Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has said he supports the return of State of Origin to the AFL arena but questions the timing of its scheduled return.
The return of State of Origin was confirmed on Monday by AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, who announced that the game would be played between Western Australia and Victoria at Optus Stadium in Perth.
The game is scheduled to take place on February 14 next year in Perth, which is the hottest month for the Western Australian capital with an average maximum temperature of 31.7 degrees.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan was asked about the return of Origin, and he questioned the timing of when the game will be played in mid-February.
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"I like the concept, and I think the players love it, so it's good from that perspective," Fagan said on Fox Footy's AFL 360.
“I probably just have one concern, I was a little bit surprised that it’s being played in February."
“Players are going through pre-season there. If we want the Origin concept to be like it was … they were a fierce contests. I’m not sure that playing a fierce contest against another state in the middle of February is great preparation for an AFL season, and I’ll worry that there might be some injuries in regards to that.
“I would have thought it might have been better played in the middle of the season. Have the mid-season break and put it on them when footy’s at its peak.”
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon spoke at the announcement of the game on Monday and said he was optimistic about the game and the response from the players and clubs.
"Like the All-Stars game earlier this year, when the players buy in, the clubs buy in, and then the fans buy in. We're really looking forward to it," Dillon said.