The nation’s capital will showcase one home-and-away and one pre-season game - either NAB Cup or NAB Challenge - as part of a one-year deal between the ACT Government and the AFL.
The Western Bulldogs and the Sydney Swans will meet for the fifth time since 2007 at the Canberra venue in the home-and-away match, which is pencilled in for sometime in May.
The Dogs and Swans played at Manuka in round eight this year and drew a crowd of 14,308, which was the biggest attendance at an AFL match in Canberra in three seasons.
ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr said it was a pleasing move for the capital and its football fans.
“AFL is an important part of the sporting, cultural and tourism life of Canberra. It’s something we want to see grow in the years to come,” he said.
“These 2011 games and the ongoing community involvement by AFL are important in helping to set the scene for what I hope will be a strong partnership between the ACT Government, the AFL and the ACT4GWS project.”
AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan added it was important for the league to retain its national footprint.
Meanwhile, GWS coach Kevin Sheedy, who travelled around Canberra last week to promote the league’s 18th franchise, has laid claim to the “zone” beyond next season.
“I think Canberra is a fantastic opportunity for us. It’s sitting here and both North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have come here and gone,” he told afl.com.au.
“This is our zone, so we’re letting everyone know we’re here forever.
“We’ve got good support; we’ve been coming down for the last few months.”
Sheedy said he imagined GWS would aim to play “three to four” matches a year at Manuka after they entered the competition in 2012.
He also expressed a need for the stadium’s capacity to be expanded.
“As the seasons go on, we don’t know how many games we’re going to have in a season because we’ve got 18 teams,” he said.
“It’s hard to define the number because the longer the season goes, there might be more opportunities, but we think three to four games [a year], including NAB Cup.
“The AFL has a great stadium here in the capital of the country. It’s a historical AFL ground. We need it to become a 20,000-seat stadium.”
Manuka Oval currently has a seating capacity of 13,550.
Sheedy is encouraged by Canberra’s footballing landscape that he says provided him with two of his best players - James Hird and Justin Blumfield - in the 2000 grand final.
He has also suggested the league look at scheduling an event such as the NAB Cup grand final in Canberra to enhance interest in the game.
“There’s lot of things we can do. It would be exciting; it doesn’t always have to be in Melbourne,” he said.
“We’ve got to make the passion for footy better in Canberra.”
The AFL fixture for the 2011 Toyota AFL Premiership Season will be released in October.
