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The GWS Giants are set to make history in Canberra next year when they play a Friday night blockbuster at Manuka Oval for the first time as well as hosting a clash against defending champions the Western Bulldogs in the capital. Fairfax Media understands the Giants have secured a Friday night fixture and it is believed they will play the Bulldogs in Canberra at some point next year, with the AFL to publish its 2017 draw on Thursday. Almost 40,000 fans watched the Giants' three premiership matches in Canberra this year, with their round 19 clash against Richmond selling out. The swell of support will result in the biggest game of the Giants' 10-year deal with the ACT government when they play the Bulldogs. The Giants have requested two games against Victorian opponents next year, while a Friday-night debut is set for Manuka Oval. Friday night is the most coveted time slot in the AFL schedule, with matches drawing massive crowds and big television audiences. However, it has traditionally been reserved for the most popular clubs and the Giants have been shunned from the premier fixture of the week. The Giants have been pushing for a Friday night berth and their stunning on-field success this year, which put them within a kick of a maiden grand final appearance, is set to be rewarded. The Bulldogs beat the Giants by six points in a tense preliminary final last month before going on to end a 62-year premiership drought. Now the "sons of the west" have been calling for a larger share of the marquee timeslot following their historic grand final victory. Two of the competition's fresh drawcards will collide in a match made in heaven for Canberra's football fans as the reigning premiers take on the premiership favourites. The Giants are widely touted as a force to be reckoned with with 2016's preliminary final appearance supposedly the first step in an era of dominance. Now the club is being tipped to go from strength to strength on the paddock having acquired Brett Deledio during the AFL trade period. The last meeting between GWS and the Bulldogs was the second most-watched match in AFL history excluding grand finals as a peak audience of 3.65 million people tuned in. The Manuka Oval fixture is set to take place in the first third of the season as the AFL look to avoid the icy Canberra winter in the league's first Friday night game in the nation's capital. Figures revealed the Giants enjoyed their highest-rating season in club history on television this year with their audience growing by almost 40 per cent on 2015. Almost 6.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the Giants' 22 regular-season games last year at an average of 304,409 per match. The clubs have met in Canberra three times since a deal was struck that sees the Giants play three regular season games and one pre-season match in Canberra per year. The most recent meeting drew a crowd of just under 8,000 in 2014. However, there is no doubt the Bulldogs have considerably increased their pulling power since then. AFL ACT/South Coast manager Steven Mahar says securing a Friday night fixture "will do wonders for the attraction of new people" to the game in Canberra. After sell-out crowds witnessed the Giants go toe-to-toe with Victorian clubs Geelong and Richmond, Mahar said talks were under way to deliver similar high-profile clubs to Manuka Oval. "Requests had been put in around having two Victorian clubs," Mahar said. "Geelong and Richmond were obviously sold-out games this year and it's something that from an AFL perspective they'd love to replicate and from a Giants perspective they'd love to replicate." Friday night football is the latest high-profile event to hit Manuka Oval since lights were installed at the venue, following in the footsteps of international cricket. Since the "diamonds in the sky" went up in Manuka, Canberra has hosted a Big Bash final, three cricket World Cup games, a number of one-day internationals featuring the Australian side and a Prime Minister's XI day-night fixture.

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