The decorated coach said the potential fixturing of AFL games in Ballarat, if Labor won the election, would be huge not just for him as a Western Bulldogs man but also as a Ballarat resident.

Maple, a Buninyong premiership winning coach in 2002 and former North Ballarat Rebels head coach, has been at the Bulldogs since 2009 but only became head coach this year when they split from former partner Williamstown.

In his first year at the club, he delivered the ultimate success in the VFL with a grand final win over Box Hill Hawks, while still fulfilling his development coach duties.

Still living in Ballarat, Maple said the prospect of returning to his old stomping ground for an AFL game filled him with excitement.

He said returning to Eureka Stadium for Footscray was “just like another week” this year, especially since Footscray only had five home games throughout the season.

But to do the same thing for an AFL game would be something completely different.

“It’s really exciting, even just as a resident of Ballarat, to think of an AFL game coming here,” Maple said.

“It’s exciting from both points of view. Our aim is to spread into the west and this would be a great way to do this.”

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews and Bulldogs president Peter Gordon announced on Thursday the Western Bulldogs would play at least two home games in Ballarat each year as of 2017 if Labor won the election.

Labor has committed $31.5 million to a redevelopment of the Eureka Stadium precinct, with $15 million to go towards a new grandstand at the football oval.

The proposed $6000 grandstand would boost capacity to around 15,000 to 20,000 people.