All signs are pointing to the Top End for the AFL's 20th team as reports have indicated that the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) has rejected the idea of their state holding a third side, alongside West Coast and Fremantle.
With the Tasmanian Devils set to join the competition in 2028, clubs have stipulated that the weekly bye isn't viable for the competition in the long term and that a push for a 20th club is well and truly on.
South Australian reserves club Norwood has been speculated as an option given their "powerhouse" status whilst also a long-reaching history within the state.
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Western Australia was floated as a potential landing spot while Canberra has also been discussed, according to Channel 7's Mitch Cleary.
However, speaking on Fox Footy's Midweek Tackle, Herald Sun's Sam Landsberger revealed that Northern Territory has undoubtedly become the frontrunner for a 20th AFL licence, with WA reportedly pulling out of the race.
“It sounds like a 20th licence is inevitable… we're clearly going to have a bye with 19 clubs from 2028; I don't think that will last for long,” Landsberger said.
“I thought WA made sense, but WA football commission thinks otherwise – they don't want a third AFL club in their state, that surprised me.
“Put a line through it right now, WA footy is run a little bit differently with the WAFC; they own the licences for West Coast and Fremantle; it's a pretty powerful entity.
“They don't want a chasm between their two existing clubs and a third club; they look at Melbourne and they look at the powerhouses and the North Melbourne's, and they don't want a club that would come in and not be able to sell out Optus Stadium.
“All roads lead to the ‘Top End' (Darwin).”
A concerted effort to hand the territory more responsibility and an increased push for extra games is a sure indication of the future thinking of the league.
The Gold Coast Suns hosted a fortnight of games at TIO Stadium (Darwin) across Rounds 9 and 10 while Melbourne will play at TIO Traeger Park (Alice Springs) in Round 12 against Fremantle.
The AFLW is also set to host a Dreamtime game in Darwin as well while the men's competition saw Richmond and Essendon showcase the highly-coveted match in all its glory during the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season at the Top End.
In the pre-season, all 18 club captains were asked if the AFL were to add another team following Tasmania, where would it be. The majority answered with Darwin (8), while WA and North Queensland had four each in favour as Hawthorn's James Sicily said "we're good" with 19.