Essendon will look to rewrite their privileged-tenant contract with Etihad Stadium with a view to playing more home games at the MCG.
The Bombers, the only AFL club to hold their own deal with the Docklands stadium, have indicated their 17-year agreement, struck at the start of the millennium, has become dated. Club bosses have reached the view that they will push for an extra annual home game at the MCG from next year.
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With North Melbourne, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs waiting to renegotiate new direct stadium deals with the AFL there seems every indication that Etihad's struggling tenant clubs will see little if any improvement this season in terms of match returns.
None of those clubs has ever sighted the contract the AFL, which purchased Etihad late last year for $200 million, originally signed on behalf of its tenant teams but all have been assured they will benefit significantly from their yet-to-be-negotiated new deals.
![Essendon are seeking to change their deal with Etihad Stadium.](/web/20170202213310im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/s/b/j/8/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu2lh9.png/1485852610705.jpg)
Essendon chairman Lindsay Tanner said the future break-up of home games remained a matter for his executive but confirmed the club had held discussions regarding a fifth home game each year at the MCG, leaving six at Etihad.
Bombers chief executive Xavier Campbell has railed in the past against Essendon hosting Hawthorn at Etihad and the club would also prefer to host Melbourne at the MCG rather than Docklands where the teams will clash in 2017.
This year Essendon will open their season against the Hawks with a home game at the MCG, along with playing there on Anzac Day, plus against Geelong in the so-called "country game" and in their return clash with Carlton.
Although the Bombers' contract with Melbourne Stadiums Limited does not expire until 2025 and affords the club special signage, merchandising, membership and hospitality deals and significantly better match returns after moving first to the Docklands in 2000, they have been waiting for the AFL purchase to renegotiate a better deal.
While the Bombers want more MCG games to appease their supporters, the club is always looking for more games at the home of most AFL finals and the grand final. Only two Etihad tenant clubs — Essendon in 2000 and the Bulldogs last year — have won premierships over the Docklands era.
North Melbourne CEO Carl Dilena confirmed that his club had not budgeted for better stadium returns in 2017 — returns which have continued to financially cripple all three other original Etihad tenants following deals negotiated by the AFL.
He also confirmed: "We've never seen a copy of the Etihad agreement."
Hamstrung financially by its dispute with the players and struggling against deadlines to reach new deals with the clubs, the AFL has seconded former Etihad finance boss Darren Hayes to assist with the negotiations.
Dilena said the AFL had undertaken to achieve new deals with the clubs by August this year in order to meet 2018 budget deadlines. "They haven't given us any specific guidelines as to what we may hope for this year," Dilena said.
"While we're hopeful there may be an upside, we've been conservative.
"They've told us they will look at improving returns as an interim move."