Buddy to boost Indigenous All-Stars
The AFL are banking on Sydney spearhead Lance Franklin headlining a week-long camp and clash between a star-studded Indigenous All-Stars team and West Coast in Perth next month.
League officials announced the one-off match would be held at Medibank Stadium on February 20 as a prelude to the NAB Challenge series.
Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui and Fremantle forward Michael Walters have already committed to the game, with organisers hopeful of securing the competition's biggest indigenous star in Franklin for the showpiece.
The match has been fixtured at the Leederville venue with nearby Patersons Stadium already booked out for the One Direction concert.
All 72 of the league's listed indigenous players have been tipped to attend the camp, although not all will take part in the match itself.
The commitment will mean a host of the country's best players descending on Perth, including three-times Hawthorn premiership forward Cyril Rioli, Swans speedster Lewis Jetta and teammate and former Australian of the Year Adam Goodes.
AFL multicultural boss Jason Mifsud pointed out that WA had been a rich breeding ground of talent, with 40 per cent of all indigenous players from AFL or VFL level hailing from the State.
"The game will be a culmination of a week-long camp," Mifsud said.
"We'll have all 72 AFL indigenous-listed players here in Perth for a whole range of cultural leadership and community engagement activities," Mifsud said.
"We're delighted to be able to bring a program of that magnitude here to Western Australia given WA's rich history of producing indigenous talent over many, many years."
The camp and All-Stars game is held once every two years, having been hosted by Darwin and Alice Springs in recent outings.
An inexperienced Richmond side were thrashed to the tune of 50 points by an All-Stars side boasting Patrick Ryder and Harley Bennell in Alice Springs two years ago.
WA Football Commission chief operating officer Nick Sautner said the authority was delighted to be hosting next month's match.
"We encourage all footy fans to pre-purchase tickets to the game and show their support for what promises to be a highly entertaining contest," Sautner said.
The fixture is being held a week before West Coast's first official NAB Challenge match against Carlton at Bendigo Bank Stadium on February 27.
