Richmond and Essendon to play Dreamtime at Maali in Perth

The Richmond and Essendon Football Clubs, in partnership with Tourism Western Australia and the Australian Football League (AFL), have announced a two-year agreement to host the ‘Dreamtime at Maali’ series at Optus Stadium in Perth for the 2027 and 2028 AFL seasons.

The inaugural match is scheduled for Sunday, 4 July 2027, coinciding with the opening day of NAIDOC Week. Essendon will act as the home club for the first fixture, with Richmond hosting the return match in 2028. The event name is derived from ‘Maali’, the Noongar word for the black swan, a regional symbol of Western Australia.

The series is intended to complement the annual Dreamtime at the ‘G match held in Melbourne. The event will feature ‘The Long Walk’ and various community-led activities to celebrate First Nations cultures. Additionally, the Australian Football Hall of Fame will be held in Western Australia for the first time on 6 July 2027, two days after the inaugural match.