2024 Fixture

Did the AFL actually compensate us in the fixture for last year's finals debacle?

  • Sort of - Better difficulty, but commercial fixture as expected or worse

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    35

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Cwd v Hawks should've been Sat night instead of Cats Dogs.

Rich v Saints at Norwood is weird. That'll sell out immediately, and would have gotten 25k-30k as a standalone game at Adelaide Oval
Parade is going to be shut with a food & wine festival & you would expect big screens for people to watch.
 

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So no NT game, no Ballarat game (as Caro has hinted for a while - sounds like this was one of our major requests), at least two Friday night games, at least one Thursday night game (and it sounds like potentially one more). Caro also mentioned no Showdown until at least after round 6.
 
Ridiculous headline on Fox Sports: "Crows handed huge reward". No mention of Port.
What reward? How does that help us with premiership points? It looks like the beginning of a media campaign to convince us that
we are getting benefits from goal-gate. I think we should be the judges of that.

The slimiest part of the whole "rewarded for getting shafted" explanation is that we should be getting better fixtures anyway.

We were the highest scoring team, we played good watchable footy, and we're very well supported. It shouldn't take a boss-eyed goal umpire blowing up our season to get a passable fixture, that should already be a given.
 
So no NT game, no Ballarat game (as Caro has hinted for a while - sounds like this was one of our major requests), at least two Friday night games, at least one Thursday night game (and it sounds like potentially one more). Caro also mentioned no Showdown until at least after round 6.
Very surprised if we requested no NT game, no TAS should have been first.
We have good support in Darwin.
 
Perfectly set up so the AFL can whinge SA didn't get enough supporters to the grounds so they can ship gather round to Melbourne where the AFL really wants it to be.
We would have gone if it wasn't the last game of the weekend. We'll be flying out early evening so won't make that one.
 

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The AFL wants to steal the sporting spotlight in New South Wales and Queensland as part of a blockbuster four-game ‘Opening Round’ to start the 2024 season.
The league will kick-off the new season with four marquee match-ups north of the border between March 7-9 before a full nine-game round 1 the following weekend.

The AFL’s bold northern markets move is part of a plan to “have footy in every home around the country” in early March.

New Sydney Swans’ ruckman Brodie Grundy will be front and centre when he locks horns with his former Melbourne teammates in the first AFL game of the season at the SCG on Thursday, March 7.

[PLAYERCARD]Brodie Grundy[/PLAYERCARD] doesn’t have to wait long at all to face his old teammates. Picture: Michael Klein

Brodie Grundy doesn’t have to wait long at all to face his old teammates. Picture: Michael Klein
Brisbane Lions host Carlton in a repeat of the preliminary final on Friday, March 8 at the Gabba, before new Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick starts a new era for the Suns against his Richmond premiership heroes in a tussle on Saturday, March 9 at Heritage Bank Stadium.

Collingwood will begin its back-to-back premiership campaign against GWS Giants in another highly-anticipated preliminary final rematch on Saturday night at Giants’ Stadium.

Those eight clubs will have a second in-season bye staggered across rounds 2-6 to ensure all clubs are back on an even keel by round 7.

It is hoped the ‘Opening Round’ will help deliver a major boost to the game in Sydney and on the Gold Coast with Victorian fans expected to flock north as part of the Labour Day long weekend.

Excitement will be high when footy returns to Melbourne for round 1 with more than 90,000 fans set to watch Richmond and Carlton clash in the traditional Thursday night blockbuster on March, March 14 at the MCG.


Collingwood will unfurl its premiership flag the following night when the Magpies take on former vice-captain Taylor Adams and Gundy in a clash against a new-look Sydney Swans outfit at the MCG on March 15.

Essendon is tipped to tackle Hawthorn, Geelong will host St Kilda under lights at GMHBA Stadium, and Melbourne will likely confront 2021 grand final rivals Western Bulldogs on a Sunday afternoon at the MCG in round 1.

Following the success of Gather Round in South Australia last year, new chief executive Andrew Dillon said the league wanted to start the season with a bang in the northern markets.

“We were fortunate to be in a position where we were able to have access to our major venues in Queensland and New South Wales a weekend earlier than usual which gave us a unique opportunity to play these four games in key markets where footy continues to grow in popularity,” Dillon said.

The Pies and Giants will clash in a preliminary final rematch as one of the four games in Opening Round. Picture: Getty Images

The Pies and Giants will clash in a preliminary final rematch as one of the four games in Opening Round. Picture: Getty Images
“The four match-ups are big, with four of our biggest supported Victorian clubs travelling north, and we look forward to starting our season with real momentum before we head into a blockbuster round of matches in round 1.

“Given this weekend also falls on the Labour Day long weekend in Victoria it presents a terrific opportunity for fans to travel north to support their club and enjoy an extended interstate break.

“We are driven to have footy in every home around the country, whether that be playing, coaching, umpiring, supporting or volunteering and starting the season across Queensland and NSW will only amplify this desire.”

The full fixture will be released on Thursday, and will include Brisbane versus Collingwood on Easter Thursday, a North Melbourne versus Carlton clash on Good Friday, Essendon versus Carlton King’s Birthday Eve game, and a bumper St Kilda home MCG clash against Collingwood in round 2.

Collingwood and Carlton are expected to feature prominently in the prime time Thursday and Friday night slots this year as the rivals and premiership heavyweights look to challenge for the 2024 flag.

Marvel Stadium will be out of action in round 1 due to two midweek Pink concerts.
 

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2024 Fixture

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