Adelaide Crows, Port Adelaide fans face free-to-air TV delays

THE AFL has confirmed that three Adelaide and Port Adelaide matches will not be shown live on free-to-air television next season, while the Crows have announced they will be keeping their current clash jumper.

Rory Sloane addresses the troops in the Crows’ clash guernsey which will be retained next year. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Media/Getty Images

THE AFL has confirmed that three Adelaide and Port Adelaide matches will not be shown live on free-to-air television next season.

Crows matches against Fremantle in Perth in round 12 on June 10 and West Coast and North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval in rounds 15 and 22 on June 30 and August 19 respectively will be shown on delay on Channel Seven in Adelaide under the AFL’s current six-year broadcast rights arrangement. These matches will be live on Fox Footy.

The Power games that will be shown on delay on free-to-air television but live on Fox will be against the Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval in round three on April 7 and away games against Essendon at Etihad Stadium in round four on April 15 and Collingwood at the MCG in round 22 on August 18.

Subscription rights for SA and WA are held by Foxtel and the Fox Footy Channel, which broadcast every game of every round during the premiership season into these states.

Under the arrangement, established in 2015, Fox has exclusive live broadcast rights for three premiership season matches for Adelaide, Port, West Coast and Fremantle.

The Crows, meanwhile, will have just one alternate guernsey in 2018, with the current predominantly-white design retained.

The club turned to its fans for their thoughts on a clash jumper, with most in favour of keeping the current version.

The only difference from the 2017 strip will be the collar which will be blue all the way around.

The predominantly yellow clash strip has been given the boot.