AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou "could see how" the league will stay in its current form long-term, but with a lot more travelling north.

As Demetriou outlined financial figures on Tuesday that suggested the 16 teams have never been more secure, top Kangaroos officials met with the Gold Coast council and the Southport club to discuss moving some home games to Carrara Stadium.

The league is playing two pre-season and two regular-season matches at the ground this year and is keen to repeat the size of the experiment next season.

The AFL is determined to steadily build its share of the northern markets over the next decade.

This has again sparked what Demetriou calls "the perennial debate" about whether the AFL will stay a 16-team competition, with 10 clubs based in Victoria.

When asked whether he could see the league staying in its current format for the next five years, Demetriou replied: "I could see how it could happen, but I'm also on the public record as saying I think we'll have a stronger presence in south-east Queensland and western Sydney - a significant presence.

"What shape or form that takes - (I) don't know.

"They are incredibly resilient things, football clubs ... they've tripled their turnover in 10 years.

"The clubs continue to defy the economic argument that they're not sustainable, they're getting better at running (themselves)."

Demetriou added the league was on track to be debt-free by the end of this season.

Overall, the financial figures released on Tuesday showed the clubs were in good financial shape, with their 2005 aggregate profitability up by five per cent on the previous year.

The Kangaroos recorded a loss last year, but Demetriou said that was because the club had written off items on its balance sheet and added they had managed an operating profit.

"They (clubs) have got a right to feel very secure ... we're in a very strong position," Demetriou said.

"We have a great opportunity to invest and grow revenues."

One of the most interesting aspects of the club figures is that Adelaide and St Kilda had the two lowest turnovers last year, but were among the most financially successful.

The next major financial step for the league will be to confirm the player total player payments for the next two years, an issue assuming much greater importance because of the AFL's record $780 million broadcast rights deal.

That starts next year and the AFL Players' Association has made it clear it expects its share of the windfall.

The AFL and the AFLPA met on Tuesday and Demetriou said the talks were "very productive", denying suggestions of growing unease within the association about the upcoming negotiations.

The new payment agreement must be in place by June - after that, the league will sort out how it distributes the rest of its broadcast rights bounty to the clubs and for game development.

"You can't have an agreement with one side thinking it's being dudded, so I don't expect the AFL or the players will walk away feeling they've been dudded," Demetriou said.

"We'll get there in the end."

Meanwhile, Demetriou is also confident the league will resolve a potential fight with Collingwood over the alternative strip issue.

Magpies president Eddie McGuire has again made it clear the club will not change from its traditional black-and-white guernsey.

But the league is demanding all clubs have alternate jumpers ready for next season.

"Collingwood, thankfully, is the only club at this stage that has actually lodged a `clash' guernsey," Demetriou said.

"I know our team is working with their guys to see if they can make some modifications to the guernsey that they've lodged, (but) I don't actually think we're that far apart at all.

"I'm pretty confident we'll get an outcome there."

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