AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has hailed the sporting event of a lifetime in Perth - but he has baulked at a potential repeat of the State’s hosting of the grand final.

A relieved-looking McLachlan said pre-match, as he mingled with Premier Mark McGowan, AFL chairman Richard Goyder, Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes and competing club presidents Kylie Watson-Wheeler and Kate Roffey, that he had been glad to get the season through to its crescendo.

“I just spoke to the deputy commissioner of police and there’s nothing stopping us now,” McLachlan said from Optus Stadium.

“It’s amazing ... the energy outside is incredible, everyone is wearing either Bulldogs or Melbourne kit and the people over here are just excited and grateful so it’s actually a thrill to be here. The logistics have been hard and for my team, the red light is flashing on the fuel gauge.

“But I’m very proud of what they’ve done, of our clubs and our players and our supporters for coming on the journey. You’ve only got to look at the ratings, the interest and the traffic and you see this grand final is almost the most legitimate one since I’ve been around football.

“We’ve got the best two teams and have shown resilience. It’s an amazing venue and a fitting grand final after one of the toughest seasons ever.”

But McLachlan stopped well short of suggesting the grand final would be back at Optus Stadium next year.

“It’s a grand final-worthy venue, but if it’s here again it means we’ve got bigger problems so I’d prefer if it was back at the ‘G’ (MCG in Melbourne),” he said.

“But we say thanks for having us and thanks for embracing the thing so whole-heartedly and for having such a good time and making it your own. I speak as someone from Victoria when I say thanks for doing it the way that it has been done, with an empathy and a care for all the Victorians.

“They certainly appreciate it and that has been passed on to me. Now just have a cracking time.”