The WACA Ground, primarily a cricket venue in Perth, hosted AFL matches from 1987 to 2000 as West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers played their early seasons in Western Australia. While cricket was the ground's traditional sport, the AFL commitment represented an important period in establishing professional football in the state.
The ground was never purpose-built for AFL and had significant spatial limitations that made it an unusual venue for the code. Despite these constraints, the WACA hosted some memorable early seasons for both Eagles and Dockers, helping to establish AFL's presence in Western Australia during the late 1980s and 1990s.
When Subiaco Oval was redeveloped and made fully available to AFL from 2000 onwards, both clubs permanently relocated, ending the WACA's brief era as an AFL venue.
The WACA's time as an AFL venue represents a transitional period in Western Australian football history. While it was not ideal for the code, it provided crucial infrastructure during the critical early years when AFL was establishing itself in Perth, laying the groundwork for a committed fan base that has supported the Eagles and Dockers ever since.