Ballarat could play host to a late-season blockbuster after the Western Bulldogs requested to face either the Adelaide Crows or Greater Western Sydney in their inaugural home-and-away fixture at Eureka Stadium.
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The Bulldogs will play one regular season match in Ballarat in 2017 and two matches each season for the remainder of their five-year deal with the city.
With all three sides finishing in the top eight in season 2016, either match has the potential to be hugely important for both sides, further adding to the spectacle of Ballarat’s first AFL match.
City of Ballarat mayor Des Hudson said while the council had a preference for an Adelaide match given the potential for tourism, either fixture would provide an excellent spectacle for the city’s first regular-season fixture.
“Our preference has been to try an attract an Adelaide game because of the ability of the supporters to come and spend a few days in the region,” Hudson said.
“But in terms of giving the community a reason to come out we expect the Bulldogs to be bigger and better next year and Adelaide and GWS are both in great form.”
The fixture is expected to be played in the latter half of the season to ensure the new-look stadium is fully completed for what is shaping to be a sell-out.
The $15 million project which will see the construction of a 5000-seat grandstand is set to be completed by May 2017, two months after the beginning of the season. The overall capacity of the stadium once completed will be more-than 11,000.
“Even though we’ve had a wetter than expected winter the construction is still on track, and we’re looking forward to this proposal which has been on the cards for a long time finally coming to fruition,” Hudson said.
Speaking to AFL.com.au, Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said he hoped the five-year agreement between the club, the AFL and the state government to play games in Ballarat would turn into a 100-year commitment.
Gordon also said the club expected demand for tickets for the match to far exceed supply, which could spur further developments at the North Ballarat precinct.
"The government understands that if it works as well as we all think it will, there needs to be a phase two to the construction of the stadium," Gordon said. “"If the opponent is Adelaide, for example, we would be hoping to get people driving from Adelaide and increasing the tourist return for Ballarat.”
"That might produce a result where there is 13,000 [spectators] inside and 30,000 outside."
