AFL 2024 fixture: Four games to open AFL season before round 1

The AFL will start their 2024 season with four blockbusters before an official round one, so how will it all work and is it a good idea? Find out the latest and have your say.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Mason Cox of the Magpies engages with Sam Taylor of the Giants after a goal during the 2023 AFL First Preliminary Final match between the Collingwood Magpies and the GWS GIANTS at Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 22, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The first four games of the 2024 AFL season have been labelled “Round Zero” by clubs as part of the new northern-states extravaganza.

The league will meet over the next two days to decide what to call the opening weekend of the new season, which will see four games played in Sydney and Queensland across March 8-10.

It means there will still be nine games as part of regular round 1 the following weekend on March 14-17, including the Richmond-Carlton blockbuster on Thursday night at the MCG.

Collingwood will play GWS in one of the four “Round Zero” games and then the Pies want to unfurl their premiership flag on the Friday night of round 1, March 15, against a strong Victorian club at the MCG in the second game of its back-to-back premiership campaign.

The plan is to help kick the season off with a bang in Queensland in New South Wales in “Round Zero” to help grow the developing markets.

The Pies and Giants will hold a rematch of their epic preliminary final. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Clubs have codenamed it “Round Zero” but the league could shift to officially label the northern-states footy festival the “Opening Weekend”.

The “Round Zero” arrangement is an experimental step for the league following feedback from the Queensland and New South Wales clubs.

The four opening weekend games are GWS Giants versus Collingwood, Gold Coast versus Richmond, Brisbane versus Carlton and Sydney Swans versus Melbourne.

Those eight clubs will also be scheduled a second in-season bye, most likely some time after the round 4 Gather Round in South Australia on April 4-7, to ensure parity is restored across the fixture.

The byes for the eight clubs could either be split across several rounds or scheduled for one weekend in the second month of the season.

St Kilda is eyeing a round 2 home game blockbuster against Collingwood at the MCG on Thursday night, March 21 following the success of the Saints’ 150th year clash against Essendon there this year.

The clash against the Magpies at the MCG would be a major drawcard game for the Saints and attract a bumper crowd, helping to fill the coffers for the club off the back of last year’s finals series.

Western Bulldogs were eyeing a blockbuster early-season home game against the Magpies but that opportunity could instead be handed to Ross Lyon’s men.

The Magpies are locked in to take on Brisbane in the grand final rematch on Thursday, March 28 in what is looming as a certain round 3 sellout at the Gabba.

Collingwood pipped Brisbane in this year’s grand final by four points at the MCG to win its 16th premiership cup, joining Essendon and Carlton with the most flags.

Brisbane is expected to travel west to play in Perth for its second game after opening the season against the Blues in a repeat of the preliminary final.

North Melbourne will host Carlton on Good Friday, March 29 at a packed-out Marvel Stadium after the two clubs drew 49,062 to the same clash this year.

The Anzac Day blockbuster between Collingwood and Essendon on Thursday, April 25 lines up with round 7.

Geelong’s redeveloped stadium is expected to be ready for the season-opener after almost a year-long delay due to a steel problem.

The 14,000-seat northern grandstand is on track to be ready for the start of the men’s season in mid-March and will boost the GMHBA Stadium capacity to more than 40,000.

The steel issue was a major problem for the club last year, severely limiting the crowd numbers.

But the Cats are preparing to have the full stadium available for fans for the start of the new season as the club attempts to climb back into finals.

Originally published as AFL 2024 fixture: Four games to open AFL season before round 1