The 2016 premiership cup is set to land in Ballarat if the Western Bulldogs can claim an historic AFL grand final victory on Saturday.
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Club president Peter Gordon told The Courier that the Bulldogs were looking to visit the region if they beat the Sydney Swans this weekend.
“We certainly have plans, if we are successful, to take our team down there with the silverware to share it with our supporters and our members,” he said.
Gordon reaffirmed the club’s allegiance to Ballarat, regardless of the grand final result.
“Win or lose on Saturday, we are committed to success in Ballarat and we are there for the long term,” he said.
Gordon said the goal is still to play an AFL match at a redeveloped Eureka Stadium next year.
“It requires, of course, all things to work well, including the weather with construction, but it's still our expectation that we will be playing our first home game there and first of many over many years in 2017,” he said.
During Friday’s grand final parade in Melbourne, former Ballarat boy Jordan Roughead spoke about the support he has received from his friends back home in the lead-up to the biggest game of his life.
“I’m getting texts and Facebook messages from people I haven’t seen in years so it’s great to have the city behind me and behind the Bulldogs,” he said.
Roughead, who has been officially cleared to play after an eye injury last weekend, also spoke about bringing the premiership cup to Ballarat.
“I won’t make any promises, but I’ll be doing my best to get it back there,” Roughead told The Courier.
The Bulldogs are set to play in their first decider since 1961, where they will look to claim the club’s first premiership – and second ever – since 1954.