ALREADY the most successful Big Bash League franchise on the field, the Perth Scorchers are turning their attention to the stands after a move to their new and improved Furnace at Optus Stadium.

Despite selling out every home game last season, playing at the 20,000-capacity WACA Ground meant the Scorchers were only the fifth-best supported team during the 2017-18 competition.

The Scorchers’ average BBL7 attendance — 26,752 — received a big boost when Perth hosted the Hobart Hurricanes in front of 52,960 supporters in a losing semifinal at Optus Stadium, but still fell well short of Adelaide (35,255), Brisbane (32,980), and Melbourne’s Stars (31,628) and Renegades (28,315).

Now, with BBL8 extended to a full home-and-away season for the first time, the Scorchers men will play at least seven games at Optus Stadium — the first on Boxing Day against the Strikers — and WACA chief executive Christina Matthews is hopeful of knocking the Adelaide Strikers off their perch.

“We are looking at average attendances of 35,000 across the season and I certainly think we will give (the Strikers) a good nudge,” she said. “Our research during last season’s semifinal against the Hurricanes found 80 per cent of the 53,000-strong crowd were there for the Scorchers rather than the stadium. That gave us great confidence. We already know that the passion of Scorchers fans is the best in the country and early ticket sales are already far bigger than any other year.”

Ms Matthews said Optus Stadium brought a range of new opportunities for fan engagement, including light shows, fan zones and much more space for activations both inside and around the venue.

The Scorchers have already signed up more than 4300 members — 400 more than the same time last year — and are targeting 10,000 by the time the season kicks off with a men’s and women’s Boxing Day double-header. They finished last season with a record 8285 members.

Scorchers’ spearhead bowler Jason Behrendorff sat out the BBL7 semifinal through injury, but said he was eagerly anticipating his Optus Stadium debut in front of a predicted sell-out crowd.

Camera Icon Andy Graham, Heather Graham, Jason Behrendorff and Juvelle Behrendorff holding her son Harrison. Credit: Richard Hatherly

The two-time BBL champion called on Scorchers supporters to smash attendance records and ensure Perth maintained its reputation as an intimidating fortress for visiting sides.

“A sell-out at the WACA was just over 20,000 but I’d be hoping we get at least double that,” he said.

“I think we should aim high and say an average attendance of 50,000. That would be fantastic wouldn’t it? It is such a buzz when you walk out on to the field and there is a lot of noise and everyone is amped and really excited.”

All-rounder Heather Graham said playing in front of a packed house during the Scorchers WBBL semifinal win over Sydney Thunder at Optus Stadium this year was a whirlwind experience.

“We hadn’t played at a big ground like this before and having a really big, supportive home crowd behind us definitely helped get us through,” she said.

The women play just one game at Optus Stadium this season.

“We only got a couple thousand the first few years we were playing at Lilac Hill but I think we cracked 4000 last season, so hopefully we can push that to 10,000 and then one day hopefully fill a stadium like Optus,” Graham said.

Meanwhile, the Burswood venue will host Test cricket for the first time when Australia clash with India in the second of their four-Test series from December 14-18.

The WACA has confirmed the more relaxed dress code, introduced last season amid public backlash over the outdated rules for women, will carry over at the new venue.

Behrendorff’s wife Juvelle, a stylist, welcomed the switch to smart casual clothing.

She said she had a ruler pulled on her to check the length of her dress many times under the old regime and women who did not like dresses had been forced to wear jeans or long pants on scorching summer days because most shorts did not meet the old standard.