North Melbourne to play historic Good Friday game, Western Bulldogs likely opponent

NORTH Melbourne will play in football’s first Good Friday game with the blockbuster-starved premier Western Bulldogs set to be its likely opponent.

NORTH Melbourne will play in football’s first Good Friday game.

The Kangaroos, who first approached the AFL with the concept in 1992, will be confirmed as one of the participants in the marquee timeslot when the 2017 fixture is released on Thursday.

Their likely opponent will be the blockbuster-starved Western Bulldogs, who are set to be rewarded for its stunning 2016 season with a place in the stand-alone twilight contest.

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Carlton and St Kilda also presented compelling cases to the AFL, with the Saints putting in a joint submission with the Dogs built around a celebration of junior football.

But the AFL will almost certainly announce that it will rotate the two teams involved every year.

Next year’s historic game is expected to be played from 4pm or 4.30pm, most likely at the now AFL-owned Etihad Stadium and integrated into Channel Seven’s Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

Ben Cunnington gives Jake Stringer the slip. Picture: Michael Klein

Good Friday falls on April 14 next year, putting it in Round 4.

The AFL Commission approved the concept last year, breaking the long-held tradition of keeping the religious day football-free.

The inaugural game will take place 25 years after former Kangaroos chief executive Greg Miller put the club’s case to league heavyweights.

“We put the application in and I think the chairman of the AFL then was John Kennedy Sr and being a good catholic, he was dead against it,” Miller said.

“Our argument, even back then, was that all these other sports, movie theatres and all forms of entertainment were operating, except the AFL.

“AFL has been the last sport to come onboard. Quite clearly it can fit in with what is a family day by being held later in the afternoon and linking in with the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal.

“It was always a good fit I thought.”

Following decades of failed campaigning by clubs, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan declared after July’s Commission meeting that there was “momentum” behind the game.

“There’s no impediment at commission level and a level of enthusiasm to do it,” McLachlan said.

Originally published as North Melbourne to play historic Good Friday game, Western Bulldogs likely opponent