The Giants have been the driving force behind an AFL revival in Canberra and are expected to play in front of a sell out crowd against defending premiers the Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval on Friday night.

It's a massive turnaround from when the Giants lured crowds of about 6000 fans when they started a 10-year deal worth $23 million to play games in the capital.

But Giants chief executive Matthews says "there's no doubt" Manuka Oval has to be upgraded if GWS are to keep coming back to Canberra four times a year when their current deal expires in 2021.

The Giants are six years into their 10-year partnership with the ACT government to play three premiership fixtures and a pre-season match in Canberra per year

The club and the government are edging closer to starting negotiations about renewing the agreement. But the Giants say the clincher will be venue upgrades and expansion.

The Giants boss says it would be premature to put a label on the length and value of the next deal, but the current agreement will be the "starting point" with the club unlikely to accept any less money.

Matthews flagged the possibility of playing up to four premiership games at Manuka Oval as part of a new deal, but the ageing Manuka Oval facilities would need to be improved.

The Giants partnered with developer Grocon last year for an $800 million bid to upgrade Manuka Oval and the surrounding precinct. Those plans were scuppered by the government.

The $800 million "Manuka Green" proposal would have seen land around Manuka Oval developed for a hotel, serviced apartments, retail, residential and office space.

It would also have bankrolled an $80 million to $100 million upgrade of the stadium which many believe is sorely needed, but it was dumped by the ACT government on the eve of the 2016 election.

"Really the missing piece of the puzzle which we do need put on the table with the ACT government is just trying to deliver the fans in Canberra with a better stadium experience," Matthews said.

"That's the major missing piece of the puzzle right now. There's obviously been ongoing discussions about that.

"Is there a fourth game, is it two games, is it three games? How does the overall upgrade of Manuka Oval get factored into ongoing plans would be one of the biggest questions for all parties I think.

"Whilst we still expect a sell-out [on Friday] night, what we all aspire to do over time is make sure that the amenities for people coming to the games are going to improve significantly."

The Giants will have a board meeting in Canberra on Friday and Matthews expects they will be looking "beyond the 10-year horizon" about their vision for Manuka Oval and Australian rules in Canberra.

Matthews says it is "fabulous" to be able to play one of the AFL season's marquee games in Canberra and it is an indication of just how far the ACT government partnership has come.

But by the same token he believes both parties should be working to improve the venue to ensure Canberra fans aren't left in the lurch.

"You've only got to look at the way the AFL has worked across Australia to build either new stadiums or upgrade existing ones," Matthews said.

"I know that neither the Giants or the ACT government would want to see a situation where fans in Canberra are left too far behind in that regard."

Matthews believes the ACT government's gamble with the original deal has been vindicated with the Giants pulling huge crowds and prime time television slots in the capital.

AFL ROUND SIX

Friday: GWS Giants v Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval. Bounce at 7:50pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.

GWS squad:

B: Nathan Wilson, Adam Tomlinson, Zac Williams
HB: Adam Kennedy, Nick Haynes, Heath Shaw
C: Dylan Shiel, Josh Kelly, Steve Johnson
HF: Tim Taranto, Rory Lobb, Matt Kennedy
F: Sam Reid, Jonny Patton, Jeremy Cameron
RR: Shane Mumford, Callan Ward, Tom Scully
Interchange: Toby Greene, Devon Smith, Jacob Hopper, Aidan Corr

Bulldogs squad:

B: Zaine Cordy, Fletcher Roberts, Jason Johannisen
HB: Easton Wood, Marcus Adams, Robert Murphy
C: Lachie Hunter, Luke Dahlhaus, Jack Macrae
HF: Josh Dunkley, Jake Stringer, Clay Smith
F: Lin Jong, Tom Boyd, Liam Picken
RR: Tom Campbell, Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore
Interchange: Matthew Suckling, Toby McLean, Bailey Williams, Caleb Daniel