AFL 2024 season: Country Game timeslot still to be confirmed
Fixture uncertainty in the late part of the AFL season means Cats and Bombers fans will have to wait to learn when the Country Game will be played in 2024.
The timeslot for the AFL’s Country Game next year between Essendon and Geelong remains a mystery.
It is scheduled for late June at the MCG, but round 16 is the first weekend of “floating fixtures” when the exact scheduling as a day, twilight or night game on either a Friday, Saturday or Sunday may not be known until May next year.
It’s generally been played early in the season with one of the Country Game ambassadors, Geelong’s Tom Hawkins, starring with a career-best eight goals in late April this year.
A spokesman for the AFL said the two clubs were working on arrangements for the Country Game following the release of the 2024 fixture last week.
Geelong is the home club of this year’s Country Game which was the brainchild of AFL legend Kevin Sheedy and first played in 2016.
“The people across regional Australia don’t get enough recognition for their tireless work, and we should celebrate the history of agriculture and farming to Australia’s economy, as well as the people who live and work in these regional towns,” Sheedy said in the lead-up to the 2016 match.
More matches on Thursday nights next season haven’t gone down well with country fans.
Wodonga-based Essendon supporter Graham Jenkin said country supporters faced huge issues attending Thursday games in Melbourne.
“It discriminates against country people because it is almost impossible for a working person and family person to make it to Melbourne for a Thursday night game of footy,” he said.
“It also increases costs because you’re more than likely going to have to pay for accommodation.
“Therefore it devalues your club membership because it’s less games you can attend.”
POLL: If there was a match-up between 2023 country footy premiers played as a curtainraiser to round 1 AFL game next your who should it be? @theweeklytimes@ctryfootyscores@aflvic
— David Johnston (@david_johnston5) November 15, 2023
His preference is for more Saturday and Sunday afternoon fixtures.
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