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

[adammania9]

This is so goddamn hilarious.

Whinges you've been away last 2 years.

Let's check:

2023 you were certainly away at....the MCG. Your home ground. Against a side that is forced to give up their proper home ground.

2022 you were certainly away at....Marvel Stadium. That 12 minute tram ride must've been tough on the boys.

AND THEN lists a whole heap of marquee fixtures the Pies get year after year.

Yet without fail every year Collingwood whinge about the fixture. Unbelievable.

We would love to play every game at Adelaide oval if it makes you happy

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Thurs - Carlton v Richmond night
Friday - pies v giants night
Saturday - St.kilda v Freo afternoon
Saturday - Sydney v Dogs afternoon
Saturday - Adelaide v Brisbane night
Saturday - ess v hawks night
Sunday - Gold Coast v Cats afternoon
Sunday Melbourne v Port afternoon
Sunday - eagles v north twilight

I vote for this draw ^

 

[Obzerva]

the AFL likes Carlton / Richmond in round 1 coz it puts two clubs with larger supporter bases against each other, it also creates a regular game in to something, meaning they can save grand final replays etc as further bait throughout the year - why burn a blockbuster in round 1 if you don’t have to and just use a manufactured one.

It’s the same reason that Adelaide shouldn’t play Power, Eagles v Freo etc, save them for a bit later.

Only other thing I would say for round 1 (or round 2 if you have to)
Geelong vs Collingwood in Geelong.

First game in the renovated stadium should be a game against Collingwood.

 

[dean33]

I vote for this draw ^

Would be a cracking opening rd I reckon, something in it for everyone.

 

[jdBombers3598]

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.

Previous years Grand Finalists shouldn't play each other in the first few weeks. But the current Premier should be rewarded with the opening game. Collingwood v Sydney at the MCG would be good.

 

[justlookingaround]

Thurs Night:
Carlton vs Richmond MCG

Fri Night:
Collingwood vs Brisbane MCG

Sat arvo:
Essendon vs Hawthorn MARVEL
Adelaide vs WB AO

Sat Night
Geelong vs Melbourne MCG
Sydney vs Port Adelaide SCG

Sunday:
West Coast vs Gold Coast OPTUS
North Melbourne vs Fremantle MARVEL
GWS vs St Kilda GIANTS

Just spitballing, idk

 

[RonnieRaven]

Thursday night
Carlton vs richmond mcg

Friday night
Pies vs gws mcg

Saturday
Sydney vs bombers scg
Suns vs eagles Carrara

Saturday night
Dogs vs saints marvel
Crow vs lions AO

Sunday
Demons vs cats mcg
North vs hawks marvel
Freo vs port Perth stadium

 

[timokane]

thursday
carlton v richmond

friday

collingwood v hawthorn mcg

sat

dogs v geelong marvel
sydney v freo scg
lions v port gabba
crows v essendon ao

sunday

melbourne v st.kilda mcg
north v gws marvel
eagles v suns perth

but i think collingwood will play lions or gws myself round 1 mcg on the friday night

 

[Billy ray]

Thurs - Carlton v Collingwood MCG night
Friday - Richmond v Gold Coast MCG night
Saturday - St.Kilda v Freo Marvel afternoon
Saturday - Sydney v Dogs SCG afternoon
Saturday - Adelaide v Brisbane AO night
Saturday - Ess v Hawks MCG night
Sunday - GWS v Cats GS afternoon
Sunday Melbourne v Port MCG afternoon
Sunday - eagles v north Optus twilight

 

[StillAtLarge]

Anything but Carlton and fooking Richmond

 

[Defabs]

Pies giants would be absolutely mint.

I agree with this and from a commercial perspective it makes complete sense. You play this in round 1 at the G and it gets 90K given its a rematch of the classic PF and the flag will be unveiled.
There is no way this game would get 70k at any time during the season. I’m sure the AFL would realise this

Makes sense to play melb and coll in round 2 or 3 with thr KB game being the return match. Rivalry has gone up 10 notches since the QF and the AFL have got to capitalise on that earky

 

[DopeMaster]

Season opener to be GF rematch, whoever the teams.

