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Cricket and footy could share WACA

Cricket and footy could share WACA

The WA Football Commission and WA Cricket Association could share the WACA Ground under a deal that would have the WAFL match of the round played there every weekend.

The football commission and WACA have confirmed interest in sharing the ground once the Burswood stadium is completed.

Commission chief Gary Walton said that staying at Patersons Stadium, moving some or all WAFC operations to Fremantle Oval and a shift to the WACA Ground were options being considered.

A shift to the WACA Ground is likely to be backed by the State Government because it would boost the use of the historic venue and make it financially more viable, especially if some WAFL matches were played there.

Mr Walton and cricket association chief Christina Matthews said talks were at an early stage but there appeared to be significant common ground between the sports.

"It is about utilising the ground as much as possible," Ms Matthews said. "We are really keen for the WAFL match of the round to be played here. It is an exciting opportunity for us. It is probably more complicated for the football commission."

Football is yet to concede it will leave Patersons Stadium once the new stadium is built. It has been suggested the football commission move into West Coast's headquarters at the stadium once the Eagles move to Lathlain Park.

There are concerns about football's ability to maintain the stadium and Mr Walton said that, if football could not be housed at the new Burswood stadium, the closer it was the better.

He said it was likely that if football moved to the WACA, it would base its administration, talent academies and umpire training centre at the ground.

There have been suggestions that some WAFC services should be moved to Fremantle when the Dockers move to Cockburn, but Mr Walton said his preference was for a relocation of East Fremantle to Fremantle Oval to ensure that a match was played at the ground every weekend.