AFL Indigenous All Stars Match: WA could become a permanent home for huge game if fans flock to Optus Stadium

WA footy fans have been urged to flock to February’s match between Fremantle and the Indigenous All-Stars at Optus Stadium with AFL chairman Richard Goyder saying a strong crowd is the key to it remaining in Perth for the extended future.

The best Indigenous players in the country will take on the Dockers on February 15. It will be the first time since 2015 that the fixture has been played.

Indigenous players campaigned behind the scenes with the AFL to get the game added to the pre-season and the league is so confident that it will be popular that it scheduled the game at Optus Stadium. The last time the game was played, it was fixtured at Leederville Oval.

Previous games have been also held in Darwin and Alice Springs.

Goyder said it was a huge opportunity for WA to take ownership of the match.

“That’s the challenge,” he said.

“It’s a bit like how everyone says Gather Round should be somewhere else. We should make this the home here and make it ours. That’s the challenge. To ensure that is and let someone else get a crowbar to take it away.”

The match will see Dockers stars Michael Walters, Alex Pearce and Shai Bolton eligible for selection for the All-Stars, and Walters has already declared he is keen to take on his Fremantle teammates. West Coast pair Liam Ryan and Tim Kelly will most likely become their teammates while players such as Bobby Hill, Charlie Cameron, Bradley HIll and Kysaiah Pickett will get then chance to perform in front of their families.

An eight-man bench will be used given it is the first game of the pre-season and AFL executive general manager of football Laura Kane expects a star studded line-up for the All-Stars, saying the best players were already asking how to get involved.

“The support from the 18 clubs has been unbelievable and the main driver behind the announcement,” Kane said.

“They want to see their best Indigenous players celebrated on the biggest stage. If my in-box is anything to go by, I already have jumper number requests. leadership group requests, coaches and support staff. There’s so much positivity. I am really confident we will see our best players celebrated.

“Our fans and our players love representative football. If there’s something special culturally or historically for them whether it be the place they were born, grew up, played local footy or have strong connections to their culture, they love participating and they love representing that.”