AFL Grand Final 2018 date confirmed

THE AFL has announced the date for the 2018 Grand Final and key elements of next year’s footy fixture. See all the details here.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick and captain Trent Cotchin celebrate lifting the 2017 AFL premiership cup. Picture. Phil Hillyard

THE 2018 AFL Grand Final will be played on Saturday, September 29.

The league has announced key dates for the 2018 fixture, with the season to kick off on Thursday, March 22.

WHERE TO WATCH THE AFL GRAND FINAL IN 2018

The traditional Anzac Day clash between Essendon and Collingwood falls on Wednesday, April 25.

The start time for the Grand Final is yet to be confirmed, with the AFL considering the possibility of a night or twilight match to decide the 2018 premier.

That would be a huge shift from tradition, but for the second year in a row the match will be played on the last Saturday in September.

And the Grand Final is guaranteed to be played at the MCG, with the AFL contract with the MCC not due to expire until 2037.

The annual Grand Final parade will be held in the streets of Melbourne on Friday, September 28 — a public holiday in Victoria.

The Grand Final will be shown live and free-to-air on Channel 7.

The game has been held at the MCG in all but nine years since the VFL started in 1896.

Richmond is aiming to win back-to-back premierships for the first time since 1973-74 after breaking a 37-year premiership drought in 2017.