Fremantle's Luke Jackson Anticipates AFL Origin Showdown with Teammate Caleb Serong
Fremantle Dockers utility player Luke Jackson has expressed his excitement for the upcoming AFL Origin match, where he will face off against his own teammate, Caleb Serong. The highly anticipated State versus State clash is set to take place on February 14 at Optus Stadium, with tickets already sold out.
State v State: A Dream Realised for Jackson
At just 24 years old, Luke Jackson is on the verge of fulfilling a lifelong dream by representing Western Australia in the revived AFL Origin format. Jackson, who has previously represented Australia in junior basketball and won an AFL premiership with Melbourne, is one of three Fremantle players selected for the WA squad, alongside Shai Bolton and Jordan Clark.
"He'll probably ruffle some feathers in there (Serong) but it'll be good to play against him, having played with him for so long," Jackson said about his Dockers teammate, who will be lining up for Victoria. "There has been a little bit of banter. I'm just looking forward to matching it with the best in the comp."
Embracing the Challenge Against Victoria's Best
Jackson is expected to play as an inside midfielder and provide back-up ruck support to Darcy Cameron, with Tim English also being considered for the squad. The young Docker sees this as a prime opportunity to test himself against the competition's elite players.
"The challenge of going up against some of the best players in the company will only help my game, and I'll be able to take a lot of learnings out of it," Jackson explained. "That'll be a great game just to play anywhere. Even on the bench. I can't wait."
Jackson was born in 2001, two years after the last State-of-Origin match was played, and nine years after WA last faced Victoria in 1992. Despite never experiencing the historic rivalry firsthand, he has studied past encounters through YouTube clips and hopes the modern revival captures the same intensity.
Coaching Strategy and Key Match-ups
WA will be coached by Sydney mentor and West Coast premiership great Dean Cox, who has identified Jackson as a key weapon in his team's arsenal. Cox acknowledged Victoria's talent across all lines but expressed confidence in WA's own star power.
"They (Victoria) have talent across all the lines, but when you pin it up against WA and some of the best games of Chad Warner, Kozzie (Kysaiah) Pickett, Patrick Cripps and Luke Jackson, it's just as good," Cox told The West Australian.
Carlton superstar Patrick Cripps will captain the WA side, while Western Bulldogs champion Marcus Bontempelli has been selected to lead Victoria. The match will be televised on Channel 7, with commentary provided by Brian Taylor and James Brayshaw, alongside expert analysts Kane Cornes, Luke Hodge, and Abbey Holmes. West Coast legend Nic Naitanui will offer insights from the boundary line.
Jackson's enthusiasm for the revived format is palpable, and he hopes this marks the beginning of a sustained return for State-of-Origin football. "I think it's great how the AFL has brought it back in and hopefully it can stay," he concluded.
