WEST Coast is willing to go into hotel quarantine on re-entering Western Australia in order to host an Optus Stadium final – assuming the club earns the right.
The WA Government previously gave the Eagles and Dockers permission to serve their 14-day quarantine period from their homes, although under strict conditions.
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However, they were able to play only each other in that circumstance, rather than non-WA teams.
West Coast's general manager of football operations, Craig Vozzo, is hopeful the Eagles will be able to play a final in Perth, but accepts it is a matter for the AFL and WA government to negotiate.
AFL fixture boss Travis Auld has left the door ajar for that possibility, pending quarantine conditions, with West Coast's willingness to go into hotel quarantine a significant development.
"We still have a hope for (hosting a final in Perth), but obviously that's something that's not within our control," Vozzo told ABC Grandstand radio.
"That's a discussion involving the WA government and the AFL, because of the quarantining requirements, which are quite tricky, to enable that sort of thing to occur."
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West Coast will return to a Queensland hub to complete the home and away campaign following its round 13 game against Greater Western Sydney, after resuming the season the same way.
The Eagles are in fourth spot, but have won six straight matches to establish themselves as the AFL's form team.
Vozzo was unequivocal on whether West Coast's players and staff were prepared to accept the same quarantine conditions in Perth as clubs from outside WA if it meant hosting a final.
"Yes, no doubt," Vozzo said.
"That would be something we'd do … so we could play in our home in front of our supporters, who have been terrific for us for a long period of time – and particularly this year, during a difficult phase."
Auld said it was necessary to relocate the WA clubs to Queensland again, because the WA government's quarantine conditions made it difficult to play matches in a compressed period.
The season would have lasted a week or two longer if that decision wasn't made, he said.
Auld said state government quarantine conditions in mid-to-late September would impact where finals would be staged, including the possibility of teams flying in and out of Perth.
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"At the moment, the scenario has been we can have teams come into WA and they can play each other while they're in quarantine," he said.
"Then they need to come out of quarantine in order to play the two WA teams, otherwise you put the two WA teams back into quarantine.
"That's been the challenge, but those conditions may change.
"The WA Government and Health have done an incredible job of keeping the virus out of the state, so who knows what that might look like in a few weeks' time?"
