Fixture AFL Round 23 - Fixture CONFIRMED

[parano1a]

Round 23
Friday, August 20	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Western Bulldogs vs. Port Adelaide	Marvel Stadium (SEVEN)	7:50pm	7:50pm
Saturday, August 21	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
Richmond vs. Hawthorn	MCG (FOX)	1.35pm	1.35pm
Sydney Swans vs. Gold Coast SUNS	Marvel Stadium (FOX)	1.45pm	1.45pm
Brisbane Lions vs. West Coast Eagles	The Gabba (FOX)	4.35pm	4.35pm
Geelong Cats vs. Melbourne	GMHBA Stadium (SEVEN)	7.25pm	7.25pm
Carlton vs. GWS GIANTS	Marvel Stadium (FOX)	7.40pm	7.40pm
Sunday, August 22	STADIUM (NETWORK)	EST	LOCAL
St Kilda vs. Fremantle	Blundstone Arena (FOX)	12.15pm	12.15pm
Essendon vs. Collingwood	MCG (SEVEN)	3.20pm	3.20pm
Adelaide Crows vs. North Melbourne	Adelaide Oval (FOX)	4.40pm	4.10pm

The fixture for Week One of the 2021 Toyota AFL Finals Series will be released at the conclusion of Round 23.

 

[RUNVS]

Round 23 - Dates/times/venues for all games yet to be confirmed by AFL.

Below are predictions as per Fox Footy.

Friday, August 20
Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 7.50pm (SEVEN)

Saturday, August 21
Sydney v Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium, 1.45pm (FOX)
Richmond v Hawthorn at MCG, 2.10pm (FOX)
Adelaide v North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, 4.35pm AEST (FOX)
Geelong v Melbourne at MCG, 7.25pm (SEVEN)
Brisbane v West Coast at Gabba, 7.40pm (FOX)

Sunday, August 22
Essendon v Collingwood at MCG, 2.10pm (FOX)
Carlton v GWS Giants at Marvel Stadium, 3.20pm (SEVEN)
St Kilda v Fremantle at TBC, 5.10pm (FOX)

Seems like a good prediction, though if I were GWS or Essendon I would not be happy (assuming either make the finals).

 

[ep2018]

I think the only chance we have of beating Brisbane in the last round is if the dogs win beforehand and slam the door shut on their chance of finishing top 4. With the rumoured no prefinals bye, Brisbane might be temped to rest a couple of niggled players and might put in a half arsed effort with one eye on the finals. So I really hope this fixture is what ends up happening.

 

[parano1a]

Sunday timeslot predictions revised with Essendon likely to be playing off for a Finals spot, Seven will likely want to broadcast their game against Collingwood.

 

[deck]

Isn't Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA. Also the talk of no pre finals bye was around all finals bound teams being scheduled to play Saturday.

 

[parano1a]

Isn't Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA. Also the talk of no pre finals bye was around all finals bound teams being scheduled to play Saturday.

Fixed the Geelong game. It's not really possible to have all those games on Saturday as Seven will want a game of some consequence for its Sunday 3.20pm timeslot. The priority is for the top 4 sides to get Friday/Saturday games.

 

[Crashy]

I'd swap the Carlton GWS and Roos Crows match

GWS might be a chance for finals

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Round 23 - Dates/times/venues for all games yet to be confirmed by AFL.

Below are predictions as per Fox Footy.

Friday, August 20
Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 7.50pm (SEVEN)

Saturday, August 21
Sydney v Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium, 1.45pm (FOX)
Richmond v Hawthorn at MCG, 2.10pm (FOX)
Adelaide v North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, 4.35pm AEST (FOX)
Geelong v Melbourne at MCG, 7.25pm (SEVEN)
Brisbane v West Coast at Gabba, 7.40pm (FOX)

Sunday, August 22
Carlton v GWS Giants at Marvel Stadium, 1.10pm (FOX)
Essendon v Collingwood at MCG, 3.20pm (SEVEN)
St Kilda v Fremantle at Marvel Stadium, 5.10pm (FOX)

Seems pretty accurate

Puzzling why they wouldn't play Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA though

West Coast v Brisbane shouldn't be clashing with Geelong v Melbourne. I'd play Adelaide v North, Saturday night to get as many eyes on the top 4 game.

I'd also switch the two Marvel games on Sunday, because there is a chance St Kilda v Freo could be a dead rubber, while GWS just have to win so it makes sense to keep as many teams alive as possible

 

[parano1a]

Puzzling why they wouldn't play Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA though

Fixed. That was an error on my part (and Fox Footy's graphic).

 

[RUNVS]

Round 23 - Dates/times/venues for all games yet to be confirmed by AFL.

Below are predictions as per Fox Footy.

Friday, August 20
Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 7.50pm (SEVEN)

Saturday, August 21
Sydney v Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium, 1.45pm (FOX)
Richmond v Hawthorn at MCG, 2.10pm (FOX)
Adelaide v North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, 4.35pm AEST (FOX)
Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium, 7.25pm (SEVEN)
Brisbane v West Coast at Gabba, 7.40pm (FOX)

Sunday, August 22
Carlton v GWS Giants at Marvel Stadium, 1.10pm (FOX)
Essendon v Collingwood at MCG, 3.20pm (SEVEN)
St Kilda v Fremantle at Marvel Stadium, 5.10pm (FOX)

Actually thinking about it the Adelaide v North Melbourne and Richmond v Hawthorn games should be on the Sunday and the Carlton v GWS and Essendon v Collingwood games should be on the Saturday as the Adelaide v North Melbourne and Richmond v Hawthorn games almost certainly won't involve any finals bound teams.

