AFL fixture news: Thursday night footy to return when AFL drops rounds 13 and 14 draws
For every footy fan who feels like something has been missing from Thursday nights, we have good news. See the fixture for Rounds 13-15.
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The AFL will bring back Thursday football from Round 13, with Port Adelaide locked in to host Geelong in a blockbuster clash of two contenders.
The league released its fixture for Rounds 13-15 on Friday afternoon, with chief executive Gillon McLachlan heralding the return of Thursday night football.
As the Herald Sun revealed on Thursday, the Port Adelaide v Geelong contest at Adelaide Oval is the Thursday night clash of Round 13.
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Both teams have a bye the previous week so do not have to play off a five or six-day bye.
Sydney takes on Hawthorn in the Round 13 Friday night encounter, with the league banking on the two sides lifting their game in a round with only six contests and few other Friday night candidates.
Collingwood and Melbourne play the Queen’s Birthday clash on Monday with the Big Freeze fundraiser returning to the MCG after a COVID pause.
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In Round 14, Geelong hosts the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium with that clash locked in for a Friday night.
Richmond will travel to Perth to take on West Coast on the Thursday night in yet another marquee timeslot for a team handed five of those in the first 10 rounds alone.
And in Round 15, Brisbane hosts Geelong at the Gabba in a huge Thursday night encounter before Richmond takes on St Kilda the following night.
Despite having to slot in Hawthorn in Round 13, the league has been able to use its flexible fixture to lock in massive clashes between contenders in five of the six Thursday or Friday night slots in Rounds 13-15.
Thursday football has been a ratings smash hit, with clubs and players keen for it to return despite the league shelving it from Rounds 7-12.
The league will continue to drip-feed its fixture but it is set for another four or five weeks of the timeslot during the byes.
Teams coming off by byes can play on Thursday night without short breaks, so the cycles of byes allows the league to fixture those contests without clubs complaining about the injury toll.
Nearly a quarter of all players are now out injured as the league assesses the injury toll this year due to a return to longer quarters and restricted rotations.
Gillon McLachlan told 3AW radio on Friday there would be Thursday night footy in the next two weeks of fixtures.
“I reckon I am looking forward to some Thursday night footy as well. We have been missing it. The next two rounds are coming out this afternoon and hopefully there is good news for people who want Thursday night footy in that.”
AFL head of broadcasting and scheduling Marcus King said it was good to have Thursday night football back.
“Thursday night prime-time footy returns with three huge match ups across three different states,” Mr King said.
“With the support of the AFLPA and clubs, we can utilise up to one five-day break per club subject to certain parameters and this has helped in achieving and optimising this next block of Thursday matches.”
McLachlan said the league would consider its Mother's Day schedule next year after poor crowds at the Hawthorn-West Coast game in the 1.10pm slot.
The Herald Sun revealed the Hawks were writing to the league about a slot Hawks CEO Justin Reeves dubbed a “nightmare” fixture.
The AFL is considering whether to only play two games on that day in future given the Dogs-Carlton game had solid crowds in the 3.20pm timeslot.
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