By Jon Pierik and Peter Ryan
Football supporters have vented their displeasure at the AFL’s new “Opening Round”, declaring it an unnecessary and potentially expensive change.
The 2024 AFL season will start with four fixtures in Queensland and NSW, including a rematch of last year’s preliminary finals, the week before the traditional Carlton-Richmond meeting in round one.
Carlton-Richmond will take place in round one, after the AFL’s opening round in NSW and Queensland.Credit: Getty Images
Dubbed “Opening Round” by the league, all four clubs from the northern states will host Victorian rivals for the first premiership points of the year, as the AFL looks to start with a greater presence in rugby league heartland.
The season will officially start with a Sydney-Melbourne clash at the SCG on Thursday March 7, with the Brisbane Lions to host Carlton at the Gabba the following night.
Gold Coast take on Richmond at Heritage Bank Stadium in new coach Damien Hardwick’s first clash with his former club on Saturday.
GWS will host reigning premiers Collingwood at Giants Stadium later that night.
The Lions-Blues and Giants-Magpies meetings are rematches of last season’s preliminary finals. The Lions ended the Blues’ 2023 campaign at the Gabba, while the Magpies edged the Giants by a point at the MCG, going on to defeat the Lions a week later.
The AFL hopes the set of opening round fixtures will give it a leg-up in the northern markets.
But AFL Fans Association president Ron Issko said on Wednesday that a poll his organisation conducted seeking feedback about the new round had 900 anonymous responses, of which 82 per cent were against the season beginning ahead of the now traditional opener between the Blues and Tigers.
“I understand what the AFL is trying to do, they are trying to take advantage of the NRL not being here for that round, and go into NSW and Queensland and put on a showcase, and help spread the AFL in NSW and Queensland,” Issko said.
“I get that from a strategic point of view. But I am here to represent the fans. And what the fans are saying is: ‘We don’t like it’. One of the things I said to the AFL in our meetings was could we be a part of the consultation process when you make change. We don’t want to tell you, we just want to give you what fans are feeling and what fans think.”
The AFL has the opportunity to leave a major imprint in Sydney and Brisbane through the second weekend of March because the NRL has opted to start its season a week earlier in Las Vegas, where four teams, including marquee clubs Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters, will clash. These teams then have a weekend off.
When the Swans and Demons meet under lights on the ensuing Thursday at the SCG, the NRL season continues off Broadway, when the Newcastle Knights host the Canberra Raiders. On Saturday in Sydney, when the Giants and flag-winning Magpies clash in prime time at Giants Stadium, the NRL has the Titans hosting the St George Illawarra Dragons on the Gold Coast. However, there is a 5.30pm game in Sydney, when the Parramatta Eels host the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Without the Broncos in town, the Lions have a free hit when they host the popular Blues on a Friday night.
Fans’ responses included: “Round one is not broken, we don’t need to fix it”. Another said: “We love the Richmond, Carlton opening game, even though we don’t barrack for Richmond or Carlton”.
At a time of high inflation and expensive airfare and accommodation costs, another added: “I don’t really want to travel interstate for my first game of the season. It’s expensive to travel.” One said: “Prices are going to be jacked up for interstate travel once it’s announced. It’s going to be more expensive. Leave things alone.”
Another questioned: “Why a split round when we’ve waited so long for season opener?”
However, there was some support in an earlier poll the AFLPA conducted. “It’s great for TV – it basically means every game in round one will be an early evening or night match,” one fan said.
AFL’s opening round 2024
Thursday March 7
- Sydney v Melbourne, SCG, 7.20pm
Friday March 8
- Brisbane Lions v Carlton, Gabba, 6.50pm
Saturday March 9
- Gold Coast v Richmond, Heritage Bank Stadium, 3.20pm
- GWS v Collingwood, Giants, Stadium, 7.30pm
The AFL was contacted for comment on the fan survey response, but declined to add further to AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon’s earlier statement about the opening round.
Dillon said in the statement: “We were fortunate to be in a position where we were able to have access to our major venues in Queensland and NSW a weekend earlier than usual which gave us a unique opportunity to play these four games in key markets where footy continues to grow in popularity.
“The four match-ups are big, with four of our biggest-supported Victorian clubs travelling north, and we look forward to starting our season with real momentum before we head into a blockbuster round of matches in round one.
“We continue to find opportunities to build marquee games and events across the season, with recent examples being King’s Birthday eve, Anzac Day eve and Gather Round and our four matches in the opening round build on this approach.”
The new “opening round” will be referred to in the Brownlow Medal count when Dillon reads the player votes, an AFL spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday.
Carlton will take on Richmond on Thursday March 14 to kick off a full set of nine matches in round one.
Round one has also taken shape, although the AFL would not confirm details ahead of the official unveiling of the full fixture on Thursday.
Club and industry sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the fixturing process said Essendon and Hawthorn were expected to clash in a Bombers’ home game at the MCG, due to Marvel Stadium being unavailable due to a Pink concert.
Geelong are expected to host St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium, while the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne are likely to meet at the MCG. Collingwood and Sydney are likely to meet at the MCG on the Friday night, a day after the Blues and Tigers’ clash.
The eight teams that play in the opening round will have a bye between rounds two and six.
It will mean all 18 teams will have played the same number of games by the start of round seven.
The byes will not occur in round four, which has been locked in for Gather Round, when all clubs will meet for a full set of fixtures in South Australia.
With AAP
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