The AFL has announced that Western Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli and dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps have been appointed as the captains for the 2026 AFL Origin fixture.
Bontempelli will don the 'C' next to his name for Victoria, while Patrick Cripps will lead out his native state of Western Australia.
It's perhaps an unsurprising selection, given that Bontempelli was the first player officially announced to rep the Big V guernsey, while similarly Cripps was the first revealed player to be wearing the Black Swan in the historic return of best-on-best Aussie Rules football.
The honours bolster the pair's elite AFL accomplishments further, with Bontempelli leading the Bulldogs as captain since 2020, and Cripps leading Carlton as lone-skipper since 2022, though he shared co-captain duties with recently retired Blues star Sam Docherty from 2019 to 2021.
"Pulling on the Big V has always been a huge honour, and to be given the opportunity to captain Victoria is something I'll cherish," Bontempelli said in the AFL's statement.
"There's a deep history and pride that comes with representing your state, and I'm looking forward to leading some of Victoria's best footballers on February 14."
"To be named captain of Western Australia is incredibly special," Cripps said.
"Representing the state means a lot to me, and I can't wait to lead the team out at Optus Stadium in front of our home crowd and hopefully make them proud."
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AFL Origin's clash between Victoria and Western Australia will take place on February 14th at Optus Stadium, with the first bounce scheduled for 4:40pm/7:40pm (AWST/AEDT).