 

[parano1a]

Actually thinking about it the Adelaide v North Melbourne and Richmond v Hawthorn games should be on the Sunday and the Carlton v GWS and Essendon v Collingwood games should be on the Saturday as the Adelaide v North Melbourne and Richmond v Hawthorn games almost certainly won't involve any finals bound teams.

That would be fairest on the clubs/players, but the broadcasters want some "live" games for Sunday.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Isn't Geelong v Melbourne at GMHBA. Also the talk of no pre finals bye was around all finals bound teams being scheduled to play Saturday.

Reckon that happens, particularly for the top 4. Can see both Port v Dogs and Cats v Dees blockbusters being Sat scheduled so that none get a 6v7 day break disadvantage.

 

[deck]

Fixed the Geelong game. It's not really possible to have all those games on Saturday as Seven will want a game of some consequence for its Sunday 3.20pm timeslot. The priority is for the top 4 sides to get Friday/Saturday games.

Even still why have 2 likely finalist play Sunday when one of the games is on Fox. I'm only going off what was reported with the Bye being cancelled. If the AFL are going to go to the effort of leaking out that kind of info you would want to come pretty close to fulfilling it. If the Bye remains then it doesn't really matter.

 

[banzai]

Getting rid of the prefinals bye this late is a pretty big deal. Surely Swans will rest a significant amount of players. If the Dogs win Friday night, Brisbane will surely pull several late changes. Could be handy for West Coast.

 

[parano1a]

Can see both Port v Dogs and Cats v Dees blockbusters being Sat scheduled so that none get a 6v7 day break disadvantage.

Seven want both of these games for their Friday night and Saturday night primetime slots. Demons played today so can't play Friday.

 

[parano1a]

West Coast v Brisbane shouldn't be clashing with Geelong v Melbourne.

Channel 7 also want the Lions v Eagles game on Saturday night to air live in primetime into WA and QLD.
The Lions v Pies game on Seven in this timeslot last night beat Nine's NRL game in the ratings in Brisbane, and Seven will want to continue this ratings momentum into the finals.

 

[jdeezy]

Swap Carlton v GWS and Adelaide v North, surely. You wouldn't want two games with finals implications on the Sunday, it would make it difficult to fixture the next week. I'd also swap the Essendon v Collingwood game and Richmond v Hawthorn but can understand Channel 7 and Fox not wanting all dead rubbers on the last day.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Having finals teams play on Sunday is no problem this year, if the bye is scrapped there won't be a Thursday night final which means there will be a Sunday elimination final.

Channel 7 also want the Lions v Eagles game on Saturday night to air live in primetime into WA and QLD.
The Lions v Pies game on Seven in this timeslot last night beat Nine's NRL game in the ratings in Brisbane, and Seven will want to continue this ratings momentum into the finals.

Yeah makes sense, as a neutral who's team won't be playing in finals it'd be great to watch both games but it makes sense.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

That would be fairest on the clubs/players, but the broadcasters want some "live" games for Sunday.

Seven will probably want a Thursday night game, and be happy to drop Sunday afternoon in Vic to get it.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Seven will probably want a Thursday night game, and be happy to drop Sunday afternoon in Vic to get it.

No one can play Thursday in R23 or finals, because it'd give a team a 5 day break

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

No one can play Thursday in R23 or finals, because it'd give a team a 5 day break

If its five day break versus five day break, there isn't an advantage. But, yes, the break would be a consideration and the AFLP do frown on two five day breaks in a season.

 

[maskmcgee]

AFL will want to play Brisbane v. West Coast before Dogs v. Port and Essendon v. Fremantle.
There are no crowds, there is no need for a Marvel game to be on Friday night.
Brisbane v. West Coast on Saturday, Dogs v. Port on Saturday Night, one of GWS v. Carlton or St. Kilda Freo the early Saturday game.

 

[parano1a]

There are no crowds, there is no need for a Marvel game to be on Friday night.

The Friday night scheduling isn't for crowds, its to maximise primetime ratings for Channel Seven - they want the Bulldogs v Power game on Friday as it will rate well in Melbourne and Adelaide.

 

[maskmcgee]

The Friday night scheduling isn't for crowds,

I know. It's because with 3 games at Marvel in Round 23, usally one would have to be on Friday night. With no crowds, there can be two games on one day there.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

AFL will want to play Brisbane v. West Coast before Dogs v. Port and Essendon v. Fremantle.
There are no crowds, there is no need for a Marvel game to be on Friday night.
Brisbane v. West Coast on Saturday, Dogs v. Port on Saturday Night, one of GWS v. Carlton or St. Kilda Freo the early Saturday game.

That would probably be the AFL's preference but Melbourne can't play Friday night, which means they'd have a sub-par game on Friday