'We're the AFL team for the people of Canberra': GWS Giants eye new 10-year deal with ACT government

The Giants will return almost 12 months to the day since their last match in Canberra when they host St Kilda at Manuka Oval on Friday night.

GWS are in the final year of their 10-year, $23 million partnership with the ACT government to play matches in Canberra, a deal which was rolled over in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic with the club limited to two matches in Canberra over the past two seasons.

Friday night marks the first of four Giants home games in Canberra this year - Geelong, Brisbane and Fremantle round out the opponents - with GWS chief executive Dave Matthews keen to secure a new deal with government officials.

Matthews says the Giants have become "the AFL team for the people of Canberra", adamant the $23 million deal has paid off.

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"With economic impact and other things, it's proven to be of value to everybody. That's the starting point in any of those negotiations. The spirit and intent of everybody is to get a deal done," Matthews said.

"It's still in discussions at the moment. We've really been very proud of the arrangement we've had over 10 years, and we didn't hesitate to push it out by one during COVID to make it an 11-year deal.

"We think all the fundamental planks are in place with the government, we're just going through some details at the moment. Sooner rather than later, we'd be looking at getting that partnership resolved.

"All parties are broadly very happy with the decision and the vision in the first place to have a 10-year arrangement, which in the end has gone quickly. We're very much the AFL team for the people of Canberra and we can see that happening for another decade."

The ACT government's sports funding has been a source of debate with political powerbrokers boosting a financial commitment to the Canberra Raiders to $2.6 million per year.

Government officials have said investment in the ACT Brumbies is the "most significant" funding priority in the capital, securing a two-year, $3.5 million deal to ensure the club is financially viable. The Raiders' package is bigger due to a larger amount of home games.

The Giants earn $2.3 million per year through a combination of games in Canberra, as well as a partnership fee designed to develop the club's brand in the ACT via an academy program, as well as participation and community initiatives.

The Giants are confident football in Canberra is reaping the rewards of the long-term agreement between the club and the territory government.

Matthews says the club's Canberra membership cohort held firm during the pandemic and now sits at about 5800, just shy of the Giants' ACT membership record.

Now the Giants are hoping for a packed house at Manuka Oval - which will feature a Tom Green fan club marquee on the wing in a nod to the local favourite - where crowds at 13 of the Giants' past 15 home games have exceeded the 10,000 mark.

"We know it's a multi-code region, there's great support for all sorts of sport," Matthews said.

"When we started the Giants, there were a lot of supporters of other AFL teams who have migrated across now because they know we're delivering regular content. We're going to be that team for a long time to come.

"We've got such a strong connection with the Canberra community. Our membership held up during COVID, and right now it's about 5800, so we're not actually far away from the overall membership record in Canberra.

"We're hoping with such a great opportunity this year to play four games, we wanted to play that fourth game to make it up to the people of Canberra for our absence over the past couple of years.

"We'd like to think it would go close to capacity. We think it will go very, very close to selling out. St Kilda is obviously a team on the rise, Friday night football is a significant event in itself."

AFL ROUND SIX

Friday: GWS Giants v St Kilda Saints at Manuka Oval, 7.50pm. Tickets from Ticketek.

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