Footy fans to head west as WA secures additional AFL fixtures
East coast footy fans will be encouraged to visit the west from next year, with the North Melbourne Kangaroos confirmed to hold two annual home game matches in WA for the next 3 years.
The matches will be played at Bunbury's Hands Oval and Perth's Optus Stadium on back-to-back weekends in June against the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers.
It means the Eagles and Dockers will both play an extra game in their home state, alternating playing grounds each year.
North Melbourne fans will be able to take advantage of Jetstar's direct flight from Melbourne to Busselton to attend the Bunbury match, which will be played on Victoria's June long weekend and drive visitation to the South West region, boosting local tourism.
The South West football region will also benefit from the matches, with $5.7 million in upgrades committed to Hands Oval to bring it up to AFL standards, in addition to the $19.5 million of improvements already underway at the venue.