Apr 8th, 2020

Apr 8th, 2020

The AFL could soon have one of its teams being privately owned, with a White House advisor reportedly interested in purchasing the GWS Giants.

Daniel Ivascyn and Marc Seidner are both executives at the global investment management firm Pimco and the pair, who have already contributed millions to the Giants, are understood to be interested in private ownership.

The Boston-based Ivascyn and the New York-based Seidner were both in attendance to watch the Giants in their loss to Richmond in last year's AFL Grand Final, and Giants CEO Dave Matthews admitted the club would consider a sale.

"I think it could be considered for sure," he told Seven News.

"At a time when the competition is looking for more financial muscle and the opportunity for others to come in and contribute to the health of the code, I think it needs to be considered.

Ivascyn and Seidner have already poured in millions of their own money into the Giants (Getty)

"It could come from a number of sources. I know supporters out of the US get talked about.

"Whether there's a proposition that gets some of their attention remains to be seen."

Veteran AFL columnist Caroline Wilson confirmed Ivascyn and Seidner's interest, saying there was "absolutely no doubt" that the pair were interested in owning the AFL side.

"They've got a coterie group of 30, these are two," she told Footy Classified.

"Between this group of 30, there's $3 million and that's the reason the Giants can play at the top of their salary cap when they're still a recipient club.

"Of that $3 million, I think Seidner and Ivascyn contribute about $1.1 million and there is absolutely no doubt there is some interest in them becoming owners."

The potential owners were in attendance as the Giants were smashed by Richmond in last year's Grand Final (Getty)

While private ownership is relatively rare in the history of the AFL, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire suggested that the league would be open to the idea of the American billionaires purchasing the Giants, given its current financial plight.

"If someone came in today with $30 million to take the skin off their hand they would do the deal," he told Footy Classified.

"I think private ownership has never worked in Australia because we haven't been big enough.

"There's not enough really big people who are interested in doing it and I think you've got to almost look at it like a hobby or at least have some sort of connection into America.

"They're big hitters, these guys. That's what makes it interesting."