A CROSS-code battle for the right to launch the new Perth Stadium is heating up, with two senior WA football industry figures saying a Western Derby should be the first game played at the $1 billion venue.

West Coast and Fremantle will be the main tenants of the Burswood venue when they switch from the newly-renamed Domain Stadium – formerly Patersons Stadium – in 2018.

However, the Socceroos are keen to muscle in on the venue's launch, with Football West hatching a Football Federation Australia-backed plan for the national team to play a powerhouse nation such as England, Brazil or Germany.

Other mooted options include the Australian cricket team hosting an Ashes Test or Twenty20 International.

But WA Football Commission chief executive Gary Walton and West Coast chairman Alan Cransberg believe the Eagles and Fremantle deserve the chance to launch the venue.

Cransberg said it would come down to a government decision as the main provider of events, but he hoped the AFL clubs received primary consideration.

"We would be very keen to play the first game there and hopefully it is a derby," he told The West Australian.

"That would be a great way to kick it off given that AFL football will be the main financial backers of the stadium."

Perth has not hosted a soccer international since the Socceroos played Indonesia in 2005 and having the national team launch the new stadium could reportedly cost up to $5 million.

Walton said a western derby would guarantee a sell-out crowd and would not cost the WA government any extra money.

"The main content for the new stadium that keeps its viability - on a basis all these user agreements are sorted out properly - is going to be the week-in, week-out content of our two AFL clubs playing," Walton said.

"International events come with a pretty significant up-front investment where a derby will, in my view, guarantee a capacity crowd and it'll come at no cost to the State."

The South Australian state government booked the Rolling Stones to launch the redeveloped Adelaide Oval last March, but the rock band was forced to postpone a week before Adelaide and Port Adelaide played their first Showdown at the venue.