The Sydney Swans will end their increasingly unpopular stint at ANZ Stadium within two years after signing a 30-season deal to play all of their home matches at the SCG from 2017.
The announcement came less than a week after ANZ Stadium launched a $350 million redevelopment bid to revitalise the 15-year-old main Olympic venue, with the two rugby codes and soccer to be the large potential benefactors.
The Swans have played big home and away matches and many finals at ANZ Stadium since 2002, although most of their fans much prefer the 46,000-capacity SCG, located in the club's eastern suburbs heartland.
Announcing the deal on Monday, club chairman Andrew Pridham cited the "mythical" significance of the SCG and increasing development of the Moore Park precinct as motivations for the deal.
"But it's very clear to us that over the last number of years that the vast majority of Swans members and fans have shown strong encouragement to play all our games at the SCG," he told reporters in Sydney.
"There's an overwhelming feeling that they just love this place."
Despite falling attendance figures at ANZ Stadium, Pridham insisted it had been a successful venue for the club.
The announcement comes as the Homebush venue posted two of the lowest finals crowds for the club since 1997 last season, including a turnout of just 35,998 for the Swans' qualifying-final win against Fremantle.
Meanwhile, the SCG pipped its 83,500-capacity rival for the highest home crowd of the year with the round 13 match against Port Adelaide.
Sydney coach John Longmire said the players couldn't wait for a repeat of that match, in which a 41,317-strong crowd cheered the side on to a four-point victory.
"We absolutely love playing here," he said.
"We're really looking forward to having plenty of red and white at the SCG."
Fans also welcomed the news via Twitter, with some predicting a more intimate, electric atmosphere and a surge in club memberships as a result.
The new contract provides for all Swans' home finals in Sydney to be scheduled at the SCG from 2017, although that has yet to be signed off by the AFL.
The Swans will play home matches against Essendon, Geelong and Hawthorn at ANZ Stadium in 2015.
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