AFL Finals: Finals fixture locked in, Port Adelaide vs. Geelong to kick off finals series

The AFL will prioritise a Sydney derby blockbuster on the Saturday afternoon of the first week of finals, leaving the Bulldogs questioning the AFL’s timing of a fixture clash with AFLW.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 05: Sam Wicks of the Swans scuffles with Tom Green of the Giants during the round 21 AFL match between Greater Western Sydney Giants and Sydney Swans at GIANTS Stadium, on August 05, 2023, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

The AFL will prioritise a Sydney derby blockbuster on the Saturday afternoon of week one of the finals in a September schedule that opens with a Port Adelaide v Geelong Thursday night clash.

The Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn will play a Friday night MCG blockbuster at 7.40pm, with the Swans and GWS locked into a 3.20pm Saturday afternoon clash at the SCG.

Then Brisbane will host Carlton on Saturday night in a week one qualifying final.

But the decision to hand Sydney and GWS the Saturday afternoon clash has flow on effects that includes a fixturing clash with the Western Bulldogs first AFLW home clash,

That game is scheduled for 5.05pm on Friday night at Whitten Oval, and is one of only five Dogs home games for the year with one of those clashes played in Ballarat.

But Dogs fans will have to choose between representing their AFLW players or going to an MCG final given they are effectively played back to back in separate venues.

The AFLW season is only 11 games crunched into 10 weeks, with one of those Dogs clashes a midweek encounter against Brisbane in Queensland.

Port Adelaide and Geelong will kick off the finals. Pic: Michael Klein

The AFL could have opened the finals with Sydney v GWS on Thursday night before a Brisbane v Carlton Friday night clash, with the loser of the first clash to play the winner of the second clash.

Playing the Dogs-Hawthorn game on Saturday night would also have allowed all four clubs playing week two of the finals a full seven day break sleeping in their own beds by Saturday night.

It would also have handed Sydney or GWS a longer break than their opponent leading into a week two finals clash as a top four team.

Instead the Dogs will wonder why an AFL House team so keen to promote its AFLW competition has locked in such a bizarre fixture clash.

The Dogs football department also has multiple staffers who work in both roles so it will prove a challenge for them to be at both games.

Carlton will also have to fly home from Brisbane on Sunday morning and make a quick recovery for its week two clash if it is successful in knocking off the Lions.

The Blues were only able to qualify for September after an epic finish to the home and away season which saw them lose to St Kilda in the last 13 seconds, only for Port Adelaide to beat Fremantle to hand them passage to the finals.

Carlton and Brisbane will play in a rematch of their Opening Round thriller. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The schedule provides some mouth-watering options, with Sydney on top of the ladder but having lost all three finals against cross-town rival GWS.

Sydney and GWS have also been in a long-running battle after the constant needling from the Giants’ social media team, which has prevented the clubs from organising joint press conferences to promote their games in recent times.

Carlton will take on Brisbane in a reprise of their preliminary final clash last year, with the Blues 30 points up 20 minutes into the first quarter before the Lions finally won.

Carlton will bring back Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow, Mitch McGovern and potentially former captain Sam Docherty, who is in full training and making an unlikely push for a return after ACL surgery.