The Night Buckenara Broke Victoria’s Heart in AFL’s Greatest Showdown
Forty years on, one game still stands above the rest and it changed how a nation saw State of Origin football.
In 1986, Western Australia and Victoria delivered what many still call the greatest exhibition the sport has ever seen. It was played at Subiaco Oval, packed to the rafters and it had everything — skill, speed, pride and a final quarter that felt like a prize fight. At the center of it all was Gary Buckenara, the Hawthorn star who returned home and produced a performance that became pure folklore.
This was not just another interstate clash. At that time, State of Origin meant everything. The best players in the VFL came back to represent where they were born. Western Australia versus the so-called “Big V” was about respect. It was about proving that talent outside Victoria could stand tall.
And that night, it did more than stand tall.
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The game was played at breakneck speed. Ball movement was clean. Skills were razor sharp. Goals came in waves. Western Australia built a lead, Victoria hit back. Superstars from both sides traded blows. The final quarter alone produced 14 goals. The lead changed again and again. No one could breathe.
Then came the moment.
With the clock deep into the final term and bodies exhausted, Buckenara found space where there should have been none. He gathered, snapped under pressure and the ball floated. It seemed to hang in the air forever before dropping over the line. That kick sealed a 21.11 to 20.14 victory for WA. A three-point win that shook the grandstands and sent fans spilling onto the ground.
Buckenara finished with five goals, three in the last quarter. But this was bigger than one stat line. It was redemption. He had battled serious knee injuries just years earlier. He had questioned his own future. And on this stage, against the best, he proved he was back.
Victoria had its heroes too. The contest was fierce and relentless. But when the siren sounded, it was Western Australia celebrating as if they had won a premiership.
That match became a symbol of what State of Origin once represented — pride in your roots, elite talent on one field and football played at its absolute peak. As the AFL looks to revive that concept, this game remains the gold standard.
If Origin football is to thrive again, it must capture the spirit of 1986 — courage, brilliance and moments that live forever.
Stay with us as we continue to bring you the stories that shaped the AFL and the legends who made it unforgettable.
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