AFL football will return to Victoria University Whitten Oval in 2015, with the Western Bulldogs to host Richmond at the Kennel in next season’s NAB Challenge.
Scheduled for Saturday, 28 February, the twilight fixture will be the Club’s opening match of the pre-season practice match series.
The last AFL home and away season match to be hosted at VU Whitten Oval was in Round 21, 1997.
Over 7000 people flocked to VU Whitten Oval earlier in the year to watch the Footscray Bulldogs defeat Williamstown in the VFL Qualifying Final, with the NAB Challenge fixture expected to pack the suburban football hub of Melbourne’s West.
The Western Bulldogs will also face Melbourne (4:10pm EDT, Saturday, 14 March 2015) at Ballarat’s Eureka Stadium and Collingwood (7:10pm, Saturday, 21 March 2015) at Etihad Stadium to round out their three pre-season match fixture.
| Date | Match | Venue | Time* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, February 26 | HAW v COLL | Aurora Stadium | 7.10pm EDT |
| Friday, February 27 | WCE v CARL | Rushton Park, Mandurah | 4.10pm WST |
| Saturday, February 28 | BL v STK | Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, Burpengary | 3.10pm EST |
| Saturday, February 28 | WB v RICH | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 4.40pm EDT |
| Sunday, March 1 | ADEL v NMFC | Centenary Oval, Port Lincoln | 4.10pm CDT |
| Sunday, March 1 | GCFC v GEEL | Tony Ireland Stadium | 3.40pm EST |
| Thursday, March 5 | FRE v MELB | Fremantle Oval | 4.10pm WST |
| Friday, March 6 | SYD v BL | C.ex Coffs International Stadium | 7.10 pm EDT |
| Saturday, March 7 | GWS v GCFC | Blacktown ISP | 4.10pm EDT |
| Saturday, March 7 | ESS v STK | Morwell Recreation Reserve | 4.40pm EDT |
| Sunday, March 8 | PORT v WCE | Norwood Oval | 4.10pm CDT |
| Sunday, March 8 | NMFC v HAW | Deakin Reserve | 4.40pm EDT |
| Thursday, March 12 | GEEL v ADEL | Simonds Stadium | 7.10pm EDT |
| Friday, March 13 | GWS v ESS | Spotless Stadium | 7.10pm EDT |
| Saturday, March 14 | WB v MELB | Eureka Stadium | 4.10pm EDT |
| Saturday, March 14 | RICH v PORT | Lavington Sports Ground Albury | 4.40pm EDT |
| Sunday, March 15 | SYD v FRE | Drummoyne Oval | 4.10pm EDT |
| Sunday, March 15 | COLL v CARL | Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo | 4.40pm EDT |
| Thursday, March 19 | STK v HAW | Etihad Stadium | 7.10pm EDT |
| Friday, March 20 | MELB v ESS | Etihad Stadium | 5.50pm EDT |
| Friday, March 20 | GCFC v BL | Metricon Stadium | 7.40pm EST |
| Saturday, March 21 | RICH v NMFC | Etihad Stadium | 1.10pm EDT |
| Saturday, March 21 | PORT v ADEL | AAMI Stadium | 3.40pm CDT |
| Saturday, March 21 | WB v COLL | Etihad Stadium | 7.10pm EDT |
| Sunday, March 22 | GWS v SYD | StarTrack Oval | 1.10pm EDT |
| Sunday, March 22 | CARL v GEEL | Etihad Stadium | 4.10pm EDT |
| Sunday, March 22 | WCE v FRE | Patersons Stadium | 4.10pm WST |
