Ballarat footy fans will have more chances to see the stars of the game up close with the state government today announcing it has secured AFL and AFLW games in Ballarat for the next three seasons.
A new partnership will see two Western Bulldogs AFL home and away matches and one AFLW match played at MARS Stadium each year – attracting visitors to the city and giving locals plenty to cheer about.
The renewed partnership will run from 2025 to 2027 – marking 10 years of AFL games in Ballarat, which first started back in 2017.
In 2025, this will see the Bulldogs host Port Adelaide and Adelaide in Ballarat.
The association between Ballarat and the Western Bulldogs extends back to 2017, the year after the Bulldogs broke a 62-year premiership drought to win their second VFL/AFL premiership.
The agreement will also see the Western Bulldogs continue to deliver a highly valuable range of community-based programs, such as Bulldogs Read, the Youth Leadership program, the Next Generation Academy and the Sons and Daughters of the West health programs.
The nine AFL and AFLW games to be played between 2025 and 2027 are expected to drive more than $7 million in visitor expenditure – supporting businesses, boosting local jobs and promoting the region to the travelling fans.
Mars Stadium is also being upgraded – delivering 5,000 new permanent seats and better accessibility to the Ballarat Major Events Precinct.
