BALLARAT will double its number of AFL games in 2018 as the city works to create an elite sporting experience for fans and players alike.
A 50sqm video scoreboard will be the highlight of the fan experience when a freshly redeveloped Eureka Stadium hosts its first game for premiership points in round 22 next year.
The match between the Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide will only be the beginning for regional fans, with the Ballarat City Council confirming it will host two matches in 2018.
"The stadium will host two premiership games in 2018, we are all so looking at hosting pre-season games as well as the potential for AFLW games in the 2018 season," mayor Samantha McIntosh told AFL.com.au.
But the venue may not be as busy as the local council hoped, with North Ballarat considering quitting the VFL.
AFL.com.au revealed on Saturday, a Monday night board meeting will decide whether the Roosters continue fielding a team in the state competition.
Construction of a 5,000-seat undercover grandstand is due to be completed before the venue's AFL debut.
The oval itself is ready to go, after a complete reconstruction and replacement of the turf, it has the same dimensions of the Bulldogs' regular home ground at Etihad Stadium.
"The Santa Ana couch is oversewn with winter ryegrass to allow for aesthetic appeal for presentation and deliver a playing surface that would rival any in Australia," mayor McIntosh said.
"The cost of the video scoreboard has been met by the state government as part of its funding commitment to upgrade the ground to AFL standard, and the video scoreboard will be installed early next year," she added.
The mayor estimates bringing AFL games to her city will increase annual tourism spending by up to $3.6 million and lure 21,000 visitors a year.
The Western Bulldogs moved to partner with the Ballarat City Council after an initial deal with North Melbourne fell over after the 2010 Victorian election
The Kangaroos had committed to playing at the venue after a promised upgrade by the then Labor government.
But incumbent premier John Brumby lost that election, and North Melbourne turned its attention to Hobart, where it now plays three home games a year.
