Australian Football League side Sydney Swans announced it will play all its home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground "after getting out of an existing deal with ANZ Stadium," according to Liam Quinn of the London DAILY MAIL. The "shock move" comes just 26 days ahead of the start of the 2016 AFL season, "which would have seen Sydney kick its season off with a marquee clash at Collingwood at the former Olympic stadium." That game, along with two other matches against Essendon in May, and Carlton in July, "will now be played at the SCG instead." The move sees the Swans "move home a year earlier than expected," after the club signed a 30-year deal last year to relocate all home games to the SCG from '17. Sydney Swans CEO & Managing Dir Andrew Ireland said that the move "will be a huge boost to the club and its fans." Ireland: "We have listened to our fans and we look forward to seeing them pack the SCG in 2016" (DAILY MAIL, 2/29). In Sydney, Adrian Warren reported there "could still be at least one more Sydney game at ANZ," as Ireland said that the stadium "would be used if the Swans hosted a finals match this year." He said that negotiations with ANZ Stadium management started last November and got "pretty intense" over the past three weeks. Ireland: "It (the SCG) is clearly a favorite spot for our members and supporters and we just thought that if we could get it back here a year early it would be great for everyone." In a statement, ANZ Stadium management said that it had "agreed to enter into good faith negotiations with the Swans but only on the basis that ANZ Stadiums valued members and corporate clients would be well catered for." An agreement was subsequently reached where ANZ members "could access three Swans games at the SCG over the next three years" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/29).
