California dreaming

ESSENDON and Greater Western Sydney are pitching to play an AFL match for premiership points in either Los Angeles or San Francisco as early as 2022.

The radical idea is expected to net the clubs more than $1 million and will be a GWS “home” match.

Originally pitched by Kevin Sheedy, who coached both clubs, the idea has become a reality under Bombers CEO Xavier Campbell and Giants CEO Dave Matthews.

The current plan is for the fixture to be played either to launch the season or during the bye rounds.

It will be played around 8pm local time, which will translate to a twilight TV start time for Australian east coast audiences.

“Being bold means we need to challenge the status quo,” Campbell said yesterday.

“Not for the sake of it, but because our growth depends on it.

“Plans and discussions are very much in their infancy, but talks have revolved around the relocation of a GWS home game, with the opportunity to position the match as one of the early marquee games of the premiership season.

“We believe this has the potential to present a compelling and unique opportunity to create a significant television spectacle, while also exposing and unlocking the game of AFL — and the Bombers’ and Greater Western Sydney’s brands to California — the world’s fifth-largest economy in its own right.”

Essendon has previously investigated playing for premiership points in India.

In 2017, News Corp uncovered VFL documents which outlined a plan to relocate a Melbourne-based club to Los Angeles.

The club was to be called the LA Crocodiles and would have played home matches at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena or the Los Angeles Coliseum.

A formal submission was presented to the VFL commission in September 1987, but it was rejected at a board meeting one month later.

The AFL has previously played games internationally for premiership points in both China and New Zealand.

Pre-season games have been played in Dubai and exhibition games have been held in London.