Why are we so excited at the prospect of a Western Derby?

Note – Article written on Thursday, 24 September 2015. We’ll have to try for a Grand Final Western Derby next year.

Another month has passed, and the mouthwatering prospect of an all-Western Australia AFL Grand Final still looks a big likelihood. Of course, it goes without saying that we at Motive Travel are hugely excited at this possibility – our man at the top, George Michalczyk, is both a proud Western Australian and huge footy fan. Indeed, George has attended the last 39 AFL Grand Finals, so what better way to mark his 40th ‘anniversary’ than by a coming together of two deadly Western Australia rivals at the MCG? We can’t think of any!

The mouthwatering prospect of an all-Western Australia AFL Grand Final still looks a big likelihood.

The Western Derby captures the imagination like no other AFL match-up does. If you’ve been in or around Perth during the week before the game takes place, you’ll know that it’s the topic of conversation on anyone’s lips. Whether you’re at the water cooler in the office, drinking a beer with your buddies or working up a sweat in the gym, it’s difficult to escape the coming game – and why would you want to?

Derby day

West Coast Eagle legend John Worsfold, who scored 38 goals in 209 appearances for the club, probably put it best when he told The Sunday Age:

“It’s obviously different to the build-up of any normal game because all the media focuses on West Coast and Fremantle. We don’t care what else is happening in the country, which is great.”

Perth is likely to be empty on the weekend of the AFL Grand Final, as we up sticks and invade Melbourne for the Western Derby!Perth is likely to be empty on the weekend of the AFL Grand Final, as we up sticks and invade Melbourne for the Western Derby.

Let’s take a look at just why a Western Derby in Melbourne could be the most explosive thing to happen to the AFL since, well, ever. At the time of writing, both teams had made it safely through to their respective semi-final – with just one more matchday weekend to be played, the Western Derby AFL Grand Final is so close that you can smell it!

Western wonders

In the decade or so that has passed since 2006, a Western Australian team has made it to the AFL Grand Final just once, and that’s a statistic that’s likely to change come October.  Even so, both teams remain well supported in their home state. To this end, whichever stadium that they’re playing at, be it the WACA or Subiaco Oval, you can be hard pushed to get hold of a ticket. The importance of the Derby is such that we wouldn’t be surprised if, when the two teams move to the shiny new 60,000-capacity Perth Stadium in time for the 2018 season, it sells out constantly, too.

You don’t need us to keep on bleating about what a big occasion this could be – demand is going to be severely hot! Hopefully you’ve already managed to sort your tickets out with us if you wanted to head across to Melbourne.  Here’s to fantastic finals footy!

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