WAFC welcomes AFL NAB Challenge at JoondalupThursday, October 31, 2013 - 3:33 PM

THE West Australian Football Commission welcomes the announcement by the AFL that an AFL NAB Challenge game will be played at Arena Joondalup in 2014.

The derby fixture between Fremantle and West Coast will be played at 4.10pm on Tuesday, February 18 at the home venue of WAFL club West Perth.

The event will be managed by the WAFC in partnership with the AFL and with the support of VenuesWest, the City of Joondalup and West Perth Football Club.

WAFC Manager Facilities Services Paul Lekias said this was an excellent result for the growing football community in Joondalup and its surrounding suburbs and recognition of the outstanding development work being undertaken by the West Perth District.

“Perth’s northern corridor is rapidly growing in population and the West Perth District has put in an enormous amount of work to engage the local community. It is great news that an AFL NAB Challenge game will be played to support these endeavours,” Mr Lekias said.

Proceeds from the event will be channelled into the WA community through the WAFC’s Community Development Facilities Fund.

Last year, the WAFC’s Community Development Facilities Fund contributed $197,889 to key projects in Western Australia.

The announcement of the 2014 NAB Challenge fixture also comes on the back of a State Government Budget commitment to a new $8m home for West Perth Football Club as part of an expansion of Arena Joondalup.

The facility, to be built where the Les Fong Gates now stand, has been designed in consultation with the AFL, the WAFC and the City of Joondalup to AFL Centre of Excellence standards.

The new facility will house the club’s administrative offices, coach’s rooms, new change-rooms, a members’ bar, gymnasium, function room and commercial office space.