WA premier calls for AFL Grand Final to be held in Perth

WA premier Mark McGowan is pushing for the AFL Grand Final to be held in Perth to compensate for the lack GST contributes the state receives.

Speaking at the opening of the long-awaited Optus Stadium this morning, Mr McGowan pitched the idea to the media.

“It would be terrific. It’s the least the rest of the country could do for Western Australia,” he said.

“Considering the GST they take from the state…(they should) hand the AFL Grand Final to our state, each and every year, for nothing - as a permanent fixture.

“It would be a small compensation, but it would be something.”

He added that his proposition should be a “prominent national consideration”.

The AFL Grand Final is traditionally held at the MCG in the heart of Melbourne on the last Saturday in September or the first Saturday in October.

The beloved ‘G has a capacity of 100,024, while Optus Stadium has 60,000 seats.

While the yearly crowd size of the Grand Final fluctuates, the past three years it has surpassed 98,000.