AFL Origin 2027 will be played with shorter quarters, after the AFL told clubs on Tuesday that the Western Australia v South Australia clash will run for 18 minutes a quarter plus time-on.
The change, confirmed in a memo to clubs, follows feedback from clubs and high-performance staff after the injury fallout from this year’s WA v Victoria match, AFL.com.au reported. Regular-season quarters are 20 minutes plus time-on.
Western Australia and South Australia meet at Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday 27 February 2027, with South Australia playing its first Origin match in 28 years.
Why the AFL made the change
The 2026 Origin match was high-scoring and frantic, with quarters running beyond 35 minutes, according to AFL.com.au. Victoria won 18.17 (125) to 15.11 (101) in front of a sold-out Optus Stadium.
“The revised format is expected to produce average quarter lengths of less than 30 minutes, reducing player load while maintaining a meaningful representative football experience,” the AFL wrote in its memo to clubs.
Read more: AFL Origin 2027: WA vs SA Date Locked In at Optus Stadium
Greater Western Sydney star Sam Taylor suffered a high-grade hamstring strain in the game, while Matt Rowell (finger), Jacob Weitering (ribs), Callum Ah Chee (hamstring) and Mitch Georgiades (hamstring) also had setbacks.
AFL.com.au reported several other players picked up soft-tissue injuries in the weeks after Origin, at a sensitive point of club pre-seasons.
Jacob Weitering’s rib injury, and the delay while he was taken from the field, helped push the opening quarter past 40 minutes, Zero Hanger reported.
Longer breaks for the Perth heat
The AFL also told clubs that the quarter-time and three-quarter-time breaks will be extended to eight minutes because of the heat in Perth. Teams will stay at 25 players a side.
AFL.com.au reported that the league does not see the change as a trial for shortening regular-season matches.
Read more: Cameron Bruce to Replace Chris Fagan as Brisbane Lions Coach
What happens next
Players and staff will arrive in Perth on Tuesday 23 February to start Origin week. The first wave of players will be announced later in November, and the senior coaches could be confirmed as early as this week.
AFL.com.au reported last month that Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir had been approached to coach Western Australia.
South Australia will host Victoria at Adelaide Oval in early 2028, before Victoria returns to Optus Stadium to play Western Australia in 2029.
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