Garry Lyon has declared Victoria's intent to 'belt' Western Australia in the upcoming AFL State of Origin match, insisting the revival will be 'fair dinkum'. The former Melbourne champion turned media personality is championing the game scheduled for February 14 at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Lyon, who captained Victoria in 1994, said on Friday, 'It's going to be a fair dinkum match on the 14th of Feb, and we want to belt them.' He will take on a spruiking role similar to that of the legendary EJ Whitten, who famously declared Victoria 'stuck it right up 'em' after a win over WA in 1990.
Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, reigning Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell, Port Adelaide ace Zak Butters, and Coleman medallist Jeremy Cameron are the first players to commit to Victoria. For WA, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, dual premiership player Shai Bolton, Hawthorn defender Tom Barrass, and Western Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton are locked in.
Origin was shelved after 1999 mainly because it happened mid-season, with clubs worried about injuries to their best players. Only two representative exhibition games have been played this century, in 2008 and 2020. Bontempelli, a strong chance to be named Victoria's captain, wants to go 'full pelt' in Origin, saying, 'Once you put your hand up to play, you're ready to go.'
Lyon hopes players involved will share their experiences with teammates, noting, 'Those stories are the things that I carry with me now having been retired for (26) years.' He added, 'Finals are great, grand finals are even better, but we've got to showcase our game at every opportunity.'
