AFL matches for premiership points in Ballarat is now a reality with Labor’s triumph in the Victorian state election on Saturday.

The Western Bulldogs and then opposition leader Daniel Andrews announced last month a $31.5 million upgrade to the Eureka Stadium sports precinct in Ballarat, with the Bulldogs to play home games there from as early as 2017.

Bulldogs President Peter Gordon is optimistic about the future of football in Ballarat and the club’s relationship with the regional hub.

“We’re really pleased at the opportunity and we’re also pleased for the people of Ballarat,” Gordon said, speaking this morning with SEN.

The Bulldogs hope the expansion into regional Victoria will reinvigorate the community aspect of football, after encouraging signs with the Bulldogs VFL side in 2014.

“There’s been a bit of a move back to community footy and away from theatre-goer oriented stadium of the last 20 years and we want to take advantage of that.

“We’ve been really pleased with how many people have been coming to our Footscray games.”

“We’re at an early stage of our relationship with the Ballarat football community. It’s a real objective for us that in 10 years’ time that every one of those teams (in Ballarat)… look back on it and say this is a really good thing for football.”

With the greenlight given to the Eureka Stadium redevelopment and subsequently Bulldogs home and away matches in Ballarat, the Club will also shortly release a new Ballarat Foundation Membership package.

There will be three levels amongst the new, Ballarat specific membership offering, that will feature:

- Access to the NAB Challenge game at Eureka Stadium in 2015

- Access to games at Etihad Stadium

- Name on Foundation Wall at Eureka Stadium when it is complete

- Priority access to seating at Eureka Stadium upon completion of the upgrades.

To register your interest in the Ballarat Foundation Membership packages, please click here.