NEW Geelong captain Joel Selwood arrived with the premiership cup in Ballarat yesterday – women swooned, the odd teen screamed and young Cats fans shyly lined up to meet their hero.
Selwood, humbled by the turn-out, said Ballarat had good foundations to host an AFL match, starting with the legion of fans that gathered in the Bridge Mall yesterday.
The star midfielder, who hails from Bendigo, said a boutique stadium in regional Victoria would be a great way to bring home-and-away matches to country fans.
“I really could see AFL in Ballarat,” Selwood said.
“Being a country guy myself, I would love to see AFL played here.”
Selwood’s appearance drew hundreds queueing in the shopping precinct, hoping for an autograph and photo.
The Cats’ skipper was in Ballarat for a promotional visit with Asics and The Athlete’s Foot and he said it was great to see so many passionate Geelong and football supporters in town.
His approval for a small AFL venue in regional Victoria joins a growing chorus to bring more AFL to Ballarat.
North Melbourne Football Club is leading a push to play AFL home-and-away matches at Eureka Stadium.
The Kangaroos will host the city’s first NAB Cup pre-season match against Western Bulldogs next month.
This follows a NAB Challenge fixture between both clubs last season.
The Kangaroos, which hold a partnership with the City of Ballarat and partial alignment with Victorian Football League club North Ballarat, will return to Ballarat next week for a fourth consecutive AFL community camp.
Ballarat City Council last year committed to a redevelopment of the Eureka Stadium precinct as a community and sporting hub.
The project has also received significant support through The Courier’s Think Big Ballarat campaign and the Kangaroos have continued to publicly call for state government backing.
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