Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell has confirmed the club is “keen to explore” the possibility of playing the GWS Giants in California for premiership points.
While talks between the Bombers and the Giants are in their infancy, Campbell says the opportunity to take the game to a new market and create a “point of difference” makes it an attractive proposition.
Legendary Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, who is a big believer in taking the game overseas, has been a driving force behind the bold plan along with GWS CEO Dave Matthews.
The match is likely to take place in either 2021 or 2022.
“Sheeds (Kevin Sheedy) has been very passionate about the US for a long period of time and his discussions with Dave Matthews, the CEO of the Giants, when he was up there – they are very passionate about it,” Campbell told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“This has been led by GWS and Dave, they are a pretty innovative football club and we’re pretty keen to explore another market.
“Clearly there has to be a performance benefit opportunity and there has to be a commercial opportunity, and it’s a time and age where it’s a really competitive landscape, AFL football, and you’re trying to create points of difference.
“The Californian market is the fifth biggest economy in the world … so it’s got a whole range of exciting and attractive aspects to it that we are keen to explore.
“But I want to reaffirm it’s in its infancy in terms of our discussions … but we’re keen to really explore it. If it makes sense and the business case adds up and both boards of both football clubs support it, we’ll peruse it.”
According to Campbell, the California clash would be a GWS home game.
“It would be a Giants home game. We’re not in a position to entertain shifting an Essendon home game," he said.
“We want to ensure that we play our home games at Marvel and the MCG, and that’s really important to us.”
Listen to Xavier Campbell’s chat on SEN’s Dwayne’s World in the player below
