by 29 points at three-quarter time of Saturday night’s match, but three quick goals to Hogan among a four-goal burst from WA reduced the gap to six points with more than 17 minutes still to play.
WA had all the momentum at that stage and looked prime for an upset, but a settling 50m goal from Patrick Dangerfield switched momentum back Victoria’s way as the visitors held on for the 18.17 (125) to 15.11 (101) win.
Victoria forward Ben King kicked four goals but it was the work of Nick Daicos (38 disposals, seven clearances, one goal), Marcus Bontempelli (30 disposals, one goal), Zak Butters (27 disposals, one goal), Zach Merrett (20 disposals, two goals) and their fellow midfield stars that truly tore the heart out of WA.
Hogan finished with 5.0 in a dazzling display, while Brad Hill (26 disposals, 457m gained), skipper Patrick Cripps (20 disposals, nine clearances) and defender Tom Barrass (15 possessions, seven marks) were big contributors for WA.
Lachie Ash, who tallied 25 disposals and 498m gained, was the surprise winner of the EJ Whitten Medal as best afield for Victoria, while Hogan won the Graham Moss Medal for WA.
Victoria celebrate after winning the AFL Origin clash against Western Australia in Perth
Jesse Hogan being hailed by teammates for winning the Graham Moss Medal as best WA player
Lachie Ash won the E.J. Whitten Medal for best afield for Victoria in the return of AFL Origin
Victoria coach Chris Scott revealed the selection panel of himself, Garry Lyon, Sam Mitchell and Shaun Grigg were unanimous in selecting Aish as their winner.
‘We had Lachie in a group with Daicos, Butters and Bontempelli,’ Scott said.
‘But in the end we thought when the game was really hot and we were under pressure, that Lachie was the most influential.’
Critics of State of Origin doubted whether players would put their bodies on the line and go all-out for victory.
Those doubts were quickly put to bed as players from both sides unleashed brutal tackles and big bumps, as well as running back with the flight of the ball when the occasion called for it.
The big intent didn’t come without consequences.
Victoria suffered the first blow when Carlton defender Jacob Weitering was stretchered off in a neck brace and taken to hospital for precautionary scans after being crunched in a first-quarter marking contest.
WA forward Mitch Georgiades and defender Sam Taylor had their evening ended either side of half-time with hamstring awareness.
Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell had his night ended in the third quarter with a finger concern, and WA forward Callum Ah Chee, Adelaide’s prized off-season recruit, injured his right hamstring in the final term.
WA stunned Victoria with the opening two goals inside three minutes.
Chad Warner got things going with a quick-thinking goal, and the WA crowd were in raptures when Hogan took a mark in the goalsquare to slam through another.
But Victoria’s star-studded midfield soon turned the momentum around as the likes of Merrett, Daicos, Caleb Serong and Bontempelli got busy.
WA fought tooth and nail to stay in the contest, and there was some biffo when forward Aaron Naughton ran down Zak Butters and Luke Jackson came in to let the Victorian know all about it.
There was a lull when Weitering suffered his scary moment as he had the full weight of Georgiades fall on him, with the Victorian defender appearing to hurt his ribs, shoulder and neck.
Alarm bells were ringing early in the second quarter when Daicos kicked a goal to swell the margin to 27 points.
But with Warner starting to warm up to the task in the midfield and Kysaiah Pickett putting on a heap of pressure in attack, WA rocketed back into the contest with a three-goal burst, reducing the margin to nine points.
The gap was back out to 22 points by half-time and 29 points at three-quarter time before Hogan took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Having already kicked two goals, Hogan took a series of strong grabs to add another three quick majors as WA came charging.
But when Dangerfield nailed one from 50m and helped set up Caleb Serong for another, it was game over.
Saturday’s showdown marked the first AFL Origin match since 1999, and the first time Victoria and WA had faced off since 1992, when the ‘Big V’ posted a 67-point win at the MCG.
Victoria now lead the head-to-head battle 13-7.
‘We stuck it right up them,’ Bontempelli said on stage after the match.
