‘Not going to happen': Swans chairman declares SCG off limits to Giants
For several years, Greater Western Sydney has been exploring the possibility of playing a home game at the SCG during the six to eight-week period in which their primary home venue, Engie Stadium, is unavailable due to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The Giants are trying again for 2026 - this time as part of a deal with Richmond, who would sell one of their home games to the NSW government and play against GWS, who would instead be the away team at the storied Moore Park venue.
Pridham told this masthead that he was aware of those talks between the two clubs, but said the Swans had not been officially looped in. And that's problematic, given that under their lease agreement, they have first and final rights over any AFL matches played at the SCG.
'We're aware that there's been discussions between the Giants and Richmond about playing a Richmond home game next season at the SCG,' he said.
'We haven't been officially spoken to about it ... I don't know how well-advanced the thinking is.
'Our position is consistent, as it's always been: under our venue hire agreement, we have exclusive rights to AFL games on the SCG, and we would enforce that as we always have, so it's not going to happen.'
There is only one specific situation in which the Swans would relent and allow another team to call the SCG home for a week, Pridham said: 'We're open to playing their [the Giants'] home derby at the SCG if that gives them a better financial outcome. Happy to do that. But the SCG is the home of the Sydney Swans.'
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