AFL Origin: WA great Graham Moss says South Australia deserves a place in State-versus-State football

West Australian football great Graham Moss believes the “passage of time” and hunger for the game at this time of year can help AFL Origin to become an annual sellout event in Perth. And Moss, who will present a medal named in his honour to the best WA player in Saturday night’s clash with Victoria at Optus Stadium, has backed the State Government’s push to include South Australia in on Origin rotation next year. “If we get a great game, you’ll fill the stadium again. People are now getting hungry for football and the opportunity to see the best players in Australia compete are what they are looking for,” Moss said. “We’ve got to consider South Australia, because Western Australian and South Australia have a long-standing rivalry. “They’ve got some great players playing in the AFL. ‘’I would think South Australia would be key to get involved in the action. So it could be a rotation thing every year where you play a team on one particular year, the next team at the following year.” Moss acknowledged the evolution of the national competition with AFL teams based in every State had diluted the intensity of Origin rivalry in the 1990s and led to its downfall but the time was right for its resurrection. “I think the passage of time and the way that the players on both sides seem to be giving commitments to the game, I think we’ll see a fantastic game of football,” he said. “It lost its way when the national competition formed, because players from all states were going all over the country, and it wasn’t an intense rivalry between states. “I wasn’t surprised it sort of fizzled out and the clubs themselves, the AFL clubs, weren’t giving it their support. Players were getting selected and were pulling out at the last moment.” Moss, the 1976 Brownlow medallist, captained the WA team that thumped Victoria by 94 points in the first State of Origin clash played at Subiaco the following year. He will present the Graham Moss Medal to WA’s best player selected collaboratively by the team’s coach Dean Cox, assistant Justin Longmuir and chairman of selectors Glen Jakovich. Ted Whitten Jnr will present the E.J. Whitten Medal to Victoria’s best player, voted on by coach Chris Scott, assistant Sam Mitchell and chairman of selectors Garry Lyon. The winning team will be awarded the Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer Cup, presented by Kim Farmer, daughter of the late WA football icon. Farmer was named as first ruck in both the AFL Team of the Century and captain of the Indigenous Team of the Century after a groundbreaking career with East Perth, Geelong and West Perth. He represented WA 31 times and Victoria six times as a player. He was also a decorated coach and steered WA to the 1977 Origin win, his final game as coach at the elite level. Moss said the 1977 team wanted to win for Farmer as much themselves and their State. “Our passion was based on Polly but it was also based on beating the Vics as a truly West Australian team and I guess determine who was the best football state, and on that occasion, we came out winners,” he said. He sensed a similar passion in the current WA squad, led by Northampton product, dual Carlton Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps. “There is a passion, I think, to do well,” he said. “On paper, perhaps the Vics are slightly in front in terms of experience. But once you cross the white line, it’s every man for himself, every team for itself and I think it will be a fantastic game.” Get a FREE WA AAMI AFL Origin Guernsey worth RRP $130 when you sign up for a 12-month subscription to thewest.com.au Subscribe now from just $6 per week. T&Cs apply, limited time only. https://www.thewest.com.au/footypack