By Andrew Wu
Reigning premiers Collingwood have been delivered a fixture that gives them every chance to go back-to-back, as Carlton’s emergence as a genuine flag fancy makes them the blockbuster Blues.
Grand finalists Brisbane Lions and the up-and-coming Adelaide are also winners, but fallen giants Richmond, Hawthorn and West Coast have been all but bumped out of Thursday and Friday nights in the 2024 fixture unveiled by the AFL on Thursday.
The Magpies have plenty of blockbuster fixture slots for the premiership defence.Credit: Paul Rovere
The AFL has released the full fixture for a season that now spans 25 rounds, including the unnumbered opening round, but have not confirmed timeslots from round 16 onwards to give the league flexibility to maximise crowd and audience numbers for the run home to the finals.
The league defended “Opening Round”, which will involve the four NSW and Queensland clubs hosting Victorian teams and creating an additional four rounds with byes, refusing to rule out continuing with the concept beyond next year.
“We’re just going to see how it goes, and if the fans show up and watch at home, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t look at it in future,” fixture boss Josh Bowler said, adding that the pre-finals bye would remain.
In a move hailed as a win for fans, Friday night football has been brought forward from the current 7.50pm start by 10 minutes to a 7.40pm (AEST) start. But games on Thursday night are back 10 minutes to 7.30pm as part of an 11th-hour deal finalised with Seven.
Collingwood have been given a draw that will likely please both their commercial and football departments. Though they play the Lions, Carlton, Sydney and Melbourne twice, the Magpies leave the MCG only once after round 16 heading into September, while byes in rounds five and 15 give their conditioning staff more flexibility in managing the workloads of their veterans.
Their seven Thursday and Friday night matches are bettered only by the Blues, and they again feature on Anzac Day and King’s Birthday – the latter as the home team.
The Blues made it all the way to the preliminary final in 2023 and have been rewarded with prime-time slots in 2024.Credit: AFL Photos
The rivalry between Melbourne and Collingwood, already red-hot after Brayden Maynard’s hit on Angus Brayshaw and stoked further by Steven May’s bullish post-season remarks, has the potential to go another level with the possibility of back-to-back clashes.
Further to their blockbuster King’s Birthday clash, they meet again in round 24, and could also meet for a third time in the first week of finals.
The Blues have been guaranteed seven games on Thursday and Friday nights, matching their home and away tally this year, but stand to get more with clashes against Richmond, Collingwood and Port Adelaide in the run home.
Their clash with Collingwood under the Friday night lights in a bumper round eight stands to be one of the more eagerly anticipated games of the home and away season, and kicks off a run of three challenging prime-time games against Melbourne and Sydney.
The league gambled and lost in 2018 by handing the Blues a swag of Friday night games only for them to claim the wooden spoon, but Michael Voss’ men appear a safer proposition this time, poised to start next year as one of the leading premiership contenders after storming into a preliminary final this season.
League bosses do not have much faith rookie coach Adem Yze can immediately reverse Richmond’s fortunes, handing the Tigers just two games on Thursday and Friday nights, down from seven this year.
Of the Victorian clubs, only lowly pair Hawthorn and North Melbourne have fewer.
Adding salt to the wound, they have been sent down the highway to play Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, a venue where they have won just three times since 1982.
The Tigers, though, still have a strong presence on free-to-air TV with eight games on Channel Seven, a number bettered only by Carlton (nine), Collingwood (nine), Geelong (10) and Melbourne (10) to round 15.
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Sam Mitchell’s Hawthorn are again the invisible Hawks, frozen out of prime time for the second year in a row, while the Eagles are also out of Thursday and Friday nights. In fact, Victorian-based Eagles fans will need a Foxtel or Kayo subscription to view their side – they do not have a game on free-to-air TV to round 15.
The message is clear to the Hawks on what they need to do to get back under lights.
“Perform well and play an exciting brand of footy,” Bowler said.
The Crows’ rise last year, and perhaps their dignified response to the embarrassing goal umpiring blunder which cost them a finals berth, has been recognised with five home games on Thursday and Friday night, including a standalone Showdown to kick off round eight. That round also features the Sydney derby and the Q-Clash.
In a twist, the Swans, who benefited from the Crows’ hard luck, have been drawn to play in Adelaide three times.
The Western Bulldogs, with coach Luke Beveridge under pressure, play only two finalists in the first nine rounds.
The Lions, who came agonisingly close to winning this year’s flag, have been rewarded with blockbuster early season fixtures and time slots against Carlton and Collingwood, the latter starting the Easter round on a Thursday night.
As mooted, the season kicks off on March 7, the earliest start since 2000 when the Sydney Olympics forced the AFL to bring forward the competition.
Only seven of the first 16 rounds, including opening round, do not have a bye, which will make the ladder difficult to interpret.
The Anzac Day round goes across five days, the equivalent of a Test match, starting on Anzac eve on a Wednesday when Richmond and Melbourne square off.
Essendon, who have not won a final since 2004, have four trips interstate in the first eight rounds but do not play a top-four side until round seven. Of the six clubs they play twice, only Collingwood won a final last year.
Once considered sacrosanct, Good Friday will have two games – with the game between Fremantle and Adelaide to follow the clash between North Melbourne and Carlton.
There are also Friday double-headers for Gather Round and round nine, the latter to avoid a third game on Mother’s Day.
Gold Coast start and finish their home-and-away seasons with games against new coach Damien Hardwick’s former club Richmond.
Shooting for their first finals berth, the Suns are the only club to play both West Coast and North Melbourne twice.
Friday night games to start earlier
The league’s move to an earlier start for Friday night games comes in response to fan feedback that the start time meant games finished too late.
The first bounce remains 20 minutes later than the normal start time of 7.20pm for Saturday night matches but is an attempt to strike a balance that also accommodates Seven’s commercial needs and a belief that people need time to get to Friday night games after finishing their working week.
Friday night games will start 10 minutes earlier in 2024.Credit: Paul Rovere
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the league assessed the feedback and was able to work with Seven to deliver a solution without compromising the prized timeslot.
“Matches under the Friday night lights have consistently delivered our biggest crowds and our biggest national TV audiences,” Dillon said.
“Fans are at the core of our game; the feedback has been strong and clear about starting Friday night matches earlier, and I am pleased that in partnership with Channel Seven we have been able to deliver for them.”
Seven Network’s head of sport Lewis Martin said the time was right to make the shift with an eight-year broadcasting deal to kick off in 2025.
“In every discussion and decision together with the AFL, the fans remain at the forefront of everything we do. Their passion for the sport, loyalty, and energy makes every bounce, goal and victory resonate through the screen, connecting communities right across the country,” Martin said.
“It’s all about every Australian having the best opportunity and access to enjoy the sport they love, live and free on Seven.”
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