Perth Glory are bracing for a huge financial hit this A-League Men season, but chief executive Anthony Radich says being able to play a full allocation of home games is priceless.
After spending the large part of two COVID-affected seasons on the road, the Glory's ALM team were dealt another huge blow when their home stadium - HBF Park - was ruled out of action for the bulk of the current campaign.
The venue is undergoing an upgrade to get it ready for the 2023 Women's World Cup, with the delays in the construction industry meaning Perth will play 10 of their 13 home games at Macedonia Park.
Their first at the Stirling venue will be against Western United on December 10, with the Glory not returning to HBF Park until March 10.
Perth currently sit on bottom of the ladder with just one win to show from five games - all of which were away matches.
Temporary seating has been installed at Macedonia Park to expand capacity to 4000.
That figure is much lower than the 6000 to 12000 fans the Glory attracted to games before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Perth are still unsure exactly how much of a financial hit they will cop this season due to the unavailability of HBF Park, but it's expected to be significant.
"We're still working through that," Radich said.
"It's a moving feast in terms of what we are able to fit in here (at Macedonia Park) and what we are able to do and execute.
"It's a significant financial hit, but we're hopeful the government is listening and we'll be looked after accordingly (through compensation)."
The Glory may be able to lift capacity beyond 4000 if the temporary lighting doesn't take up too much room.
Either way, playing in front of limited home fans was much better than the alternative option - spending the entire season on the road.
"The primary objective for us was to make sure we had home games back here," Radich said.
"It's not ideal in terms of financially for the club. We take a hit to membership, corporate and spectator numbers.
"But just ensuring that our brand is kept alive and our fans and members get to see their heroes out on the field - you can't put a price on that."
Perth's women's side only played one game at home last season due to WA's border closure - the opening-round 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar.
They will return to home comforts on Sunday when they host Adelaide United at Macedonia Park.
The Glory opened their ALW season with a 2-2 draw against Canberra United last week.
