Victoria after games

MELBOURNE sports chiefs want to steal Queensland and NSW’s thunder by signing a long- term deal to regularly take State of Origin rugby league to Victoria.

Melbourne would host one of three Origin matches for up to 10 years as part of a move to lock more “best of the best” sporting fixtures into Victoria’s major events calendar.

NSW and Queensland kick off the annual Origin series at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tonight before a match in Sydney next month and a return leg in Brisbane in July.

But with a record Origin crowd of 91,513 packing the MCG in 2015, including tens of thousands from interstate, there is a push to lure sporting tourists south from northern states more often.

Visit Victoria major events general manager Damien de Bohun said the prospect of plane- loads of interstate visitors regularly visiting Melbourne for Origin clashes had obvious appeal.

“There is no doubt that is part of our future plans to keep working with them,” he said.

“One thing that we are also shifting is to have longer- term, strategic partnerships with all of the content that we work with.”

Melbourne will host an Origin match next year, with negotiations ongoing about which of the three fixtures will be played at the MCG, and a blockbuster Sunday standalone game likely.

Victoria has previously landed Origin matches sporadically, including games at the MCG in 1994, ’ 95 and ’ 97, Docklands in 2006, ’ 09 and ’ 12 and Olympic Park in 1990.

But Mr de Bohun said a more lasting Melbourne agreement was now wanted.

“We’ve got a really clear mandate that where we can, we want to back the right, bestof- best products and lock them in for longer periods of time,’’ he said.

“So that we’re not sitting down renegotiating after three years, we’re actually talking about how we build the plans … lock in a deal and say ‘ right – let’s get on with it and really build it together’.”

Asked if a 10- year Origin contract was desirable. Mr de Bohun said: “Absolutely.

“State of Origin rugby league is unique globally, it is state versus state, region versus region,” he said.

“I know we used to have State of Origin in AFL but it’s not the same as this.

“I think in reality the NRL are in the fortunate situation where they have kind of four grand finals a year – their grand final and three State of Origin matches.’’

Sports, Major Events and Tourism Minister John Eren said Melbourne was the obvious place for more Origins.

“Our friends across the border had to travel to Victoria to see what a sellout State of Origin crowd looks like,” he said.

“We look forward to doing one better – smashing our own record – and proving yet again that no one does major events like we do.”