For Bombers great Michael Long, bringing Dreamtime footy back where his career began is something extra special.

NAIDOC Week is set to make Dreamtime fixtures a twice annual fixture in the next two years with matches confirmed for Optus Stadium in Boorloo between Essendon and Richmond.

The games will follow the established marquee match of Sir Doug Nicholls Round regularly played in May, under a two year partnership struck with the Western Australian Government.

The Bombers and Tigers will 'host' Dreamtime at Maali games, named for the Noongar word for Black Swan, as 'home' teams in the west once each, it is understood.

"Dreamtime has always been about more than footy. It's about our people, our culture and our stories, and seeing it go to Perth makes me very proud," Long said of the match heading west.

"Perth is where my footy career started, back at the WACA in 1989. To see Dreamtime go there, on Noongar Country, means a lot to me and my family."

Raised on the Tiwi Islands, and arriving at Essendon ahead of the 1989 season after playing with Darwin powerhouse St Mary's and later SANFL club West Torrens, Long's then-VFL debut came against West Coast in Perth.

His movement and organisation The Long Walk, has become a focal point of Dreamtime at the 'G games in Naarm, leading fans and supporters from Birrarung Marr to the MCG before the first bounce each year.

Long, individually, remains an iconic figure for at the Bombers, in the AFL, Dreamtime games and during Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

"This game belongs to everyone. I hope families, young people and communities right across WA come and be part of it," he said.

"The Long Walk has always been about bringing people together. Walking with the people of Perth, on their Country, will be something special. I'm proud of what Essendon and Richmond have built together with Dreamtime, and proud that it keeps growing."

Dreamtime games have previously moved away from the MCG on two occasions.

During the COVID 19 pandemic, Darwin hosted the game in 2020, before Optus Stadium held the fixture for the first time in 2021.

National Indigenous Times understands a Dreamtime game in Boorloo may also be on the cards for 2029 as part of a deal worth as much as $6 million.

The Western Australian government has invested heavily in events aimed at drawing tourists to the state, with some critics contrasting the spend with the budget for Aboriginal community services, particularly in remote and regional communities.

Optus Stadium has been pursuing more AFL fixtures; hosting the State of Origin match early last year and buying two North Melbourne home games.

The AFL has promised a larger program of cultural and community activities to take place around the 2027 Dreamtime at Maali game, on Sunday, July 4, during NAIDOC Week.

Boorloo will also host the Australian Football Hall of Fame in the same week.

"Australian Football belongs to fans right across the country, and we are pleased to bring the Dreamtime Game and the Australian Football Hall of Fame to Perth as part of an incredible weekend for the game," AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said.

"The Dreamtime Game is one of the most powerful fixtures on the AFL calendar. This second Dreamtime fixture in Perth during NAIDOC Week will enable more supporters to share in its celebration of First Nations cultures and the extraordinary contribution of First Nations people to our game.

"Bringing the Hall of Fame to Western Australia for the first time will also allow us to celebrate the people who have shaped Australian Football in a state with a proud and enduring football history."

Essendon and Richmond first hosted Dreamtime at the G in 2005, two years before the AFL introduced Indigenous Round, and more than a decade before it was renamed in honour of former footballer and trailblazer in reconciliation and politics Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls.

"Dreamtime means a great deal to Essendon people. It is a celebration of our proud and rich history, and of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, families and communities who have helped shape who we are as a club," Bombers chief executive Tim Robers said.

Tigers chief executive Shane Dunne added: "Maali, the Noongar word for black swan, gives this game its own identity and a strong connection to Western Australia. Just as importantly, we want the game and everything that surrounds it to be shaped through genuine engagement with local community, particularly the opportunities to engage and connect with young people."

Additional reporting by Giovanni Torre