The GIANTS and the AFL are confidently predicting a crowd well in excess of 20,000 for Saturday's clash against the Swans in an early litmus test of the game's growth in the city.

For the first time in five derbies between the teams, the match will be held at GWS' home ground, Spotless Stadium, which has a capacity of 25,000.

The best the GIANTS have managed at the venue is the 12,314 fans who turned up to see Richmond in round 22 last year, but the club is in no doubt that record will be smashed.

The NRL got off to a dismal start in its opening round last week, with an incredibly disappointing 27,282 attending the marquee season-opening game between premiers the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

So there will be plenty of interest in what the GIANTS and Swans manage on Saturday afternoon.

"It'll go close," AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said when asked if the GWS game will be a sell-out.

"From what I understand from ticket sales it'll certainly be 20,000-plus.

"And I'd encourage anyone who wants to see a great game of football to come out.

"You're going to see the Buddy (Franklin) factor obviously, but you're going to see some of the new stars of the Giants, and this is a great venue.

"I think you're going to see a great game out here, the ground has come up a treat, and given the fact it's a twilight game it's going to come up really well."

Demetriou wouldn't comment on the NRL crowds, but said it was a major coup for the AFL to start its season earlier than in previous years and that the GIANTS' home ground at Homebush Bay was available.

GWS chief executive Dave Matthews is also confident the club will go close to a full house on Saturday and defended a surprising lack of media coverage in the lead-up to the game.

The GIANTS didn't hold an official media opportunity between Monday and Wednesday this week, with the Swans only putting up defender Nick Smith for interview on Tuesday ahead of their training session opposite the SCG.

It comes at a time in Sydney when the NRL has faced some heavy criticism for its lack of media exposure, with superstars such as Rooster Sonny Bill Williams and South Sydney's Sam Burgess refusing interview requests over the past week.

There were also raised eyebrows at the Swans' decision not to present Franklin at Thursday's joint press conference, which Josh Kennedy, Ted Richards and Rhyce Shaw attended.

It's understood the Swans have decided to keep Franklin and the publicity he generates for next week's home game against Collingwood, in a move that has upset some local media outlets.

The two Sydney AFL clubs still got a strong turnout for Thursday's joint press conference, while the GIANTS will also hold another media event on Friday ahead of their main training session for the week.

"We want to be really open and accessible and we understand there's a lot going on in Sydney at the moment," Matthews told AFL.com.au.

"I think the build-up for these kinds of events tends to come in a rush at the end of the week.

"We're only a two-year-old club and a lot of our players aren't household names yet in Sydney. We think they will be over time.

"It's fantastic for the game that Buddy Franklin is in Sydney because in coverage terms he's probably on a par with Israel Folau and Sonny Bill Williams and these sorts of guys.

"(Franklin) puts the game on the map a bit more up here, but I think as our players play better footy and become more well known, our coverage will improve."

Demetriou reiterated his stance that establishing the GIANTS in Sydney was a "20-year haul", although he backed them to win up to six games this season following last year's one-victory campaign.

There has also been a suggestion in the past that the rivalry between the Swans and GIANTS is more contrived than genuine, but Demetriou has no doubt there is real feeling between the clubs.

"There's a rivalry here already, regardless of what the result is," Demetriou said.

"It's a pretty intense rivalry, which is good. If it's genuine, it's good. If it's artificial, I think people can see through that.

"I think there is genuine feeling between these two clubs and hopefully over time you'll see something along the lines of not just Fremantle-West Coast, but maybe a Man City-Man United type rivalry.

"There's feeling, make no mistake."

The GIANTS play the Swans in the Battle of the Bridge at Spotless Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park at 4.40pm on Saturday, March 15. 

The two sides will play for the White Ribbon Cup in support of Australia’s only national, male-led primary prevention campaign to end violence against women. 

Tickets can be purchased through ticketmaster.com.au