 

[timokane]

agree like it to be a round 1 tradtion that the first match of round 1 is the gf re match and at the same venue.

some how i would love collingwood play melbourne round 1 on the friday night.

but it will end up been say gws instead

 

[nat013]

Im gonna go with the assumption Marvel is out for rd 1,

Thursday Night: Collingwod vs GWS, MCG
Friday night: Carlton vs melbourne, MCG
Saturday 1.40: Essendon vs hawthorn, MCG
Saturday 4.40: Sydney vs Richmond, SCG
Saturday 7.10: Brisbane vs St Kilda, GABBA
Saturday 7:40: Adelaide vs fremantle, Adelaide Oval
Sunday 1.10: North vs GC, Blundstone
Sunday 3.20: geelong vs Bulldogs, Kardinia Park
Sunday 6.20: West Coast vs port, Optus

 

[BigFrizz36]

Season opener to be GF rematch, whoever the teams.

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?

 

[Demon13304]

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?

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.

 

[TimothyJ23]

Pink is performing Wed and Thu ahead of Round 1 - Marvel Stadium will not be available.

Zero chance the turf is ready for any day of the weekend.

 

[Chinacats]

Cats have long pre season apparently that makes a difference from a shorter pre season…. So shouldn’t matter who we play….if we had a shorter pre season like this season I would want a softer first 3 rounds just so I wouldn’t need to read the excuses for losing! Haha

 

[jdeezy]

They'll never change from the Carlton / Richmond opener, but I really reckon the season should kick off with the premier unveiling their flag, not necessarily in a Grand Final rematch, but in a high interest game.

I'd also go left field and leverage the fact that it's early in the season and people are starved for footy by making all games standalone. Use the fact WA is 3 hours behind Vic at this point, make it a Friday Night double header, one in Vic one in WA, call it across the Nullarbor night or something. Chuck on a Sunday night game too (bump the season a week earlier so this lines up with public holidays in Vic / SA / wherever).

There's plenty of scope to actually make it interesting.

Next year you could go with something like:

Thursday Night: Collingwood v Sydney (MCG)
Friday Night - 6:50 AEDT: Carlton vs Richmond (MCG)
Friday Night - 7:20 AWT: Fremantle vs St Kilda (Optus)
Saturday Early: Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast (Marvel)
Saturday Twilight: GWS v Hawthorn (GS)
Saturday Late: Brisbane v Melbourne (Gabba)
Sunday Early: Geelong v Port (GMHBA)
Sunday Twilight: North v Essendon (Marvel)
Sunday Night: Adelaide v West Coast (AO)

Would freshen things up a bit but still give the AFL some big drawing games including their precious Carlton v Richmond one (which admittedly now is at the point of being somewhat interesting)

 

[hilly]

Essendon vs North Melbourne primetime opener for the McKay/Goldstein Cup obviously.

Alex Morgan dislikes this.

 

[DopeMaster]

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?

Yeah I dunno, It works when both Tiges and Blues are both up and and about, otherwise it’s pretty lacklustre.

 

[My_Username]

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.

CvR as the first game gets a sizable bump in crowd numbers because it's the first game.

GF rematch would get a sizable bump in crowd numbers whenever they play.

Have the GF rematch as game 1 and they only get one of those.

The AFL is greedy, they want both.

 

[fpm84]

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

Two of our last four round one matches have been interstate.

With the stadium redevelopment ready by round one there is zero excuse for us to not get a true home game to open the season.

We’ll take Swans, Lions or Port if the AFL wants it to be a prime time blockbuster.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Pink is performing Wed and Thu ahead of Round 1 - Marvel Stadium will not be available.

Zero chance the turf is ready for any day of the weekend.

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

 

[terrybull]

Adelaide vs Brisbane
Carlton vs Collingwood
Essendon vs Fremantle
Geelong vs Gold Coast
GWS vs Hawthorn
Melbourne vs North Melbourne
Port Adelaide vs Richmond
St.Kilda vs Sydney
West Coast vs Western