AFL reveals 2014 fixture, Good Friday matches up for discussion
THE AFL has signalled the likely scheduling of games on Good Friday in 2015 as it reveals the draw for next year. See the full fixture
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THE AFL is set to break one of longest standing traditions – and a long-held view of chief executive Andrew Demetriou – by introducing Good Friday football in 2015.
While the league stopped short of guaranteeing it will play on the sacred day for the first time, deputy CEO Gil McLachlan admitted that it was a "50-50" chance to take place in two years.
"I think there is gathering momentum, and if I’m here saying that it is 50-50 for the year after next, then that is probably a good sign of momentum," McLachlan said.
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"If we did it in 2015, we need to be properly prepared and that means a proper, respectful consultation with the stakeholders, and they are varied, for what is a day of religious significance for a lot of people.
"There are a lot of clubs who would like to be playing, there are issues around timing, so I think it’s something that, if we were going to do it, we need a long time to plan.
"And we don’t feel like we’ve had that this year."
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL 2014 AFL FIXTURE
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McLachlan said Demetriou had never been "dead against" Good Friday football, but conceded he had softened his approach to playing football on the day.
The AFL today revealed its 2014 fixture, with Lance Franklin to square off against his old side Hawthorn for the first time in a Round 8 Friday night blockbuster at ANZ Stadium next season.
But Heath Shaw has to wait until the penultimate round before taking on his old side Collingwood in a much anticipated "grudge" match.
As the AFL announced the longest home-and-away season in the competition's history - spread over 25 weeks and including a split round to start the year and two byes for each club – Franklin, the competition's highest-paid player, will also take on the Hawks in a Round 18 match at the MCG.
Former Magpie-turned Blue Dale Thomas will play against Collingwood twice in 2014, with the first coming in Round 7.
Disgruntled Pie Heath Shaw will only get one chance to show former coach Nathan Buckley first hand but it won't come until Round 22.
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And new Kangaroo Nick Dal Santo has to wait until Round 17 to take on his former club St Kilda.
The league also announced a new format for the pre-season competition, which will feature 18 games on 18 consecutive days, replacing the NAB Cup. Games will be played across the country and every match will be shown on Fox Footy.
With the AFL dividing the ladder into three sections according to teams' placings after this year's finals series - with the "weighted rule" ruled as first to sixth, seventh to 12th and 13th to 18th - Carlton's free pass into the 2013 and its elimination final win over Richmond was meant to deliver them the draw from hell.
But it isn't as bad as the Blues had feared, with Mick Malthouse's second season seeing the club play two top six teams from this year twice - Geelong and Port Adelaide.
Sydney has a reasonable run, too, and will also have only two double-up games against top six sides - Hawthorn and Port Adelaide.
The other four teams from this year's top six - Hawthorn, Fremantle, Geelong and Port Adelaide - will have three "double-up" games against top six teams next year.
Collingwood, like Carlton, will face two double-up games against top six teams, as will Essendon and the Brisbane Lions.
The AFL has announced it will play six Sunday night games next year, with an eye on a possible new time slot for the future.
The Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast are the only clubs without a Friday night marquee.
The Bulldogs are the only team to not have a double-up meeting with one of the top six sides from this season.
Hawthorn will play Fremantle in a Grand Final re-match in Round 3, where the Hawks will unveil this year's flag for its Victorian fans. The 2013 champions will also hoist the flag at Launceston for its Round 1 clash with Brisbane, which will also double as Justin Leppitsch's first game as Lions coach.
Paul Roos' first game as Melbourne coach will come against St Kilda, while Adam Simpson will have a "home" debut as West Coast coach against the Western Bulldogs.
New Bomber Paul Chapman will meet Geelong at Etihad Stadium in Round 15.
Collingwood and Fremantle will open the season in a split first round spread over two weeks.
There will be six Thursday night games, including one in the second week of the first round, between Geelong and Adelaide at Skilled Stadium.
Richmond will have travel to Sydney in Round 23, which is not the ideal scenario ahead of an anticipated second consecutive finals series, while Collingwood and Hawthorn will also play off in the final round.
Port Adelaide has a tough draw, having three "double-ups" against top six sides from this year - Carlton, Fremantle and Sydney - as well as being on the road against the Dockers in Round 23.
Brisbane also faces a big ask, meeting two top six teams twice and only having one "double-up" against a bottom six side.
Adelaide Oval will return to regular use for the AFL, with Port Adelaide hosting the Crows in Round 2.
St Kilda will play Brisbane in Wellington in a Round 6 night match after the New Zealand Government requested a Queensland-based team.
That will be one of three matches played on Anzac Day - as revealed in today's Herald Sun - with Collingwood and Essendon scheduled for the stand-alone afternoon games, with Fremantle also playing North Melbourne at Pattersons Stadium that night.
The season structure will have 18 rounds of nine matches, two rounds (Rounds 1 and 18) in which nine matches are spread over two weekends, and three rounds (Rounds 8-10) where six matches will played each weekend, which allows six clubs to have a bye in each round.
The 198 AFL matches next season will take place in every state and territory.
Melbourne will play games in Alice Springs (Port Adelaide) and Darwin (Fremantle),while the Western Bulldogs will meet Gold Coast in Cairns.
ROUND 1
FRIDAY MARCH 14
Collingwood v Fremantle, Etihad Stadium (night)
SATURDAY MARCH 15
Gold Coast v Richmond, Metricon Stadium (day)
GWS Giants v Sydney, Skoda Stadium (twilight)
SUNDAY MARCH 16
Carlton v Port Adelaide, Etihad Stadium (night)
THURSDAY MARCH 20
Geelong v Adelaide, Simonds Stadium (night)
FRIDAY MARCH 21
North Melbourne v Essendon, Etihad Stadium (night)
SATURDAY MARCH 22
Hawthorn v Brisbane, Launceston (twilight)
Melbourne v St Kilda, Etihad Stadium (night)
SUNDAY MARCH 23
West Coast v Western Bulldogs, Patersons Stadium (afternoon)
FIXTURE HIGHLIGHTS
- First round split over two weekends - March 14-16 and March 20-23
- A home-and-away season of 25 weeks, including the split round and two byes for each club
- Nicky Winmar tribute game between St Kilda and Collingwood on the first night of Indigenous Round
- A trial of Sunday night football, with at least five games to be shown at 7.40pm in a time-slot to be shunned by families
- A pre-season of just two NAB Cup practice matches and no NAB Cup final, with a representative game on March 7 or 8
- Carlton being hit with a tough draw given its unlikely finals win, playing twice against Collingwood, Geelong and Essendon
- James Podsiadly taking on his former side in Round 1 as Adelaide and Geelong face off at Simonds Stadium
- Carlton and Collingwood facing off twice, but the Blues play Richmond only once
- Richmond and Carlton’s traditional season opener pushed back to Round 2 given the MCG is unavailable in Round 1
- Port Adelaide hosting Adelaide in the Adelaide Oval grand opening in Round 2
- Melbourne playing two home-and-away matches in the Northern Territory, one in Darwin and one in Alice Springs
- Hawthorn unfurling its premiership flag twice - the first against Brisbane in Launceston in Round 1
- St Kilda to play against Brisbane in Wellington on Anzac Day after the traditional Essendon v Collingwood game
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