Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very happy today to speak about the inaugural AFL game for the Western Bulldogs in my home town of Ballarat this weekend. They will be taking on the Port Adelaide Power in front of a sold-out crowd at the recently upgraded Mars Stadium. It's been incredible how much the town has got behind the Bulldogs since they committed to Ballarat in 2015. After last year's grand final win, when they brought the grand final cup to Ballarat, it seemed like the whole town came out to celebrate the win. And, in a demonstration of just how much of Ballarat has got behind the Bulldogs, the game sold out in a matter of minutes. But, for those who have missed out on tickets or just want to soak up the atmosphere on the day, the Ballarat council will have a free footy-live site at the Ballarat showgrounds, where people will be able to watch the game on a big screen and enjoy the family-friendly activities.

This weekend should be fantastic, and I'm really looking forward to attending the game on Saturday. Even though, throughout the year, we may barrack for different teams, this week all of Ballarat will be more Bulldog, and I am very proud to say for probably the first time in this place: Go Doggies!