AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan remains "very confident" about the long-term future of Greater Western Sydney despite the club recording a loss of more than half-a-million dollars last year.
 
The Giants announced on Tuesday that they had recorded an operating loss of $529,000 in 2014.
 
This was a significant drop from the operating profit of $30,836 GWS recorded in 2013 and came despite the club receiving an extra $2.3 million in AFL funding last year.
 
GWS increased its football department spending by $700,000 in 2014 principally to snare high-profile recruits Shane Mumford and Heath Shaw.
 
But according to a Fairfax report this week, the club's marketing and sponsorship revenue fell by almost $1.4 million in 2014 compared to 2013, while membership and merchandise revenue was down by more than $300,000.
 
McLachlan told reporters on Friday the Giants faced significant challenges to establish themselves in a non-football state but the AFL boss was confident they would do so eventually.
 
"I think we've got challenges at a lot of our clubs in terms of this disparity between the strong and the less strong, GWS is one of those (clubs)," McLachlan said at the Glenroy Football Club.
 
"They are a start-up club in a very tough market who's got an extraordinarily talented list, but the reality of their list-build means they've won [nine] games in 66.
 
"So I'm very confident long-term, we know it's a generational decision and the guys up there are working really hard."
 
Giants chairman Tony Shepherd said on Tuesday he was confident improved on-field results would help the club build attendances and membership from 2015.
 
Meanwhile, McLachlan said he still had great faith in the culture of Gold Coast and the character of its playing group, despite the recent illicit drug allegations circling the club.
 
Karmichael Hunt, who left the Suns at the end of last season to join the Queensland Reds rugby union team, last week received a notice to appear in court over a charge of supplying cocaine for personal use and on-sale to friends between June and December 2014.
 
And News Corp reported on Thursday that some Suns players were under investigation more than two years ago for the use of an illicit substance.
 
Asked whether he was getting angry that a campaign of whispers was impugning Gold Coast's reputation, McLachlan backed the Suns' culture in the absence of any new incriminating information.
 
"I don't have any information at all now nearly a week into this (and) there's been no announcement form anyone," McLachlan said.
 
"I'm realistic though of the challenges and society pressures that face all of our playing group, all the young men playing our game.
 
"However, we work with them daily, weekly, yearly to educate them and to make sure they're making the right decisions.
 
"They don't all of the time, but I don't have any evidence and I have great confidence broadly speaking in the culture and the playing group of the Gold Coast Suns and that's substantiated by the fact that we do work with them very closely. We have hair-testing results and other (tests)."
 
McLachlan said he remained hopeful that the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal, which adjourned on February 17 to consider its decision against the 34 former and current Essendon players facing anti-doping charges, would release its decision in the second half of March.
 
The findings of a report into the value of community football undertaken by AFL Victoria, the AFL and Latrobe University were released on Friday at Glenroy Football Club.
 
The report found that for every dollar spent on community football, $4.40 worth of social benefits flowed back to the community in areas such as social connections, individual well being, mental health, employment and personal development.
 
"It's fabulous to have a piece of work launched today that quantifies what we know – community football clubs have a massive impact on people's lives," McLachlan said.