There's A Bit Of Conflict Over Perth Stadium's First Ever AFL Game

At loggerheads.


Article heading image for There's A Bit Of Conflict Over Perth Stadium's First Ever AFL Game

(Image: Getty)

There's some tension over the first ever AFL game hosted at Perth Stadium, with both Fremantle and West Coast keen to host the opener.

Neither side appears keen on hosting a round one derby to kick off the stadium, which will be ready for round one, 2018.

It means only one of the Dockers and Eagles get the chance to play there first.

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett believes it will be them, as Fremantle hosted the round one fixture in Perth this year.

"It's our turn, so we’ll be opening the stadium," he said on Friday.

"I don’t think (it'll be a derby in round one). I think it’ll be a West Coast home game.

"I just don’t think it makes sense to have a derby when you can have a big game to open the season. If the Dockers play the next week, it’ll be a big game for them to open the season...the derby will be another big game during the season."

But Fremantle chief executive Steve Rosich seems to have other ideas.

"We've certainly laid our case to have the opening game, and that being a Fremantle home game, ideally on a Saturday twilight," he told Triple M last month ahead of the Fremantle/Hawthorn clash.

"We think there's a great business case for that, so we'll work through that with the AFL.

"I think both teams and the AFL would prefer a non-derby...I think that would be a great showcase game, standalone, a few weeks into the season, and open round one with a bang with an alternate to the derby."

Ethan Meldrum

4 August 2017

Article by:

Ethan Meldrum




Listen Live!
Up Next