AFL fixture news: Latest updates on how Round 17 fixture will look

A huge top-eight clash will kick off Round 17 on Thursday, despite two very short turnarounds. Plus see the AFL’s future plan for the marquee timeslot.

The Demons are certain to face the Power on Thursday night. Picture: Michael Klein

Essendon appears set to secure a lucrative home Friday night clash against Adelaide after the player union rejected a deal that would have handed the Western Bulldogs a prime-time clash in Round 17.

As revealed by News Corp, the blockbuster Port Adelaide-Melbourne clash will be held at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.

As the league assesses Covid cases across Australia, the Lions are likely to play Adelaide on Saturday then return to Melbourne for the short-term future.

After more cases in Queensland overnight, the league would make a decision early next week on whether they hosted their Round 17 Gabba contest against St Kilda or relocate it to Melbourne.

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The Bombers are set to take on Adelaide on Friday night. Picture: Sarah Reed

The Power is expected to fly home on Sunday from this weekend’s Hawthorn clash in Melbourne then, with low Covid numbers, host the Demons on Thursday in front of a crowd at Adelaide Oval.

Both teams will be playing off an equal-five day break, with the collective bargaining agreement only allowing the league to hand teams one five-day break per season.

The league hoped to bend those rules with the blessing of the Bulldogs hierarchy and players to allow the Dogs to host Sydney at Marvel Stadium.

The player union, which had warned the league against going back to 20-minute quarters and reducing interchange over summer, held firm on the CBA regulation given concerns over an already-high injury toll and player fatigue.

It means Essendon is best placed to swoop in to host a Marvel Stadium clash against Adelaide next Friday night, with those primetime games valuable given bumper ratings and sponsorship exposure.

Essendon would be playing off a seven-day break and Adelaide six.

While Adelaide is not yet a finals contender, the league would hope they could perform similar feats as Gold Coast against Richmond on Thursday by stepping up to provide a tight contest.

Scheduling Thursday and Friday night contests next week between teams from Melbourne and Adelaide also gives more certainty the game will not be moved given the regular exemptions between the SA and Victorian governments.

The Power is expected to fly home on Sunday. Picture: Michael Klein

It can be revealed the AFL is set to explore the idea of multiple five-day breaks per side next year to pave the way for an expanded Thursday night schedule.

It would require an alteration to the current CBA but the league could ask for one five-day break per team each side of the mid-season bye.

The player union denied the Dogs in part because Luke Beveridge’s players had already done a full week in WA hotel quarantine and had not been handed their mandatory four-day bye given scheduling issues.

Currently the league often schedules teams coming off mid-season byes to slot in Thursday night football but cannot schedule more than 10-12 quality Thursday night games.

A team that plays Friday night football can play the following round on a Thursday night but finding an appropriate rival good enough for prime time football who has not already had a five-day break is often challenging.

The ratings bonanza has proved football’s most popular timeslot.

Dogs coach Luke Beveridge accepted the player union’s ruling but said he was bemused the players wouldn’t want to grow the TV pie, which in turn would grow their revenue pool.

The league’s TV rights deal has been extended through to the end of 2024, but in the future the AFL could even package up Thursday night football for sale to help maximise its broadcast rights.