‘We’re in’: West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers throw support behind bushfire game between Victoria and All Stars

West Coast have agreed to move next month’s pre-season game against Essendon forward by 24 hours, freeing the February 28 Friday night slot for an AFL exhibition match to raise money for bushfire recovery. While the AFL is yet to confirm the showpiece event will go ahead, The West Australian understands the league received broad support for the concept from the 18 clubs yesterday. West Coast and Fremantle chiefs both declared they were “fully supportive” of the proposal. But WA’s generation of stars are set to miss out on the chance to pull on a State guernsey, with talks centring on an All-Stars-style match that could pit Victoria against the rest of the country. AFL PLANS STATE OF ORIGIN REVIVAL FOR BUSHFIRE VICTIMS Western derby rivals Nic Naitanui and Nat Fyfe could join forces, though fellow WA champion Lance Franklin will not take part and is also in doubt for the start of the season after a knee operation this week. West Coast’s Naitanui has been among a host of footy’s biggest names, including Big V drawcards Patrick Dangerfield and Scott Pendlebury, to voice their support for the concept on social media. The Marsh Community Series match between the Eagles and Bombers had been scheduled for 4.40pm on February 28 at Mineral Resources Park. That match is now likely to be brought forward to Thursday, February 27, allowing a bushfire fundraiser to take centre stage at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne the following night. Under the plan, players selected would play in the exhibition game rather than for their own clubs that weekend and there would be a cap of three or four players from each club so the disruption would be shared. Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the club was happy to shift their pre-season fixture and provide players for the fundraising event. “We’re supportive. I think everyone’s of the same view on this one. Anything we can do to help. It’s just tragic what’s happening,” Nisbett said. “We haven’t been given anything official yet but hopefully they’ll come out in the next 48 hours. They’ll need to get cracking on it.” Fremantle chief executive Simon Garlick said the Dockers were discussing multiple fundraising ideas with the AFL and backed a State of Origin-style match. “There is great passion from the Fremantle Dockers players and staff to assist with fundraising efforts relating to the devastating bushfires around Australia and the club is currently working through a number of options to that end,” Garlick said. AFL Players’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh offered his support after discussions with AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, while AFLPA board members backed it at a meeting in Melbourne yesterday. “I have been talking to Gill for a few days about the potential for this game to happen and the players and the PA have just had a meeting upstairs and are very supportive of it,” Marsh said. “There is a bit of water to go under the bridge to get this thing up, but I think from a players’ perspective we would love to see it happen. “We’ll work through all the details with the AFL. What’s most important is that we get a game together that the fans are interested in and that can raise as much money for the bushfire victims and I think that’s what our focus is.”