2020 West End State of Origin Team – Backline

By ZAC MILBANK

South Australians loved nothing more than seeing the treasured West End State of Origin guernsey sported by our best footballers on the national stage. 

While this is sadly a thing of the past in the modern era, there’s still plenty of intrigue as to how the Croweaters might line-up if this year’s best South Aussies were assembled to tackle the Big V or the Sandgropers.

So here it is, courtesy of loyal State Team sponsor West End, we are releasing the 2020 West End State of Origin Team line-by-line.

After releasing the Interchange, here is the Backline which includes two of the three members of the leadership group, including West End State Captain Tom Jonas, who is the only current skipper of his club selected.

The 2016 premiership player has transformed himself into a rebounding playmaker from defence with the Western Bulldogs. An elite user of the ball, particularly by foot, the South Adelaide draftee averaged 26.5 disposals last year and racked up 20 in the Bulldogs’ Round 1 loss to Collingwood. The 23-year-old provides plenty of poise on the last line of defence.

Davis stepped aside from the captaincy at GWS for the 2020 season but that is in no way an indication of his diminishing leadership qualities. The 29-year-old has shouldered much of the leadership burden for the young Giants in the absence of former co-captain Callan Ward and his sense of calm will be welcome for the Croweaters. Excellent one-on-one in positioning his body against the AFL’s best key forwards, the former Rooster is also one of the best intercept marks at elite level.

Entering his second season as Port Adelaide captain and first in his own right, Jonas assumes the prestigious mantle as South Australian skipper as the only current captain of his AFL team. Fearless, fierce and uncompromising, the resolute defender will set the tone for his fellow Croweaters by not giving an inch to his opponent. At 188cm and 89kg, Jonas is well placed to play on talls and smalls while providing vital direction gleaned from his 140 games of AFL experience.