The banter between Sarah Perkins and Crows teammates-turned-opponents has well and truly begun ahead of Saturday night’s AFL Women’s State of Origin game.

Six Crows will take part in the showpiece match between the Allies and Victoria at Etihad Stadium.

South Australians Ebony Marinoff, Courtney Cramey and Jess Sedunary, Northern Territory defender Stevie-Lee Thompson and Western Australian-born star Chelsea Randall will represent the Allies.

Lively half-forward Sedunary received a call-up this week after Brisbane defender Sam Virgo was struck down with a knee injury.

Randall has been named captain of the Allies who will be led by AFLW Crows coach Bec Goddard.

AFLW Best and Fairest winner Erin Phillips was selected in the Allies squad, but will miss the game to honour basketball commitments with WNBA team the Dallas Wings in the United States.

Perkins, who was recruited by the Crows from Victoria ahead of the inaugural AFLW season, will line up for the opposing ‘Big V’ team.

Humbled by the opportunity, Perkins said the State of Origin game would be a unique experience.

“It’s going to be pretty tough playing against some Crows teammates that I’ve become quite close with,” Perkins said.

“We’ve already thrown around a bit of banter and enjoyed a bit of fun.”

AFLW Rising Star Marinoff, 19, has already gone head-to-head with Perkins this year.

The premiership-winning pair were on opposite sides when the Darebin Falcons met the Eastern Devils in the Victorian Women’s Football League.

“There’s a photo of us running at the ball together,” Marinoff said.

“I think ‘Perko’ gave me a bit of a knock! But it was all in good spirits.”

Perkins landed the bump, but it was Marinoff’s Falcons who took the four points on that day.

“I just had a little bit of fun and Noffy was on the end of it,” Perkins said.

“Once you cross the line things are a bit different. I guess you could say it’s white-line fever, but I’m all about having a bit of fun out on the field and it’s going to be a good experience on Saturday night.”

Ebony Marinoff and Sarah Perkins contest a ball in the VFLW (credit Nuala Clarke Photography)

A midfielder, Marinoff is unlikely to spend much time in the Victorian forward 50 where fellow All Australian Perkins looms as a focal point on Saturday night.

However, defenders Randall, Cramey and Thompson could all be involved in contests with the Crows leading goalkicker.

When the squads were announced, Perkins tweeted to Cramey that she preferred playing with rather than against the hard at the ball and generally hard to beat Randall.

“I can’t wait to come up against ‘Perko’. I’ve heard that Chelsea Randall is lining up on her and that’s going to be good to see!” Cramey said with a laugh.

Randall added that the Allies might adopt a ‘team’ approach to stopping the imposing forward.

“I’m not exactly sure who is going to line up on Perko,” Randall said.

“Hopefully, between ‘CJ’ (Cramey) and myself we might have a bit of double-team action just to give her a bit of a ‘love bump’ on the field!”

 

 

Defenders from both teams will have to guard against ‘supergoals’ on Saturday night.

Nine points will be awarded for goals kicked from outside 40 metres.

One of the most penetrating kicks in AFLW, Perkins is an early favourite to score a supergoal.

“I guess a supergoal would be pretty nice,” she said.

“If I get the chance, I might have a crack at one. But it is on Etihad, so it might be just a little bit beyond my range.”

Randall is the only member of the Crows State of Origin contingent to have played at Etihad Stadium before.

The decorated 26-year-old lined up for Melbourne in an exhibition game against the Western Bulldogs at the venue in 2014.

“I got to experience being under the roof at 10am – it felt like a night game but it wasn’t!” she said.

“It’s pretty exciting to do that again and, hopefully, we can get a big crowd there on Saturday night to watch the best of the best in women’s footy in Australia.”

Darwin local Thompson, who was a revelation across half-back for the Crows, is doing her best not to be overawed by the occasion.

“I’m really excited and also pretty nervous – although everyone keeps telling me not to be,” she said.

“I have never even seen Etihad Stadium, I don’t know what it looks like! It will be by far the biggest stadium I have ever played on.

“I can’t wait.”

A former South Australian captain, Cramey has been a part of countless representative teams.

The 31-year-old All Australian said the State of Origin game would be one of her career highlights.

“I think being part of the Allies would probably be the pinnacle of it all,” she said.

“To go out onto Etihad with my teammates and people that you’ve lined up against before is just going to be a fantastic opportunity and a great game.”

The State of Origin match will be broadcast live nationally on the Seven Network and Foxtel. Entry to the match, which commences at 7.40pm (EST) will be free of charge.