Victoria’s win over the Dream Team in May was watched by almost 70,000 fans at the MCG, and on BigPond Sport’s Friday Tipoff at Fed Square yesterday, Brendan Fevola, Matthew Pavlich and Russell Robertson said players and fans would welcome state of origin’s return.
“Seeing it go away was probably just the spark we needed to realise how important it actually is, and how much fun and how much the supporters like seeing it,” Robertson said.
“The AFL ... it was a knee jerk reaction by them to stop the state of origin because players were starting to look after their bodies and not play the game. But that was just the pressure coming from football clubs.”
South Australian-born Pavlich is a veteran of 194 games with Fremantle, but said he regretted that he is yet to represent his state.
“I played state junior football for South Australia for four years running,” Pavlich said.
“It was one of those things ... going to Football Park and watching Martin Leslie and Mark Bickley ... Mark Ricciuto was up there with all these famous South Australian players.
“To play against the Big V, Dale Weightman and all these guys, for me as a South Australian it was the ultimate, besides winning a grand final.
“We'd love to see it back in a regular format. It's one of those things the players would definitely support.”
Fevola kicked six goals for the Vics in the tribute match win, and said the experience was one of the finest in his career.
“Stevie Johnson, Daniel Bradshaw, Jonathan Brown, Brent Harvey – playing alongside those blokes was ... amazing,” Fevola said.
“I hope it doesn’t get lost now.”
Watch the full video from Fed Square:
Friday’s tipoff: grand final part 1
Friday’s tipoff: grand final part 2
