The AFL have confirmed that Greater Western Sydney will host Gold Coast at Mars Stadium, Ballarat on Sunday as the league looks to combat the latest COVID-19 outbreak across the nation.
Announced on Tuesday afternoon, the two clubs will face-off on Sunday in front of a regional Victorian crowd, with the Giants making their first appearance at the venue.
The Suns recently played the Bulldogs in Ballarat three seasons ago, and will now venture to the ground once more off the back of their upset win over Richmond in Round16.
AFL Executive General Manager Clubs and Broadcasting Travis Auld stated his excitement to have both sides competing in Ballarat in aid of the league's fixturing.
“We are really looking forward to returning to Mars Stadium on Sunday and seeing two in-form sides provide a great contest in Ballarat,” Mr Auld said.
“The pandemic continues to provide some challenges, but the silver-lining has been allowing us to take some matches to regional Victoria. The great crowds and engagement in Geelong over recent weeks has been testament to the appetite for footy in the regional areas.
“We encourage fans from around the region and beyond to visit Ballarat and all it has to offer.
“On behalf of the AFL we thank the Victorian State Government and the City of Ballarat for their continued support of footy and the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.”
The Giants are aiming to further strengthen their bid for a top-eight finish, while the Suns will hope their impressive outing against the Tigers was no fluke.
