AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has indicated change for State of Origin clashes going forward following a litany of injuries to stars of the competition during the concept's 2025 revival.
Dillon offered shortened quarters and a different build-up into the contest, while bigger squads could also be floated as a potential solution to reduce injuries.
Greater Western Sydney star Sam Taylor was a major casualty with a high-grade hamstring strain, while Matt Rowell (finger), Jacob Weitering (ribs), Callum Ah Chee (hamstring) and Mitch Georgiades (hamstring) suffered setbacks.
"We'll work through that … no one really knew what the game was going to be like, and what we saw was actually footy at its finest," Dillon said when announcing the return of Origin for the next three years.
"I think what we'll see is there will be a different build-up for the players, and we'll work through what's actually best for the game and best for the players.
"If that meant shortening the quarters slightly, then we'll definitely look at that, and that's part of the feedback that we've got.
"We'll deal with the experts, the high performance teams of all of the clubs. They'll be the ones that we'll take the advice from."
Dillon acknowledged the successful return of State of Origin, and even flirted with the idea of the state squads spending more time with each other in the lead-up to the contest.
"The players loved the opportunity earlier this year, and we've got good feedback in relation to length of game and squad sizes," Dillon added.
"One of the best bits of feedback we got was that the players wanted to spend more time together as a group.
"So we'll take all that on board. This concept works when the players buy in, because when the players buy in, the clubs buy in. And that means it's great for the fans."
The AFL has locked away three more years of State of Origin football.
The return of representative state footy this year was a resounding success, with Western Australia hosting Victoria at Optus Stadium in February. The Vics were victorious.
In February 2027, Western Australia will host South Australia at Optus Stadium, almost 30 years since the states last battled in elite-level State of Origin football.
The following year, South Australia will host Victoria, marking a 30-year return since the two states last played off in the 1999 clash.
Then, to complete the round robin, the Sandgropers are looking for redemption when they face off against Victoria, having played each other earlier this year, when the Big V defeated WA by 24 points.
