AFL could delay releasing round 24 fixture after host of upsets
A host of upsets could force the AFL to postpone releasing its round 24 fixture as it searches for a grandstand finish to its home-and-away season.
AFL
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Footy’s glorious round of upsets could force the league to postpone releasing its round 24 fixture as it searches for a grandstand finish to its home-and-away season.
If Essendon had beaten Sydney on Saturday night the club’s reward would have been a Sunday 3.20pm blockbuster against the Pies in round 24 given the likely stakes.
But the Dons lost to Sydney and are now out of the eight, so the league is reluctant to schedule that contest as a game that might have no stakes by then.
The league was hopeful of releasing its round 24 fixture by Sunday night so it could give certainty to fans wanting to travel interstate or lock in tickets for those games.
Instead it might assess the results of round 21 before locking in its round 24 fixture.
GWS, Richmond, Carlton, Sydney, St Kilda and Essendon are all teams to feature in round 24 games which could either be dead rubbers or “win-and-in” games depending on how the next few rounds play out.
Last year’s finish to the home-and-away season saw the Blues drop out of finals contention in the dying stages of the match against Collingwood in front of 88,287 fans.
Brisbane-St Kilda has long been a likely Friday night clash for round 24, with Ross Lyon’s team still in good shape to make finals.
The Carlton-GWS game is now growing in importance with both teams on brilliant winning runs that should see them cement their spot in finals.
If the league scheduled that clash on the final day of the home-and-away season one of those teams could still be trying to secure a finals spot or a home final.
Fans will be keen for the league to lock in that round 24 fixture as early as possible, with Melbourne taking on Sydney at the SCG and Richmond playing at Adelaide Oval against the Power.
The league has scheduled a pre-finals bye, with Gillon McLachlan again strongly backing that week off given records crowds and TV ratings for the finals since the league made that change.
RETURN OF FLOATING GF PARADE
- Josh Barnes
The AFL is floating towards a repeat of last year’s grand final parade on Melbourne’s famous Yarra River.
Bemused Geelong and Sydney players were huddled onto floating barges on grand final eve last year, as the AFL staged its traditional parade on the water for the first time.
Many fans were left dismayed when the boat trip was ended early, with the teams turned around before nearing the Princes Bridge, where thousands of onlookers were waiting to get a glimpse of their heroes.
Players were then led into cars and driven over the footbridge from Birrarung Marr to Yarra Park and presented to a healthy crowd in the parklands surrounding the MCG.
Insiders know that the shortened river route taken last year would need to be expanded if the players are again put on the water to get the stars in front of more eyeballs, with plenty of room for improvement after the first run last year.
The barges may need to float closer to the river banks, particularly near the bridge where fans stood in large numbers around rowing clubs.
The AFL is yet to lock in a return to the river and will continue to work through plans in the next fortnight, but it is understood a water-bound parade remains under serious consideration.
And while many fans were displeased, the television broadcast on Fox Footy was generally seen as a success.
Traditionally the parade had driven players along Collins St to a reception at the Treasury Building.
That route was updated before Covid to drive the players from the Treasury Building to Yarra Park.
Good-humoured Geelong veteran Zach Tuohy quipped that he was “not much of a pirate” when floating down the river during last year’s parade.
And even prime minister Anthony Albanese fired a jab at the traditionally jokey North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast the next day, joking “to quote a former prime minister, we do need to stop the boats”.
Details on finals tickets are also due to be released in early August.
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