Patrick Cripps and Glen Jakovich inspire WA players during meeting before AFL Origin game against Victoria

A Zoom meeting with Western Australia’s state squad on Thursday night left the players in no doubt about how important it is for them to beat Victoria in next weekend’s Origin game, with the team told they are playing for “sheep stations” during a set of speeches that had them ready to run through brick walls. The WA squad gathered around the country on Thursday night to discuss their preparation for the AFL Origin game on February 14 and were given passionate speeches from captain Patrick Cripps and chairman of selectors Glen Jakovich. While the game will be played during the pre-season, and several weeks before round one, Jakovich made it clear that he expects everyone to approach the match as if it their most important clash of the year. “We had team meeting on a Zoom call and Jako touched on what it means to him and how it’s not just a game that you can go out and run around like a prancing pony. It’s fair dinkum and it’s sheep stations,” defender Wil Powell told The West Australian. WA are clear underdogs for the game given Victoria have selected an imposing squad that includes more than half of last season’s All-Australian team. The West Aussies must find a way to compete with a Victorian midfield that includes Marcus Bontempelli, Nick Daicos, Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Zach Merrett, Bailey Smith, Zak Butters, Caleb Serong, Ed Richards, Max Holmes and Hugh McCluggage. But Cripps, who will lead WA’s midfield, told his teammates that Victoria won’t be able to match WA’s passion. “Crippa spoke as well and said yes they are a talented squad and have stars in every spot, but Crippa said you can’t measure heart.,” Powell said. “I think West Aussies will have a good indication of how much heart we do play with. It’ll be a bloody good game. It’s exciting.” WA hasn’t played an Origin game this century and will have home ground advantage against Victoria. Powell grew up in Scarborough, played his WAFL footy for Claremont and will return to Perth for the first time since being part of Gold Coast’s elimination final victory over Fremantle last season. More than 57,000 people were at Optus Stadium that night and Powell said the atmosphere during that game still gives him goosebumps. But he hopes playing in front of a packed home crowd for WA will be even more inspirational. “It’ll be unbelievable to have 60,000 roaring West Aussies on our side instead of against us. It’ll be even better shutting up all of those Vics,” he said.