Ballarat Bulldogs are preparing for their premiership defence the same weekend Western Bulldogs host the first AFL premiership season game in town.

The Bulldogs, the Ballarat ones, will face South Warrnambool Hurricanes in the Football Integration Development Association western conference grand final in Stawell on August 20.

FIDA premiership Bulldogs Mark Prebble, David Jenkins and Caleb Lohde, say being a Bulldogs is about playing and having fun with your mates.

Ballarat Bulldogs have joined The Courier’s Adopt A Dog campaign, encouraging you to find a Western Bulldogs player to cheer and Ballarat into a completely dog-friendly city by AFL game day.

You can watch the players’ suggestions for a Western Bulldog to adopt online at thecourier.com.au.

Ballarat Bulldogs are partners with East Point Football Netball Club and train at White Flat Oval. They sport mixed gender football and netball teams in FIDA competition, for people with intellectual disabilities.

Meanwhile, City of Ballarat is polishing up Mars Stadium to open to the community on Saturday.

The public open house continues the City’s celebration of football, three weeks out from AFL game day. It is a chance to explore behind the scenes, from interchange benches to coaches’ and media boxes, or a grandstand tour to find best seat in the house.