Australian Football League side Essendon "will look to rewrite its privileged-tenant contract with Etihad Stadium with a view to playing more home games" at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, according to Caroline Wilson of THE AGE. The Bombers, the only AFL club to hold its own deal with the Docklands stadium, indicated that its 17-year agreement, struck at the start of the millennium, has become "dated." Club execs "reached the view that they will push for an extra annual home game at the MCG from next year." 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 A$200M ($151.7M), 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 Chair Lindsay Tanner said that "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." Although the Bombers' contract with Melbourne Stadiums Ltd. does not expire until '25 and "affords the club special signage, merchandising, membership and hospitality deals and significantly better match returns" after moving first to the Docklands in '00, it has 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 '00 and the Bulldogs last year -- have won premierships over the Docklands era (THE AGE, 1/31).
