AFL fixture 2024: Collingwood propose Sydney season opener
Collingwood are keen to kickstart the 2024 AFL season with a match in the Harbour City, but they may be told to play the Swans’ cross-town rivals instead. SEE FIXTURE NEWS HERE.
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Collingwood is proposing an interstate extravaganza in 2024, hoping for a round 1 fixture against Sydney in the Harbour City to kick off the season.
But it has also been floated that the Pies could play the Giants and the Swans play Melbourne in a stand-alone blockbuster weekend in Sydney before the rest of the season kicks off a week later.
A third marquee game in round 1 could see Richmond play the Suns on the Gold Coast in a bid to capitalise on the Suns’ luring of former Tigers coach Damien Hardwick.
Collingwood is also exploring with the AFL the possibility of playing Brisbane in their now traditional Easter Thursday match at the Gabba and then staying in Queensland for a week to play Gold Coast.
The two proposed matches against Sydney and the Suns would reap the premiers a healthy financial windfall as well as help deliver NSW and Queensland two blockbuster matches.
The AFL is keen to deliver as many big games as it can to the non-Victorian markets, particularly to the north.
A proposed round 1 match featuring Collingwood in Sydney would be played a week after rugby league’s Las Vegas double-header between the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos, and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The Pies have already had informal discussions with the AFL about the Lions-Suns quinella and it’s believed the AFL is warm to the proposal.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon has spoken to clubs about the machinations of round 1 and an exact schedule is up in the air.
“We are currently working through club requests and in the infancy of constructing next season’s AFL fixture. The full fixture will be released in November,” an AFL spokesperson said.
Clubs were sent a fixture demands wishlist in mid September where clubs, for example, will ask not to play on Mother’s Day, or ask for a slot against a specific team if there is a celebration game.
It’s expected Carlton and Richmond will again ask to open the season on a Thursday night.
The premiers believe, however, they are the hottest ticket in the competition and want the prized opening-night slot.
The round 1 season-starter has traditionally been the domain of the Tigers and Blues.
Outside of the two Covid years when crowds were restricted, the past four round 1 attendances between those two teams have attracted 88,804, 72,179, 85,016 and 91,151 fans.
In 2022, the AFL opened the season with a rematch of the 2021 grand finalists Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, mainly because the ’21 premiership was won in Perth and the AFL rewarded the Demons with an MCG first-up blockbuster.
That game was played on a Wednesday night and the crowd – 58,002 – was their second biggest attendance between these two teams since their semi-final in 1994.
Last year it reverted back to Carlton-Richmond because, in part, the AFL was wary about fans from grand finalists Sydney and Geelong attending a game on a Wednesday night.
The AFL would also be mindful that Collingwood’s opening game of 2022 against Geelong at the MCG attracted 86,595 fans.
A Collingwood-Brisbane rematch in round 1 is out of the question because of their Easter Thursday match is a well established fixture.
Collingwood chief executive Craig Kelly was contacted for comment.
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