The saying, “build it and they will come”, has proven to be true after a deal between North Melbourne Football Club and the State Government, will see an AFL match for premiership points at Hands Memorial Oval for the next three seasons, between 2025 and 2027.
The South West Football League and the City of Bunbury have worked hand in hand along with Perkins Builders to ensure a premier facility was built at Hands Memorial Oval, which was used for the first time for the Men’s Preliminary Final and Women’s Grand Final, and then the following week with the Men’s Grand Final, with both events and the stadium building going off without a hitch, despite the building not being finished. The building is almost entirely completed on the upper level now and will be handed over to the City of Bunbury at the end of the year, with the SWFL moving into it’s new offices in January 2025.
The goal was always to get an AFL match to Bunbury, but it was thought a pre-season or AFLW match would preceed an AFL fixture, but circumstances have progressed rapidly since the SWFL Grand Final, with today’s announcement a culmination of many years of dedicated hard work to make it a reality.
North Melbourne has secured its post-Tasmania future after finalising an agreement to play two home Toyota AFL Premiership Season matches in Western Australia from 2025.
From 2026, the club will return two AFL home games to its Melbourne heartland, giving members and supporters the opportunity to attend nine home matches at Marvel Stadium across the season.
The three-year agreement will see the club play one match at Optus Stadium in Perth and one match at Hands Oval in Bunbury as the home team against West Coast and Fremantle for the next three seasons.
In 2025, North Melbourne will play West Coast in Bunbury in Round 13 on Sunday, June 8 and Fremantle at Optus Stadium in Round 14 on Saturday, June 14. The match will commence at 1.20pm WST.
“Playing another game in WA for the next three seasons is a positive outcome for the club,” West Coast Eagles CEO Don Pyke said
“We are excited by the opportunity presented to have a further fixture here in WA, and to be able to engage with our passionate members and supporters in the South West region.
“Bringing an AFL game to regional WA is a terrific initiative and we’re looking forward to building the occasion and atmosphere around the match next season.
“Our desire all along in competitive balance discussions with the AFL has been to address the inequities in the fixture and reduce the WA clubs’ travel. This is a big step forward following those discussions and a win for WA football.
“We will continue engaging the AFL around this issue and thank them, the State government, North Melbourne and Fremantle for working together to achieve a positive outcome for all involved.”
Hands Oval will become the fourth WA venue to host a West Coast AFL premiership season match – alongside Subiaco Oval, the WACA and Optus Stadium – and first outside the metropolitan area.
The Eagles’ only previous match at Hands Oval was a pre-season clash against Adelaide in 1991.
*Details taken from both North Melbourne and West Coast’s Websites.
HOBART, AUSTRALIA – AUG 10: Elliot Yeo of the Eagles is tackled by Jackson Archer of the Kangaroos during the 2024 AFL Round 22 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the West Coast Eagles at Blundstone Arena on August 10, 2024 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)