The AFL published its 2019 draw on Thursday, with the Giants to play against Fremantle, St Kilda and competition powerhouse Hawthorn in the capital.

Officials will also be working with the ACT government in the background in the hope of finalising details for an extension of their 10-year arrangement to play premiership matches in Canberra.

The 2019 campaign will be the eighth season of the $23 million, 10-year deal and the Giants and government have set up a committee to work through the negotiation process for the future.

Hawthorn will be playing their first game in Canberra and, as one of the biggest clubs in the AFL, add the star power to a trio of fixtures which all boast different layers of intrigue.

Fremantle and the Giants have traded players in the off-season and St Kilda have three Canberra juniors - Jack Steele, Josh Bruce and Logan Austin - in their squad.

But the bigger prize is continued AFL content in Canberra and the Giants are keen to put down more roots.

"We're increasing our presence 12 months of the year in Canberra, we couldn't be more pleased with how our home support is growing in Canberra," said Giants chief operating officer James Avery.

"We think we've made a fair bit of ground with the government this year in terms of working towards a new agreement. We are certainly keen and the government is also very keen.

"We'll continue to have those conversations over the next few months. From our perspective and from what we understand from the government's perspective, there's no need to rush anything. There's a willingness from both sides to finalise a new agreement hopefully some time next year.

The Giants will play Hawthorn in a late-season Friday-night clash, which could have a major impact on both team's finals hopes.

"We're coming from a strong base for the growth of the game, but we want continued growth for the Giants and the grassroots level," Avery said.

"We think we've got an obligation to bring the best possible games to Canberra every year and to put back into the community. We think we're doing that."

The Giants have avoided schedule clashes with the Canberra Raiders, but their afternoon fixture against St Kilda is on the same day the ACT Brumbies play the Auckland Blues. The Raiders will play against Brisbane at Canberra Stadium a day after the Giants' play Fremantle.

Fremantle will be returning to Canberra for the second year in the row and former GWS ruckman Rory Lobb's move West, while Tommy Sheridan has moved from Fremantle to the Giants.

The presence of the three Canberra juniors for St Kilda will give them a chance to play in a Manuka Oval homecoming, and Steele and Bruce will be playing against their former Giants teammates.

Giants boss David Matthews said: "Canberra is truly a home for us and we’re pleased to once again bring first class sporting events to the nation’s capital for the eighth year in a row.

"There’s no doubt that the Hawks are one of the greatest teams of the last decade and to have them come to town for a Friday night fixture is a great result for the Canberra community.

"These games combined with a pre-season Community Series match and AFLW fixture, gives our Canberra-based fans the opportunity to watch a number of different clubs across the entire year."

Steele and Bruce both started their AFL careers at the Giants before moving to St Kilda for a chance to secure more game time.

Steele, 22, played 21 games for St Kilda this year after making his debut for the Giants three years ago.

Bruce battled injuries this year, forced out for an extended period with a back injury and then fracturing his fibula when he returned to training.

The Saints recruited defender Austin this year to link with his best mate, Steele, but he played just seven games in his first year at the club.

GWS GIANTS IN CANBERRA

March 8 (pre-season): GWS Giants v Adelaide Crows at Manuka Oval, 7.10pm.

March 15 (AFLW): GWS Giants v Geelong Cats at Manuka Oval, 7.15pm.

April 20: GWS Giants v Fremantle Dockers at Manuka Oval, 1.45pm.

May 4: GWS Giants v St Kilda at Manuka Oval, 1.45pm.

August 9: GWS Giants v Hawthorn Hawks at Manuka Oval, 7.50pm.

CANBERRA SPORT DOUBLE-HEADERS

April 20 and 21: Giants v Fremantle on Saturday at 1.45pm, Raiders v Brisbane on Sunday at 4.05pm.

May 4: Giants v St Kilda at 1.45pm, Brumbies v Auckland Blues at 7.45pm.

May 24 and 25: Brumbies v Pretoria Bulls on Friday at 7.45pm, Raiders play North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday at 3pm.

June 13 and 15: Raiders v Cronulla Sharks on Thursday at 7.50pm, Brumbies v Queensland Reds on Saturday at 7.45pm.