GWS chief executive Dave Matthews remains committed to the idea of playing a home-and-away match in the US.
The Giants have long been with the AFL in their desire to expand the game overseas.
They instigated talks about playing a game in California back in 2019, but they were set aside during the pandemic.
Matthews still wants to play internationally but says it needs to be “the genuine product” rather than an exhibition match.
“I’d be happy to play (in America),” Matthews told SEN on Monday morning.
“I think our game needs to continue to grow (and) that goes to my point about playing friendlies. If we’re going to go offshore, I’d rather take the genuine product.”
The NFL is bringing its product to Australia, playing an early-season match at the MCG in 2026.
A key issue with playing non-American sports in the US is the access to grounds.
Major League Cricket, while growing strongly, is still being played at makeshift baseball venues.
Matthews said he spoke to Andrew Dillon as recently as last week about growing the game internationally after the AFL chief executive went to India on a project tour.
“Obviously, you need stadiums and proper cricket grounds, which has been the issue in the US,” he said.
“But we spoke to Andrew Dillon about it a little bit last week and talked about his trip to India and what he might have as an aspiration there.
“We’re a club that’s very open to any of those initiatives.”
GWS hosts a winless St Kilda in an intriguing match at Engie Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Giants suffered a heavy defeat to the Western Bulldogs, while the Saints are 0-2 after making a strong recruiting play during the off-season.
Originally published as AFL 2026: GWS CEO Dave Matthews wants AFL home-and-away match in US