Don't miss any of the news involving the Swans as we bring you everything from the newspapers around the country on Wednesday 19th August, 2015.

Saturday's Sydney AFL derby at Spotless Stadium will be the toughest in history for the Swans, who play a GWS side in "do-or-die" mode pushing for a maiden finals appearance.

For the first time in four seasons, GWS stand a real chance of making the top eight with three games remaining, but as they prepare for the eighth Sydney derby, they know history is hardly on their side.

A 63-point drubbing in their first AFL match in 2012 was not surprising, and since then the Giants' only victory over the red and whites came in round one last season, by a margin of 32 points.

Sydney are aware GWS have tasted success more this year (10 wins) than in their first three seasons (nine wins) combined, and midfielder Josh Kennedy says the Swans' goal of finishing inside the top four will not be an easy task.

The AFL has kicked rugby league out of the park.

In the richest sports television deal in the country’s history, the AFL will get $2 million per game from 2017 while the NRL is battling to get $1.7 million per match in still-to-be-completed negotiations.

Just a week after the NRL announced with great fanfare a $950 million five-year deal with Channel Nine, the AFL secured a $2.5 billion agreement over six years with Channel Seven, Foxtel and Telstra.

In racing parlance, it’s been a bit like a horse race with one jockey (Dave Smith) going for the whip too early to try to pinch a winning margin.

He runs out of gas before the line and a rival jockey (Gill McLachlan) swamps him.

This is exactly how the battle between the footy code giants for media rights has played out in recent months.

THE AFL yesterday scored the richest broadcast deal in Australian sporting history, netting $2.508 billion over six years and dwarfing the recent $925 million free-toair deal negotiated by the National Rugby League.

The deal — which will run from 2017 to 2022 — was finalised late yesterday, and will see News Corp and Foxtel, Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media and Telstra share the free-to-air, pay-TV and streaming rights to the nation’s most popular code.

News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson yesterday said at the deal’s announcement it would see his company, which owns The Daily Telegraph and half-owns Foxtel, promote the AFL in rugby league heartland.

“We will ensure that more people see more games of (Australian rules) football and its reach is extended, particularly in NSW and Queensland, where there is obviously a growth opportunity… because this is just a wonderful game,” he said.

Just a week after being blindsided by the NRL's broadcast agreement with Channel Nine, Rupert Murdoch – the man who started the Super League war to gain control of the code – hit back by telling a press conference to announce News Corp's deal with AFL: "We have always preferred Aussie rules".

Murdoch, who arrived in Australia last Monday as the NRL was outlining details of its $925 million free-to-air deal with Nine, clearly didn't appreciate being forced to play second fiddle for the rights to a code he only agreed to relinquish control of when the ARL Commission was formed three years ago.

In a show of strength after appearing to have been outmanoeuvred by the NRL, the AFL wheeled out Murdoch, Seven chairman Kerry Stokes, Telstra chief executive Andy Penn and executives from their media companies to a press conference to announce the $2.508 billion, six-year deal.

The size and haste of the deal are indications of how angered Murdoch must have been as there is a belief that News Corp paid well beyond market value for the AFL rights.

THREE new Sydney sports arenas — including an $800 million, 55,000-seat venue to replace Moore Park’s Allianz stadium — would be built under the findings of a confidential government report.

A new $150 million indoor arena for tennis, basketball and netball is also recommended for construction near Sydney’s CBD, along with a $300 million, 30,000-seat venue at Parramatta to ­replace Pirtek Stadium.

The report, written by ­former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden for the Baird government, outlines a $1.85 billion Sydney stadium plan to be implemented over more than a decade.

It recommends $300 million be spent on Homebush’s ANZ Stadium in about seven years’ time, either fully roofing the 83,500-seat mega-venue or moving lower-level seats closer to the field.

The report, expected to be considered by Premier Mike Baird’s Cabinet within the next month, calls on sporting codes such as the NRL and Football Federation Australia to help fund the Sydney stadium upgrades.

Mr Baird has been focused on limiting stadium expenditure to $600 million but well-placed sources said the state government was now exploring how further funds could be raised.