Essendon has requested that the AFL move their inaugural AFLW home game to Marvel Stadium after all public tickets for the game were sold.

The club's opening round clash against arch-enemies Hawthorn was scheduled to go ahead at Port Melbourne's ETU Stadium, however limited tickets remain available with just 16 days left until the opening bounce.

Bombers CEO Xavier Campbell on Thursday made a plea to the AFL to move the August 27 fixture to Docklands to accommodate for the higher demand.

AFLW News: AFLW Leadership groups announced

“The game will be announced as a sell-out shortly, and while that is a cause for celebration it will also, unfortunately, mean a significant number of our members and supporters won’t be able to show their support should it remain scheduled at ETU Stadium," Campbell said to the club's website.

“Playing our arch rival Hawthorn in such a defining fixture for both clubs will be a great spectacle, that is deserving of being played at a venue such as Marvel.

“As such, we are calling on the AFL to move our game to Marvel in order to appropriately celebrate our inaugural home game."

Last month, Hawthorn coach Bec Goddard also threw her support behind moving the game to Marvel Stadium in order to facilitate the momentous occasion.

Embed from Getty Images

Marvel Stadium's capacity of 53,359 means that there will be more than ample space to house the bumper crowd, with ETU Stadium's 6,000 capacity surely to be too little for the blockbuster match.
As the game will likely be taking place in the AFL men's pre-finals bye, the stadium could very well be unbooked and the Bombers' request may be greenlit, however, the AFL is yet to respond to the matter.
Should Essendon's request be denied, there lie very few other options to cater for the high demand.
The next best option would be Ikon Park - the home of enemy Carlton - with a capacity of 22,000 that would likely be able to hold the bumper crowd.
The Bombers' spiritual home of Windy Hill is set to undergo a $50 million redevelopment to host both AFLW and VFL games, with the estimated date of completion set to be in time for the 2024 AFLW season.
Until then, there is no guarantee of where Essendon will take to the field in their first ever AFLW match.