WESTERN Bulldogs have vowed to establish Ballarat as a home away from home, regardless of the election result that could see AFL games played in Ballarat as of 2017.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Opposition leader Daniel Andrews and Bulldogs president Peter Gordon joined together in Ballarat on Thursday to announce at least two AFL matches would be played in the city each year if Labor won the election.
The plan would involve a $31.5 million dollar upgrade for the Eureka Stadium precinct, which would boost capacity beyond 15,000.
However, Gordon said the club would look to create a second home in Ballarat, regardless of the election result.
The Bulldogs will hold a community camp in the city in February or March next year and is almost certain to host NAB Challenge matches beyond next year's clash with Melbourne.
Gordon said although AFL chief Gillon McLachlan had not yet agreed to play premiership games at the ground, he was confident the league boss would approve the change.
The Bulldogs hope to host either Adelaide, Port Adelaide or Greater Western Sydney.
"We want to make the people of Ballarat feel that we are their team for the 21st century," Gordon said.
"This is not just a once off, it is not just for one year, it is a long-term commitment to relocate two or three of our games per year to Eureka Stadium."
The Bulldogs would wear a new Eureka flag-inspired guernsey, with a City of Ballarat logo alongside a bulldog, when playing at the ground.
Gordon said the idea to host home-and-away games in Ballarat was spawned early in the year, but would not divulge any information on the agreement between the club and the City of Ballarat.
"I'm not going to encroach on commercial confidences but I will say I was first approached with this idea early in 2014 and we were thrilled to continue the discussion," Gordon said.
"We think this gives us an opportunity, as a club with a history of struggle, to give us a realistic chance, for the first time ever really, to build our membership past 50,000 and to build our economic base into the upper ranks of the competition.
"We're going to take advantage of that opportunity by making a serious, long-term commitment to this area, this city and the people of Ballarat."
Labor has promised a $31.5 million redevelopment of the entire Eureka Stadium precinct if it wins the election, $15 million of which will go towards a 6000-seat grandstand at the football oval.
Andrews said the first round of funding would be in the May 2015 budget.
"You're going to get an amazing mix of a country footy experience but at an AFL standard and I can't think of anything more special than that," he said.
"We want Ballarat to grow, we want Ballarat to prosper and we understand that there's a role for a good, strong, hardworking government to play in that."
The Bulldogs will look to establish an office in Ballarat and employee staff based in the city if Labor wins.
TIMELINE OF AFL IN BALLARAT
2008 - The AFL holds a "Eureka Game" between North Melbourne and Richmond, paying homage to the Eureka Stockade in 1854.
2009 - North Melbourne and City of Ballarat enter into an agreement they hope will bring AFL games to the city, spearheaded by then Kangaroos chief executive officer Eugene Arocca. The club also holds its first community camp in the city.
2010 - The Kangaroos make an unexpected pre-season return trip to Ballarat following a clinic held at Eureka Stadium, choosing to play an intra-club practice match in Ballarat instead of Arden Street.
- North Melbourne plays a pre-season practice match against Hawthorn.
- Premier John Brumby promises $30 million to redevelop Eureka Stadium, which would all-but guarantee North Melbourne plays home and away matches in Ballarat. However, Brumby loses the election.
2011 - North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs play the first official NAB Cup game in Ballarat, held at Eureka Stadium in March.
2012 - Ballarat fails to attract a NAB Cup match, but North Melbourne still hold an intra-club hit-out as part of its ongoing community camps in the city.
2013 - North Ballarat Roosters scrap its development (reserves) team, meaning North Melbourne players were guaranteed senior VFL matches.
- The Kangaroos come to Ballarat for their fifth consecutive community camp.
2014 - The NAB Challenge comes back to Ballarat, this time between North Melbourne and Carlton in February.
- The AFL shocks many when the 2015 NAB Challenge draw is released in October, featuring Western Bulldogs and Melbourne, not North Melbourne.
- It is revealed by the AFL that the Bulldogs have an agreement with the City of Ballarat, upsetting North Melbourne, which claims it was caught unaware. North Melbourne learns it has virtually been thrown out of Ballarat in favour of Western Bulldogs.
- AFL games in Ballarat are promised from 2017 onwards if Labor wins the state election.
