Western Australia has officially finalized its roster for the highly anticipated Origin match happening this month, and while five additional players have been added to the squad, there is some disappointment as a dual premiership defender has had to withdraw.
On Tuesday, the AFL announced that Eagles All-Australian Jake Waterman has secured a spot in WA's 25-man lineup. This achievement holds special significance as Waterman follows in the footsteps of his father, Chris Waterman, who proudly represented Western Australia in state football during the early 1990s.
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In a heartfelt statement, Waterman expressed his excitement: "It’s an absolute honour to be picked to wear the Black Swan alongside a team of West Australians I admire immensely. I have been fortunate enough to represent WA many times throughout my junior days, so to be able to put the iconic black and gold jumper on again means the world to my family and me."
Joining Waterman in the squad are notable players including triple premiership winner Nathan Broad from the Tigers and Tim English from the Bulldogs, both recognized as All-Australians. Additionally, experienced midfielders Stephen Coniglio (Giants) and Jaeger O’Meara (Fremantle) will also be part of the team. English is set to play alongside fellow ruckmen Darcy Cameron (Collingwood) and Luke Jackson (Fremantle).
However, there is a setback for WA as West Coast recruit Brandon Starcevich has been withdrawn from the squad. The Eagles determined he would not be able to meet the necessary game time required for the AAMI AFL Origin match due to restrictions from a minor ACL strain sustained in training.
Starcevich, who had joined the Eagles just a month after celebrating his second premiership victory with the Brisbane Lions, has faced limitations in training over recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron finds himself in a precarious situation regarding his participation in the upcoming prestigious State of Origin clash between Victoria and Western Australia. His fitness has come into question as he continues to recover from an injury suffered during the 2025 Grand Final.
Reports indicate that the reigning Coleman Medallist has yet to resume a full training regimen after sustaining a broken arm during the Cats’ 47-point defeat to Brisbane last September. According to Seven’s Mitch Cleary, Cameron is still working on his recovery, sporting a heavily strapped right arm and wearing a fluoro cap during training to indicate no contact from teammates.
"He’s still building confidence in the injury, just 12 days away from the Origin match," Cleary noted, raising concerns about Cameron’s readiness to join fellow Geelong players Max Holmes, Tom Stewart, and Patrick Dangerfield for the contest.
Notably, the 32-year-old had an impressive season, scoring 83 goals during the home-and-away series, putting him in contention for a rare milestone of reaching 100 goals—a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 2008 by AFL legend Lance Franklin with Hawthorn.
As anticipation builds, it's reported that North Melbourne star Tristan Xerri is poised to be announced for Victoria in the coming days, ensuring representation from all 18 AFL clubs in this historic State of Origin matchup, which marks the first clash of its kind outside of anniversary or exhibition events this century. Victoria is expected to finalize its squad later this week.
