AFL pre-season 2023: Who your club is playing in pre-season matches
With a couple of practice matches scheduled this pre-season, your first chance to see your club could be at a suburban ground near you. See where, when and who your team plays here.
Premiers Geelong will kick off their official pre-season with a community series clash against the Brisbane side they destroyed in a 71-point preliminary final victory.
The official practice games have been declared free by the AFL and will kick off with three Thursday games on March 2.
Hawthorn will host Collingwood in Tasmania, with Fremantle hosting Port Adelaide at Fremantle Oval ahead of the Lions-Cats game.
On Friday St Kilda will host Essendon at RSEA Park ahead of a Sydney-Carlton game at Blacktown in western Sydney then a West Coast v Adelaide clash in West Australia.
On Saturday the Giants host the Gold Coast Suns at Blacktown Sports Park, the Western Bulldogs host North Melbourne at Ikon Park and Melbourne takes on Richmond at Casey Fields.
AFL clubs and broadcast executive Travis Auld said the games would be the same length as AFL home and away games.
“After an incredible 2022 - in which we saw two AFLW seasons and one of the best AFL seasons on record - the football industry took a well-earned break. Now, footy returns and momentum builds for the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season,” Auld said.
“Fans will get their first glimpse at new players, new coaches, and new captains ahead of a big 2023 season.”
The Western Bulldogs and GWS have decided against playing a second practice match leading into the March 2-4 practice games.
The league has scheduled the Gather Round in Adelaide in Round 5 as a 23rd game for every team so clubs have only an informal scratch match and the official round across March 2-4.
Brisbane is expected to host Geelong on March 2 in a game at Springfield’s Brighton Homes Arena that could see them roll out No. 1 overall draft pick Will Ashcroft, star recruit Josh Dunkley and free agent forward Jack Gunston.
The Lions had publicly flagged that game as a Thursday or Friday night game earlier in the month but it is understood it will kick off the pre-season round on a Thursday night.
With clubs being given only one official pre-season game there is a greater likelihood they will play teams close to their full-strength round 1 line-ups.
Geelong coasted to the 2022 premiership after a narrow six-point qualifying final victory over Collingwood, beating Brisbane by 71 points and Sydney by 81 points.
The Cats are in ideal shape to push deep into the season again with star forward Tom Hawkins their only real injury concern leading into the season.
Hawkins had foot surgery after the season and while he has started running again the Cats are hopeful if he misses round 1 he will not be delayed until too deep into the season.
The Lions are stacked with talent, having also brought in St Kilda’s Darragh Joyce and Essendon’s Conor McKenna to add depth to their side.
The league is also expected to confirm the list of unofficial scratch matches in the last week of February, with Essendon set to take on Gold Coast, Brisbane facing Sydney, Hawthorn pitted against Geelong and North Melbourne taking on Richmond.
St Kilda will play Melbourne while Carlton and Collingwood will also do battle.
WHO YOUR CLUB WILL FACE IN PRE-SEASON SCRATCH MATCHES
Arch rivals Carlton and Collingwood are set to battle it out in an unofficial practice match next month as clubs ramp up preparations for season 2023.
While practice and pre-season match schedules are set to be officially released by the AFL next week, clubs have already submitted their proposed plans for the first week of scratch matches.
The club-organised scratch matches are likely to be played on February 23 and 24, with a single round of AFL-sanctioned pre-season matches to follow in early March.
The home-and-away season kicks off with a clash between Richmond and Carlton at the MCG on March 16.
Carlton and Collingwood famously met in the final round of the regular season last year, with the Magpies recording a one-point win to secure a top-four finish and end the Blues’ finals hopes in the process.
While Carlton is dealing with some early injury issues, the club has its sights firmly set on leaping into finals in its second year under coach Michael Voss.
After a strong summer, Collingwood is seeking to go one step further following a heartbreaking one-point preliminary final loss to Sydney last year.
New North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson is poised to take charge of his troops for the first time in a scratch match against Richmond, while new Essendon coach Brad Scott will get a first look of his side against Gold Coast.
Returned St Kilda coach Ross Lyon will lead the Saints in a scratch match against Melbourne, while the AFL’s most experienced playing list in Geelong will tackle the least experienced playing list in Hawthorn.
The two Adelaide teams are expected to face off with the two Perth clubs, with Fremantle tackling Adelaide and West Coast playing Port Adelaide.
Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs are not expected to play in scratch matches against rival clubs but will each take part in one official pre-season match leading into the regular season.
EXPECTED SCRATCH MATCH PAIRINGS (TIMES AND DATES TBC)
Gold Coast v Essendon
Sydney v Brisbane
Geelong v Hawthorn
North Melbourne v Richmond
St Kilda v Melbourne
Carlton v Collingwood
Fremantle v Adelaide
West Coast v Port Adelaide
No planned scratch matches – GWS Giants, Western Bulldogs
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