SMILING IN FACE OF ‘DANGER’
GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield says he cannot stop smiling when he thinks about running out in the Big V.
Part of a crack Victorian midfield that comprises Dustin Martin, Marcus Bontempelli, Scott Pendlebury, Trent Cotchin, Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield, Dangerfield revealed he was itching to make his State of Origin debut.
“We’re so lucky that the best of the best have all put their hands up,” he said on Triple M’s Hot Breakfast.
“I was talking to (former Geelong premiership player) Maty Stokes about it earlier in the week, and he played in 2008, and he said it was just the fastest game he’s ever been a part of.
“He said it was the best three days. He roomed with Brett Kirk and he said he was on cloud 9 for the three days. (He was thinking), ‘is this real that I’m playing with this calibre of players?’
“I can’t talk about it without a smile on my face, it’s going to be one of those things that you cherish forever.
“And we’re doing it for the right reasons as well and that’s one of the reasons why there’s been such widespread support for it because of the fires that have affected so many.”
Going head to head with the All-Stars at Marvel Stadium tonight, Dangerfield the players were eager to do their bit for the bushfire relief.
The Brownlow medallist also welcomed the opportunity to play State of Origin, a format that has bypassed him in his 12-year AFL career.
“It’s one of those things that you get the opportunity to do as a 15, 16 or 18-year-old playing rep footy growing up, but there’s nothing like it at senior level but it hasn’t happened for a while,” Dangerfield said.
“We had a group WhatsApp last night from ‘Dimma’ (Victorian coach Damien Hardwick) and it certainly got the competitive juices flowing. It’s really exciting.
“I’m not going to speak for anyone else, but I don’t think we’ll be putting a huge amount of time into defence, but we’ll leave that up to ‘ Blitz’ (Mark Blicavs) and our backmen.”
The Victorian team was scheduled to gather for dinner in Melbourne last night, where legendary player and coach Leigh Matthews was to present the players with guernseys.
“It’s very special,” Dangerfield said. “I still remember when you spoke to the group about the International Rules Series about five years ago about what it meant to previous generations and State of Origin is the same thing.
“The footballers who come through don’t totally understand it because they never saw it growing up, I’m one of the last few to actually see it, so for Leigh to be presenting it, it’s going to be surreal.”