The league released its 2010 draw yesterday with the capital to host the Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans in round eight on May 15.

As part of a one-year deal, the ACT Government and its community partners will fork out $300,000 to bring an AFL game to Manuka.

To go with the premiership match between the Bulldogs and Swans, Canberra will also host a pre-season match on February 14 and a community camp.

A similar agreement is likely to be reached for the following season.

AFL NSW-ACT boss Dale Holmes wanted a sell-out crowd next year for the regular season game to prove the capital could be a viable partner.

''Ultimately it's up to the community and Government and business to work toward being clear about what role AFL has in Canberra,'' Holmes said

''In terms of the quality of the game, we couldn't have asked for a better match in Canberra and we'd expect a full house for that game.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times