RED and blue by day, then green and black by night is how a Saturday could look for a local sports fanatic at the redeveloped Arena Joondalup next year.
West Perth Football Club and the Joondalup Wolves are hoping fans will pack two scarves on their way to the complex on game day.
The arena’s multi-million dollar upgrade is nearly complete, creating a sporting hub for both semi-professional organisations.
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READ NOWThe clubs have big ambitions to promote WAFL-SBL double headers when the teams’ home games match up in season 2018.
It works, given the WAFL is fixtured in the afternoon and most SBL games are played at night.
Wolves chief executive Cameron Britt said the clubs were discussing how best to develop their strong sporting alliance.
“You’ve got a state-level footy and state-level basketball team with a huge following and membership for both groups,” he said.
“We’re working out how to make a co-membership where you’ll watch a game of footy and then get into the basketball – like a ‘sporting precinct passport’.”
Falcons chief executive David Crute aims to foster a bond between the clubs’ playing groups, encouraging footballers to attend basketball games and vice versa.
“There’s a lot of potential and synergy around fixturing,” he said.
The arena’s redevelopment has been a long time coming, with the Wolves’ former home at Joondalup Basketball Stadium being one of the oldest centres in the State Basketball League.
The Wolves along with the Wanneroo Basketball Association are in the process of moving into Arena Joondalup after the basketball centre construction wrapped up last month.
And for the Falcons, who gain a hi-tech two-storey club and office complex, the redevelopment gives them financial control over their WAFL facilities for the first time since they moved to Joondalup in 1994.
Until now, much of their match-day revenue went to the State Government’s Venues West, which runs the arena.
West Perth is hoping to move its staff into the new headquarters at the end of next month.
Crute said it was a “quantum leap forward”.
“We’ve never had club rooms since West Perth moved to Joondalup,” he said.
“100 per cent of revenue in the new building will go to West Perth.
“It was the driving principle behind the whole building in the first place.”
West Perth’s lease will allow them bar and kiosk takings from match day as well as the opportunity to hire out function rooms to the public.
The Wolves have a different arrangement at the basketball stadium.
Venues West will take earnings from the kiosk, but the club will run an upstairs bar with a balcony overlooking the showcourt.
Corporate boxes, memberships and ticket takings will make up the remainder of game night revenue.
“It’s what we’ve done previously at the JBS but raising the bar again with regards to comfort and viewing platform,” Britt said in reference to the corporate boxes.
The clubs will share training facilities, with the Wolves given access to the Falcons’ gym as well as their fitness staff.
The Wolves’ upstairs function room will be used for West Perth’s colts presentations.
Venues West chief executive David Etherton said a replacement hockey turf was the next upgrade on the cards as well as addition lighting along the outside pathways.
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