Essendon will look to rewrite their privileged-tenant contract with Etihad Stadium with a view to playing more home games at the MCG.

The Bombers, the only AFL club to hold their own deal with the Docklands stadium, have indicated their 17-year agreement, struck at the start of the millennium, has become dated. Club bosses have reached the view that they will push for an extra annual home game at the MCG from next year.

With North Melbourne, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs waiting to renegotiate new direct stadium deals with the AFL there seems every indication that Etihad's struggling tenant clubs will see little if any improvement this season in terms of match returns.

None of those clubs has ever sighted the contract the AFL, which purchased Etihad late last year for $200 million, originally signed on behalf of its tenant teams but all have been assured they will benefit significantly from their yet-to-be-negotiated new deals.