Perth will host AFL Origin two more times over the next four years, with a WA side to meet South Australia at Optus Stadium in February 2027 and Victoria again in 2029. The State Government confirmed both fixtures earlier today.
The February match this year sold out, drawing 58,141 to Optus Stadium for the first elite-level Origin game staged in Australia since 1999. Victoria took the Polly Farmer Cup by 24 points, 18.17 (125) to 15.11 (101), after WA cut the margin to six early in the final quarter.
WA and South Australia have not met at this level in almost 30 years, and the 2027 game will mark 50 years after the first State of Origin match was played at Subiaco Oval in 1977. Adelaide Oval then hosts the 2028 fixture between South Australia and Victoria, before Origin returns to Perth in 2029 for a rematch with the Victorians.
“Hosting the 2027 and 2029 AFL Origin against South Australia and Victoria is a significant boost for our local tourism industry and businesses, offering more local jobs,” Premier Roger Cook said.
“Western Australia has proven the natural home of AFL Origin after hosting the successful return this year against Victoria, drawing thousands of interstate visitors and millions of viewers from across the country.
“Western Australia cannot wait to host South Australia next year at Optus Stadium, in what will be the 50th anniversary of the first Origin match played in the State.”
Revenue from the sold-out February match totalled $1,501,500, which the State Government says is being reinvested into WA football through AFL Origin legacy initiatives including targeted school programs and regional talent development. Revenue from the 2027 and 2029 matches is earmarked for community participation.
“This year’s AFL Origin was a huge success, and bringing it back for two more years means even more fans will get the chance to experience the very best of our homegrown talent,” Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti said.
“We’re committed to ensuring the benefits of our major sporting events flow down to our grassroots clubs, with more than $1.5 million from last year’s event reinvested directly back into community football across our State.”
“AFL Origin is not only inspiring the next generation of football stars but building the programs and pathways they need to develop their talent right across Western Australia.”
How much is it costing taxpayers?
What hasn’t been disclosed is how much the Cook Government is paying to keep the fixture in Perth. Leaked documents obtained by 9News Perth and Business News, reported at the start of July, put the State’s spend on attracting major events at $33 million, including $13 million for Rugby World Cup matches. Cook disputed that total, telling WAtoday the figures didn’t line up with the government’s own record keeping, and pointed to $180 million in economic benefit from major events in the 2024-25 financial year.
Tourism Minister Reece Whitby, who has said every dollar spent returns $2.80, maintains that individual event fees stay commercial-in-confidence, on the grounds that disclosure would undercut WA’s ability to compete for events against other states and countries.
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas has been pushing for those figures to be published, and named the Origin match among the deals he wants costed publicly, asking in March: “how much did AFL State of Origin cost?”
