Well, things are moving quickly now!
Yesterday, the AFL announced fixtures for round 6, which will see us remain in the Queensland hub for an additional week or so, playing the Adelaide Crows at the Gabba on Saturday, July 11.
The hub contingent will return to Perth after round 6, and it’s great to have our players and staff coming home. The players, staff and families who have been in Queensland will then quarantine according to the requirements of the WA Government and health authorities. Strict protocols will be in place to ensure the health and safety of all concerned, including the broader Western Australian community.
Round 7 will see us play Fremantle on Sunday, July 19 at 4:35pm (AWST), in what will be the only RAC Derby of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. This will be a Fremantle home game, which I know will be disappointing for all of our members, who love to get along to our home RAC Derby each year.
The great news is that the round 7 fixture will occur after the move to Phase 5 on WA’s roadmap to relax COVID-19 restrictions (subject to local infection rates), including allowing full capacity Optus Stadium crowds. So, while there is a lot of detail still to be confirmed, it looks like there will be RAC Derby tickets available for purchase, giving some of you an opportunity to be there to cheer on our West Coast Eagles.
Once details on how to purchase tickets are finalised, we will advise you at the earliest opportunity. As with all things in this strange time, there is a lot still to be worked out, so please be patient with our team, as we do not have those answers at this stage.
Beyond round 7, fixtures are still to be confirmed; however, as Collingwood and Geelong will relocate to Western Australia for a period of time, they are clearly going to be our opponents in the following weeks.
I look forward to seeing our amazing members back at Optus Stadium very soon – we already think we have the loudest crowd in the competition, and after several very quiet months, I have no doubt we will be even louder than usual!
We continue to receive messages of support from members and I know you are as keen as I am to have our boys home and playing football at Optus Stadium.
Stay well, and go Eagles!
Kind regards,
Trevor Nisbett
Chief Executive
