PRESIDENT David Smorgon has backed the AFL to get his Western Bulldogs a better stadium deal after they made just $320,000 from eight home games at Telstra Dome in 2008.

Even North Melbourne made more at $600,000, which just happens to be the amount Geelong routinely rakes in from a single home game at Skilled Stadium.

Despite an inability to make any serious money from hosting matches at Docklands, the Dogs are still expected to post a profit of more than $600,000 after clearing over half-a-million last year.

The club received special assistance from the League to the tune of $1.7 million, a figure they will get again in 2009, but the Bulldogs consider the money to be compensation for a poor stadium deal rather than a handout.

The AFL will negotiate with Telstra Dome officials on behalf of the club.

"I think the AFL have recognised the issue at the recent meetings of presidents and CEOs," Smorgon told the Herald Sun.

"We were told they are doing a lot of serious analytic work on that. We remain patient. There is a meeting in the next couple of weeks and that will be one of the issues on the agenda.

"We're not involved in those discussions.

"We have not met or spoken to Telstra Dome people about the stadium deal for a good couple of years.

"We'll back the AFL in."

And Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose agrees.

"The key issue is stadium economics. The variances and the discrepancies," he said.

"While we continue to invest in football, we certainly aren't enjoying the returns other clubs have as a result of stadium economics.

"With higher attendances, and low stadium returns, we are subsidising the cost of the use of these stadiums everyone else is enjoying.

"It is something that must be addressed."