The Giants are seven years into their 10-year, $23 million partnership with the ACT government to play three premiership fixtures and a pre-season match in Canberra per year.

Informal discussions about extending the deal have taken place but Matthews expects business to pick up after indicating the partnership is becoming more successful than anyone hoped.

The Giants will look to build on an imposing record in Canberra when they open their 2018 campaign against the Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval on Sunday afternoon.

But GWS chief executive Matthews, who is willing to shift finals games to Canberra, says the deal has become much more than a handful of AFL games in the capital every year.

"When we first started in 2012 or when the deal was done a year or two earlier, people wouldn't have contemplated at the time that Giants netball would come to fruition and there would be games played in Canberra," Matthews said.

"[Nor would they have contemplated] that the AFLW competition would get up and going and we'd get a women's team in that and we'd be able to bring games to Canberra there too.

"This is far more than just a package of three home and away men's games. This is a pre-season game, community camp, player appearances. We've become very entrenched in Canberra and we enjoy it.

"There's no doubt discussions have commenced informally more than anything else. Over the course of this year I think we will get into very detailed discussions.

"We're very happy calling Canberra home, and I know Canberra and the ACT government have been really pleased with the outcomes that we've been able to deliver so I think it makes sense.

"It's amazing to think we're already seven years into a 10-year deal. The foresight of [AFL chief executive] Gillon McLachlan, [ex-GWS boss] Dale Holmes and others who decided with Andrew Barr to enter into a lengthy deal have been vindicated.

"It's gone quickly but it's allowed everyone time to think things down and get some real traction."

Manuka Oval has been bordering on a full house for the bulk of Giants games at the venue in recent years, with Matthews tipping another sell-out against the Bulldogs on Sunday.

The Giants enjoyed "overwhelming success" when they hosted then-reigning premiers the Bulldogs on a Friday night under lights at Manuka Oval last year.

Matthews has long outlined his desire to bring new clubs to the capital and he will tick off two more this season with Fremantle and 2017 grand finalists Adelaide facing the Giants in Canberra.

It leaves Hawthorn, Collingwood, Carlton, Sydney, Essendon, Brisbane, and West Coast as the only clubs yet to play the Giants for premiership points at Manuka Oval.

Collingwood played a pre-season game at Manuka Oval this year, a fixture the Swans have been a part of in recent years in front of over 4000 Canberra-based Giants members at "a real fortress".

"We've got some really high quality opponents in Canberra over the years but as we've always said it's more about people attaching themselves to the Giants," Matthews said.

"That's what we wanted to try to do. Obviously the derbies will always be Sydney-based but we want to bring most of the clubs through Canberra when we can.

"The Bulldogs, we've developed a very good rivalry with them particularly off the back of the preliminary final loss [in 2016] and also the big game under lights last year in Canberra.

"We're really happy with that as an opening game, it's going to be a great occasion."

AFL ROUND ONE

Sunday: GWS Giants v Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval, 1.10pm. Tickets from Ticketek. TV: Live on Fox Footy.