BRENDAN Fevola will play at Wodonga tomorrow and the Bulldogs aren’t paying a cent to make it happen.
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In a major win for the Bulldogs, the Yarrawonga star will make his first appearance in Albury-Wodonga at John Flower Oval.
Although rival Ovens and Murray club Myrtleford paid the Pigeons spearhead about $5000 to play against them last month, Wodonga hasn’t followed suit.
With away games against North Albury and Lavington to follow next round’s home match against Wangaratta, Fevola, who had signed to play home matches only, would have potentially played just once in a six-week span following last week’s interleague bye.
That prospect didn’t sit well with the Pigeons, who opted to play the former AFL star away from home.
It’s a big win for Wodonga after the club revealed it had a debt of more than $160,000 in April last year.
Wodonga coach Ben Hollands, who said he wouldn’t have been comfortable paying Fevola to play against them, was thrilled with the news.
“It’s exciting,” Hollands said.
“Hopefully we get a big crowd there and it’ll only add to what was already going to be a great day.
“It arrived the way it should have, without us having to fork out money.
“That goes against every competitive instinct I have.
“It’ll be a bit of a thrill for the boys but it doesn’t change how we’ll approach the game.”
With another former AFL champion, Greg Williams, already booked to speak at the match, the Bulldogs will be eyeing their biggest crowd in years.
Fevola has drawn estimated crowds of 8000, 2700, 3000, 3200 and 4500 to his five matches this season, with Wodonga’s last home crowd — against the Saints in round 5 — attracting no more than 500 people.
