The Western Bulldogs will formally celebrate the 100th anniversary of the club’s debut in the Victorian Football League with a blockbuster round two Friday night home game against Collingwood at the MCG.
With the 2025 campaign marking a century since the Footscray Football Club joined the then-VFL, the red, white and blue army will flock to the home of football for the landmark game on March 21.
Chief executive Ameet Bains said he was thrilled that the club would host a game at the MCG for the first time since 2009, with the prospect of surpassing the Bulldogs’ home and away attendance record, which stands at 68,447.
“As an entire club, we are very excited to celebrate our 100-year anniversary next year with our fans, members, staff and players,” he said.
“As part of that, being on footy’s biggest stage in a premier timeslot is something we all relish and it gives us a wonderful opportunity to surpass our largest home-and-away crowd.”
Bulldog fans turned out impressively this year, highlighted by more than 50,000 attending a home game against Essendon at Marvel Stadium (the venue’s biggest AFL crowd in a decade) and a home elimination final that drew a record 97,828 to the MCG.
“While we absolutely love playing our Melbourne home games at Marvel and remain committed to doing so, this one-off MCG home game provides a unique opportunity to acknowledge a significant milestone for our club,” Bains said.
“It will be a spectacular occasion that we also hope encourages Bulldogs fans to sign up to become a member to ensure they can attend.
“After another record-breaking membership year in 2024, we’re aiming to hit 70,000 members in 2025, which would be an appropriately historic achievement.”
Footscray joined the VFL alongside Hawthorn and North Melbourne, playing its first game on May 2, 1925 against Fitzroy at Brunswick Street Oval.
