A selection of the AFL's elite players are urging the ongoing return of State of Origin football, with Geelong fullback Matthew Scarlett comparing the appeal to a grand final.

The passion of players to be involved in Saturday night's one-off MCG clash between Victoria and the Dream Team is clear in the efforts those under injury clouds are making to be involved.

Victorian captain Jonathan Brown trained strongly on Thursday and looks likely to play, despite the strong misgivings of his Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews over a quadricep concern.

Similarly, Western Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson, who is also under a fitness cloud with a calf complaint, said he was desperate to again pull on the Victorian jumper.

And Geelong and Victorian coach Mark Thompson said gun Cats midfielder Gary Ablett was "shattered" when he was ruled out with a calf strain.

Dream Team coach Mark Williams said he had been expecting some of his players to rule themselves out with injury, but it was not happening.

Ruckman Dean Cox has declared his intent to play despite a foot problem, while teammate Darren Glass, Western Bulldogs midfielder Adam Cooney and Hawthorn star Lance Franklin have also shrugged aside minor injury concerns.

"I woke up this morning and thought there might be three or four that will make it really easy for me as a coach to say `yeah, I understand mate,'" Williams said.

"But they all put their hand up and said `Nah, I'm playing and if you want to get me out of here you'll have to kick me out.'"

Scarlett said the State of Origin concept, last staged in 1999, was sorely missed by modern players.

"I wish there was this every year, I think it's a great concept hopefully they can keep it in and we can play (something) like this," he said.

"It's the one thing that's been missing. I used to go to the old state games and see Garry Ablett Snr, (Jason) Dunstall and Plugger (Tony Lockett) play. It was really sad not getting to play for Victoria over the last couple of years so I can't wait.

"I used to love going to games, it used to be so big, it was the best game of the year to watch, it was better than the grand final for me, I know other guys have said the same thing."

Scarlett said every Victorian player he had talked to wanted to play for the state, despite the concept having been abandoned because of an apparent lack of interest.

Saturday night's game is a one-off revival to celebrate 150 years of Australian Football.

Johnson, who previously represented Victoria in the 1990s, said pulling on the Big V gave him "tingles".

"To pull on the state jumper again just means everything, it's probably right up there with the highlights of your career without a doubt," he said.

Similarly, Fremantle captain and Dream Team forward Matthew Pavlich wanted representative football revived permanently.

"I've always been a big fan of the State of Origin concept, obviously being from South Australia and not having had the chance to ever play," he said.

"I remember some great games against the Vics over at Footy Park that I went to and really enjoyed, so this concept's great.

"... you can see the players are really desperate to play and they're really keen.

"Even the ones that are sore, you can see that they're putting their hands up to play.

"I'm really keen for it to be pushed hard."

Fellow Dream Team forward, Geelong's Cameron Mooney, who grew up in NSW, also said Saturday night's match would be a career highlight.

"I grew up hating Victoria, so this has been one of the biggest weeks of my life, this kind of football game," Mooney said.

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