The AFL may consider starting the 2012 season early to ensure the new Greater Western Sydney (GWS) team can play a home game in the opening rounds of their inaugural campaign.

The AFL's 18th franchise was officially granted a playing licence on Thursday at its new home ground, the Royal Sydney Showground.

But GWS may be forced to play their opening fixture elsewhere due to the Royal Easter Show, which takes place at the same venue.

GWS officials are hopeful of hosting a game before the show starts on April 5 and runs until April 16.

The AFL will probably start the 2012 season on the last weekend in March, with the format for the expanded competition yet to be confirmed.

The Showground would be out of commission for up to five weeks in total as the show sets up and packs up, but AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the fixture schedule could be tweaked to allow GWS to play at their new home.

Demetriou is wary of the team having no home games for the opening rounds of the season.

He said if the Showground if unavailable, then GWS could use nearby ANZ Stadium.

The Showground will be upgraded into a 25,000-seater AFL venue with $60 million funding from the NSW government, the AFL and Royal Agricultural Society.

"That is something we are very conscious of as we don't want to wait five weeks, so we are working with the Royal Agricultural Society and the building program," said Demetriou.

"We can control the fixtures and the schedule so we have flexibility to do things but it will be determined on the build and the planning and we will know more this time next year.

"It is possible (we may start the season early), we started it this year on a Thursday night so there is all sorts of things we could do.

"We are going to work with the show, they know about the scheduling issues and that is going to be easy to control."

Carrara Stadium will also be unavailable because of redevelopment at the start of next season, when Gold Coast become the 17th AFL team.

They are set to play any early home games at the `Gabba or potentially in Cairns.

The Sydney Swans use ANZ Stadium for marquee fixtures and although GWS do not yet have an agreement to play there, Demetriou said it is inevitable that will happen.

"It stands to reason that when the team grows it would be the perfect venue to play the larger games," he said,

"There is a role for ANZ in our calendar ... it is one of the best facilities we use and we have a great relationship with them.

"But when the Showgrounds is built it will be a real intimate experience to watch AFL footy and it gives the team a home and the team the ability to generate venue."

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