Inaugural Optus Stadium Western Derby smashes records

• More than 56,000 attend first Western Derby at Optus Stadium
• Today's match breaks Western Derby attendance record of 43,500 achieved in 2006
• Biggest ever attendance for an AFL match in Western Australia 

Optus Stadium's maiden Western Derby has broken more attendance records - with 56,521 fans turning out to this afternoon's Fremantle Dockers-West Coast Eagles match.

The attendance not only breaks the record for the most people at a Western Derby - smashing the previous mark of 43,500 at Subiaco Oval in 2006 - but also surpasses the record for the largest-ever attendance at an AFL match in Western Australia, breaking the 54,500 crowd at Optus Stadium for the West Coast-Geelong match earlier this month.

Since Optus Stadium officially opened with 70,000 attending the Community Open Day in January, the venue has hosted:

• Record Western Australian cricket crowds for the One Day International between Australia and England, and the Big Bash League semi-final between the Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes;
• The AFL Women's match between Fremantle and Collingwood on February 10, where 41,900 attended, breaking the record for the biggest-ever crowd for a standalone women's sporting match; and
• A National Rugby League double header which saw more than 38,000 people attend, sparking expansion talks for the NRL. 

For the remainder of 2018, Optus Stadium will host a further 16 AFL games as part of the 2018 AFL Premiership Season plus any finals, a blockbuster football friendly between Premier League club Chelsea and Perth Glory on July 23, and a Taylor Swift concert on October 19.

International and Big Bash League cricket matches are also expected to be played at the stadium as part of the 2018-19 cricket season.

In 2019, alongside AFL and cricket, the venue will host Game II of the State of Origin rugby league series and a Bledisloe Cup rugby union match plus six World T20 cricket matches in 2020.

Comments attributed to Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:

"The Western Derby is the State's most iconic sporting event, with local passion and rivalries to match any event in the world.

"Today's record-breaking turnout is testament to the quality of this venue and its status as WA's new home of sport. Western Australians are rightly proud of their new, world-class stadium and they are voting with their feet to show it.

"The Western Derby has an important place in WA sport - and it is already right at home at Optus Stadium."

Minister's office - 6552 6400