AFL 2021: Full Round 23 fixture confirmed, Super Sunday set shape top-eight

The 2021 home-and-away fixture is finally complete with St Kilda and Fremantle learning the details of their final round encounter. See the full Round 23 fixture and the matches that matter.

The Bombers could be playing for the finals lives against the Pies. Picture: Michael Klein

St Kilda and Fremantle will fly to Tasmania after the AFL confirmed the final match of Round 23 — and the 2021 season.

The venue of the Sunday match had been “TBC” but was locked in as Blundstone Arena in Hobart on Tuesday.

The season is set for a grandstand finish with a ‘Super Sunday’ to settle the final eight.

SEE THE FULL ROUND 23 FIXTURE BELOW

The top-eight positions won’t be finalised until Sunday evening when Essendon take on Collingwood from 3.20pm at the MCG.

Earlier on Sunday finals aspirants St Kilda and Fremantle will face off from 12.15pm, while Carlton will meet Greater Western Sydney under lights on Saturday night.

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Max King and the Saints will finish the home-and-away season in Tasmania. Picture: Michael Klein

It looms as David Teague’s last game in charge at Carlton, while the Giants can also secure a finals berth after a slow start to the season.

As expected, Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide will kickstart the round on Friday night at an empty Marvel Stadium.

Port Adelaide will fly-in and fly-out on Friday on a charter plane as part of strict COVID-19 protocols in conjunction with the South Australian Government.

Brisbane Lions will attempt to leapfrog into the top-four with a win over West Coast in a Saturday twilight game at the Gabba.

Geelong and Melbourne will meet under lights on Saturday night in a mouth-watering top-of-the-table battle at GMHBA Stadium.

Adelaide will tackle North Melbourne on Sunday evening to round out the season from 4.40pm at Adelaide Oval.

Richmond will lock horns with Hawthorn in Alastair Clarkson and Shaun Burgoyne’s farewell from 1.35pm on Saturday at the MCG, shortly before Sydney Swans and Gold Coast face-off at Marvel Stadium.

Geelong and Melbourne will be playing or top spot next week. Picture: Michael Klein

Covid drama jolts WA into box seat for finals frenzy

AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder says there is “no magic number” for a crowd which would see this year’s Grand Final remain at the MCG as the league continues to work on back up plans interstate.

Goyder said the financial benefit of having crowds for finals was “not inconsequential” after AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan revealed on Friday that it was costing $6 million a week to run the competition.

Gary Rohan celebrates in front of fans at the MCG. Picture: Getty Images

Both players and clubs have expressed a desire to play finals in front of the biggest crowds possible, but the league is aware that the Covid situation in states can change at a moment’s notice.

“I had a conversation with Patrick Dangerfield earlier in the week … and he said to me ‘Richard, we want to play in front of crowds’,” Goyder said.

“It’s not just the Grand Final, it is finals. We want to put the best finals series on we can and that implies excitement and hopefully that crowd involvement and engagement.”

The AFL is working with Western Australia on plans which could see a finals hub set up in Perth, but is also continuing to talk with other state governments and is mindful of its contractual obligations with the Victorian Government to play the Grand Final at the MCG.

“We’re looking at all scenarios at the moment,” Goyder said on ABC radio.

“We’ve got terrific relationships with state governments and clearly we’re working with police and health and government in Western Australia but in other states as well to look at our options.”

Asked what the league’s preference was if the Grand Final was to be played outside of Melbourne, Goyder said the situation was ever changing.

“It’s not fair to say we’d have a preference at the moment but that will be informed by what these other places look like,” he said.

“Right now, Western Australia is in a good position in terms of where we are with Covid. But as we know, that can change very quickly.

“We’ll make decisions as and when we can but understanding that agility and flexibility is still going to be important.”

No footy in the top end in 2021

Brisbane has chosen not to move next week’s home game to Darwin, meaning there won’t be any AFL football played in the Northern Territory this year.

The Lions were the AFL’s last hope, given the NT Government wouldn’t let in any AFL teams based in Victoria while the state remains locked down with active community cases.

The risk of Covid spreading into remote communities was considered too great, and the government would not consider a ‘sterile corridor’ for teams and broadcast crew like other states have.

The more contagious Delta variant of the virus only heightened those concerns.

Brisbane will instead host the Eagles at the Gabba, where it will play on Saturday night for just the third time since late May.

The impending decision to scrap the pre-finals bye was a factor, with the Lions feeling because of that it was in their best interests to remain at home for three weeks.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews this week extended the state’s lockdown until at least midnight next Thursday, hurting the AFL’s plans to fulfil part of its NT agreement.

The AFL’s four-year deal with the NT Government is believed to be worth $1.9 million annually, with up to $1.5 million of that dependent on the Territory hosting two AFL matches per season.

As part of the contract, Melbourne plays one AFL and one AFLW game in Alice Springs, while Gold Coast is supposed to be the home team for a Darwin match.

The pandemic caused the relocation of games from the NT three times this season, including a clash in the Top End between the Demons and Suns.

This latest outbreak put paid to the AFL’s initial plan of playing a Darwin double-header this weekend – Melbourne didn’t want to play there, anyway – but it was still holding out hope for Round 23.

It’s unclear whether the league or the NT Government will seek to play extra games in the Territory in 2022 or future years to make up for this season.

Another AFL deal with the ACT Government will also fall short of reaching the quota, in a week when Canberra went into lockdown following the first positive Covid cases there in more than a year.

The roughly $2 million annual contract is for the Giants to play three home and away season matches in Australia’s capital city, plus one pre-season game, but only two of those were played.

This week’s round presented the last home game opportunity for GWS, because it won’t have another one even if it qualifies for finals.

That means there is up to a $700,000 shortfall, with the 10-year deal set to expire next season after it was extended following no matches in Canberra last year.

The Giants were disappointed not to complete the arrangement, but it remains unclear if there will be any make-up games next season.

Hawthorn (six matches) and North Melbourne (five) this year played more than each club’s annual four-game agreement in Launceston and Hobart, respectively.

Those deals are worth a combined $8 million overall per year, but the Tasmanian Government was keen for extra matches when the opportunity arose this season after none in 2020.

The Western Bulldogs also managed to play their usual two games at Ballarat’s Mars Stadium.