Key posts 1 of 2
Pinned post from
3.11pm on Feb 11, 2026
You’ve seen the teams, so who will win? Latest posts 4.14pm
Gawn wins fastest dressed, but wives and girlfriends dominate Origin red carpet There was a touch of Brownlow red carpet about the State Of Origin dinner in Perth on Thursday night.
While the players were decked out in state-issued suits – and the black-and-yellow WA outfits won hands down for mine – their wives, partners and girlfriends embraced the “cocktail attire” dress code for the official AFL Origin welcome function.
Prize for the fastest-dressed footballer went to Melbourne champion Max Gawn who was spotted in the Crown foyer in shorts and a T-shirt barely 10 minutes before formal proceedings kicked off.
But he was far from the best-dressed. Although don’t think for a minute I am going to give a detailed analysis of the more flamboyant outfits of the wives and girlfriends. I’ll stick to player ratings on game day.
There were also a number of Victorian greats scattered throughout the crowd, including Simon Madden and Kevin Sheedy.
There was also plenty of tongue-in-cheek “Kick A Vic” banter emanating from dignitaries, including league boss Richard Goyder and WA premier Roger Cook.
4.14pm
What the Bont really thinks about Toby Greene Sorry to disappoint you, footy fans, but Marcus Bontempelli does not hate Toby Greene.
He even bought him a coffee during a Big V bonding session in Perth on Thursday morning, which is contrary to a recently released trailer for an upcoming football documentary that portrays Bontempelli and the Giants skipper as stuck in a perpetual feud.
WA captain Patrick Cripps and Victorian counterpart Marcus Bontempelli are ready for Saturday’s State of Origin clash at Perth Stadium. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Word was that The Bont did not appreciate the promotional clip for Prime’s Final Siren: Inside the AFL, which shows Greene saying: “I wouldn’t have a beer with him”.
But the Victorian skipper would not go that far when asked about the relationship during a State Of Origin press conference at Perth Stadium on Friday.
When asked if the trailer was accurate, the Bont would only say: “Not really, to be fair.”
“He [Greene] followed up quite quickly after it [the trailer], which was great, that his words had been sort of somewhat twisted or misconstrued, and that’s not accurate to what he said,” Bontempelli explained.
“That was obviously good because it allowed us to clear the air a little bit before then spending, you know, a good week together.
“I even had to buy him a coffee the other day. So that was probably a sign of how far things have come in our relationship.
“So I’ve really enjoyed this experience so far. A bit of what this experience (playing State of Origin) does is allow you to probably break down some of those walls that you have up, probably throughout this season or just over history.”
Greene, who is often seen as the league’s chief antagonist, was also bemused about the ongoing fascination about his relationship with Bontempelli, which stems way back to the fierce 2016 finals series.
Animosity between the clubs did flare again in 2019 when Greene was fined $7500 at the AFL tribunal for serious misconduct following a scuffle that appeared to show him grabbing at Bontempelli’s face.
Toby Greene was fined for this altercation with Marcus Bontempelli in 2019. Credit: Fox Footy
“We’re getting on great,” Greene told this masthead. “I hadn’t spent heaps of time with him, to be honest, we’ve never really crossed paths too much.
“So, I knew that’s what the TV would do, and I knew it would be a bit of a play-up. But, no, we get along great. Had a coffee this morning. Yeah, we’ve been cruising.
“The past gets talked about by others more than what we do. I couldn’t really care too much at all about the Dogs and that rivalry any more. We’ve just been talking about footy and life, that’s about it.”
9.05am
‘It’s footy porn’: Lyon takes on the Teddy role There’s no man more excited in Perth right now than Garry Lyon.
If you don’t believe me, here’s what he had to say during Victoria’s training session today ahead of Saturday’s State of Origin clash.
“We got in last night, and they got their kit, and you could see them, you know, they’re smiling,” the Melbourne great said of the playing group.
Garry Lyon enjoyed watching the Victorian stars train on Thursday. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“And this is a
Read More