Western Bulldogs chief executive Simon Garlick. Picture: Alex Coppel. Source: Herald Sun
WESTERN Bulldogs will look at playing home games at grounds other than Etihad Stadium if they cannot maximise gate returns at the indoor venue.
Ballarat's Eureka Stadium and Geelong's Simonds Stadium could host Dogs' home games against low-drawing interstate teams.
The Dogs would prefer to play 11 games a season at Etihad to keep growing support in Melbourne's west, one of the country's fastest growth corridors.
But crowds less than 25,000 at Etihad Stadium put financial strain on clubs, forcing the Dogs to consider more profitable options.
Dogs chief executive Simon Garlick said he had had brief talks with the AFL about looking into Ballarat as an alternative venue, but he was adamant Etihad Stadium was the priority.
"Ballarat is one which potentially might be worth us looking at down the track," he said yesterday.
"We've had a few discussions in passing with them (AFL) about it.
"There is a bit of a synergy there - it is west of Melbourne.
"We want to play as many as we can at Etihad and preferably get to 11 (a season).
"But when we get less than 25,000 - which at the moment happens for us if you are playing a low-drawing interstate team or when our on-field (performance) isn't good - then it impacts us.
"We just don't get the return on the seat that you would get if you were at Simonds or at the MCG.
"For that reason we do run numbers and have a look at alternative venues.
"That's something we will continue to do."
Eureka Stadium so far has failed to secure the Government funding it requires to become a suitable regular-season AFL venue.
It hosts NAB Challenge games between the Bulldogs and North Melbourne, which has lobbied hard to play home games in Ballarat.
Geelong also has pushed for other clubs such as the Bulldogs to use Simonds Stadium.
"We would be quite happy if another club wanted to play a couple of games, but the (Geelong) council owns the ground," Geelong president Colin Carter said.
"The AFL is not supportive as far as I am aware.
"They've got fixturing responsibilities at Etihad and MCG.
"The Doggies, I understand, expressed some interest, but I don't think it went any further."
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