Fixture How would you do Round 1 of the 2024 AFL Premiership Season?

[TimothyJ23]

So? The turf was never ready at Docklands for about the first 15 years.

Sure, but your snide joke aside, they will not schedule a game less than 72 hours after a concert has been on the surface. The stadium and AFL won't recommend it. Simple

 

[TimothyJ23]

We have not had a round 1 match at GHMBA Stadium since 2014 which is absurd.

Hasn't about half the years since 2014 had the stadium (or parts thereof) in redevelopment?

Fixture quirks happen like that all the time - e.g. Carlton not playing in Adelaide for an eon, Sydney not playing Collingwood in Melbourne etc

 

[doppleganger]

Id do a staggered opening (over 2 weekends to ensure NRL doesnt get a head start).

Sydney v Saints the Fri night as kick-off
Brisbane v Hawks the Sat night

Carlton v Rich Thurs night
Port v Coll on Friday night

Essendon v North Sat arvo
GWS v Dogs Sat twilight
Geelong v Suns Sat night

Melbourne v Freo Sun arvo
WC v Adelaide Sun night

And then for Rd 2 you swap match-ups between Hawks, Lions, Saints and Swans so all have that same long break.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Tbf on that rematch game, it was played on a Wednesday night which is an atrocious timeslot.
Also 2022 was a low crowd year in general and was still somewhat covid affected and didn't feel the normal up until the last round and finals.

It's weird how this is overlooked.

 

[Frank Grimes]

The first game of the year should always be the Grand Finalists of the previous year. It won't be as for some reason the AFL is obsessed with Carlton and Richmond, two teams that have not been interesting in decades, but the AFL persist with it.

They had Bulldogs vs Melbourne to open the 2022 season. I'm sure if the premeirship team pushed for it the AFL would allow it.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Hawks have had the last few Rd 1 games at home so expect an away game to start the year

 

[Demon13304]

It's weird how this is overlooked.

People have short memories
It couldn't be a worse example of how a rd1 grandfinal rematch could be. And using 2022 to judge crowds by any metric isn't fair either.

That being said Idm whether a grandfinal rematch to open the season is the way to go, but we really don't know how it looks because 2022 is the only example.

Brisbane vs Collingwood Easter Thursday at the gabba is a yearly thing now so it won't happen anyway

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Use your big clubs to help out the smaller clubs.

Thursday opening night. Collingwood v North
unveil the flag, 90k should be easy for the Pies. You don’t need another big club to get a crowd.
Pies get their exposure and the Roos get the same.

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

Use your big clubs to help out the smaller clubs.

Thursday opening night. Collingwood v North
unveil the flag, 90k should be easy for the Pies. You don’t need another big club to get a crowd.
Pies get their exposure and the Roos get the same.

F that we've been told 16 > * for decades , we unveil the 16th flag against Carlton now they have nothing left to hold over us

 

[Warwick]

As has been explained numerous times (and ignored) in this thread, our number 1 fixture request will be the Easter Thursday game against Collingwood at the Gabba.

No chance of a GF rematch round 1.

 

[theprospector]

Wed Night:
Collingwood vs GWS MCG

Thurs Night:
Carlton vs Richmond MCG

Fri Night:
Brisbane vs Port Power G

Saturday:
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn MARVEL
Adelaide v Geelong AO (TWILIGHT)
GC Suns v Essendon MS (NIGHT)

Sunday:
St Kilda v Fremantle MARVEL
Sydney v Melbourne SCG
WCE v North Melbourne OS

 

[Dirty Bird]

All times are local

Thursday 7:10 - MCG - Collingwood vs Melbourne
Friday 6:20 - MCG - Richmond vs St Kilda
Friday 6:20 - Perth Stadium - Fremantle vs Essendon
Saturday 1:10 - MCG - Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs
Saturday 4:10 - GMHBA - Geelong vs West Coast
Saturday 7:10 - Adelaide Oval - Adelaide vs Sydney
Sunday 12:10 - GIANTS Stadium - Greater Western Sydney vs North Melbourne
Sunday 3:10 - Marvel Stadium - Carlton vs Port Adelaide
Sunday 5:10 - Gabba - Brisbane vs Gold Coast

No overlap (or if there is, very minimal)
and reigning Premiers kick off the season as it should be.

 

[Cringle]

Thursday
7:20pm: Collingwood VS GWS @MCG

Friday
7:50pm: Carlton VS Melbourne @MCG

Saturday
2:10pm: Bulldogs VS St Kilda @ Marvel
3:40pm: Adelaide VS Fremantle @ AO
7:20pm: Richmond VS Geelong @MCG
8:20pm: Brisbane VS Port Adelaide @ Gabba (7:20pm in Bris)

Sunday
1:10pm: North VS Gold Coast @ Marvel
2:10pm: Sydney VS Essendon @SCG
4:40pm: West Coast VS Hawthorn @Optus


Start the season off with teams playing teams that finished in similar positions as the previous year.

Makes every game really interesting to gauge how their went over the off-season.

Atleast give a false sense of how the season will actually pan out.

 

[Billy ray]

Thursday
7:20pm: Collingwood VS GWS @MCG

Friday
7:50pm: Carlton VS Melbourne @MCG

Saturday
2:10pm: Bulldogs VS St Kilda @ Marvel
3:40pm: Adelaide VS Fremantle @ AO
7:20pm: Richmond VS Geelong @MCG
8:20pm: Brisbane VS Port Adelaide @ Gabba (7:20pm in Bris)

Sunday
1:10pm: North VS Gold Coast @ Marvel
2:10pm: Sydney VS Essendon @SCG
4:40pm: West Coast VS Hawthorn @Optus


Start the season off with teams playing teams that finished in similar positions as the previous year.

Makes every game really interesting to gauge how their went over the off-season.

Atleast give a false sense of how the season will actually pan out.

8 point game’s all round!
Live ladder needed

 

[CarnTheScray]

They did this a couple of years ago (was it Dees v Dogs) and it was a miserable failure and swiftly abandoned.

You have a stand up 90,000 blues v tigers game that generates everything the AFL wants (publicity, crowd, ratings) and yet there are always those that want it changed.

Wasn't there some talk about having one or 2 interstate games the week before the nain start next season in rugby sates rather than give the NRL a free hit?

56,000 for a Wednesday game between an MCG team and a non-mcg team in a crao year for crowds is pretty good.

 

[BigFrizz36]

56,000 for a Wednesday game between an MCG team and a non-mcg team in a crao year for crowds is pretty good.

Clearly the afl didn't agree with your assessment and it was scapped the following season.

Agree with you it wasn't too bad a crowd under the circumstances.

 

[Coach_Required]

Thurs GC vs Richmond (GC)
Fri Coll vs Bris (MCG)

the rest can sort themselves out

Richmond v GC (Marvel)

Not sure Dimma or our supporters would handle it.

Also, sick of playing Carlton round 1.