Following the successful return to competitive football at Victoria University Whitten Oval this year, the Western Bulldogs have secured a home NAB Challenge game against the Tigers.

In September the Western Bulldogs announced a $1.5 million dollar upgrade of the precinct, bringing the facilities to VFL match day standards and confirming its status as a centrepiece of football in the Western Region of Melbourne.

READ MORE: Bulldogs and AFL club members to get in free for NAB Challenge matches.

The Bulldogs will also play in Ballarat as part of its pre-season campaign, facing off against Melbourne at Eureka Stadium, before a final NAB challenge match on a Saturday night against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium.

Chief Executive Simon Garlick said the Club was excited with the opportunity to host an AFL sanctioned match at the Club’s iconic home ground — the first since Round 21 in 1997.

“We are thrilled to continue the momentum we’ve gathered throughout the year playing competitive games here at Victoria University Whitten Oval,” Garlick said.

“The return of football to Whitten Oval has been hugely popular with our fans, and we look forward to that continuing next year in an newly upgraded precinct.”

With a trip to Eureka Stadium part of its NAB challenge plans, Garlick said playing in Ballarat allowed the Club to broaden its reach and extend its heartland further west.

“We welcome the opportunity to return to Ballarat, which we see as an important extension of our strategy to Win the West, from urban Melbourne through to Western Victoria.”