Fixture Round 1 fixture - Sydney early games officially floated

[TimothyJ23]

AFL.com.au reporting a staggered season start.

GWS v Collingwood and Sydney v Melbourne - both Sydney team home games - played a weekend before the official full Round 1 (including those four teams in different matches).

The four clubs playing that early weekend would then not play in an early round (somewhere between R2 and gather round) to allow the other 14 clubs to "catch-up".

"Under the floated fixture, which was sent to clubs last week and caveated by the fact it was only a draft version, the second weekend would then feature a full complement of games and be headlined by Carlton against Richmond on the Thursday night.

The four teams that played on the earlier weekend – the Giants, Magpies, Swans and Demons – would then have a bye at some point inside the season's first few weeks, enabling the remaining 14 teams to catch up on fixtures.

The proposed fixture would be the first step in new AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon's ongoing plan to grow the game in the northern states, putting the entire weekend's spotlight on blockbuster fixtures in New South Wales."

AFL floats double-header in Sydney to open 2024 season

The 2024 season would start in Sydney under an AFL proposal

www.afl.com.au

 

[carlton_99]

This is a terrible idea - just further compromises fixture integrity

 

[happy_eagle]

Why make the 4 teams have a random bye into the season. Just split the round over 2 weeks if that is what you want to do.

2 games week 1
7 games week 2

Making the 4 teams double up again in week 2 (which is what seems to be the recommendation), and being one game ahead of every other team for a couple of weeks is just over-complicating it.

 

[Millsie69]

Genuinely makes zero sense having the full 9 games the following weekend....why not have a 2 and 7 game split between the two weekends if they're adamant on having round 1 split over two weeks??

 

[TimothyJ23]

As someone who follows both codes, I find this perplexing.

My understanding of the NRL's Las Vegas thing - which is what the AFL is supposedly trying to take advantage of - is that it's simply part of a full round. It's just two of the eight NRL games will be played in America, the other 6 will still be in Australia and there'll be at least 1-2 games in Sydney. If the NRL is really smart they'll give the Storm a home game and promote the bejesus out of it.

Edit: based on Sun 6 Oct as NRL Grand Final, it looks like the Vegas trip actually is on its own weekend, so I'm wrong. nvm

 

[Collingwood 4 eternity]

McLure on 3aw just went with opening games next year being

Gold Coast v Richmond

Brisbane v Carlton

Sydney v Collingwood

GWS v Essendon

Following week Richmond v Carlton

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

Surely a team that played in the grand final should not have to start their season a week earlier than the rest ? AFL always rigging the fixture against Collingwood #NSWbias

 

[BF Tiger]

Stupid idea.

Let them play week 1. Rest of round 1 follows in week 2. Then the week 1 teams play each other in round 2/week 3.

 

[adammania9]

So these four clubs will have their bye in round 3 or 4 while all the other clubs get theirs at roughly the halfway point of the year? Disgrace if true

 

[TimothyJ23]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...r/news-story/9f41785088f382d3417d5e74a68ee9ba

Collingwood is proposing an interstate extravaganza in 2024, hoping for a round 1 fixture against Sydney in the Harbour City to kick off the season.

But it has also been floated that the Pies could play the Giants and the Swans play Melbourne in a stand-alone blockbuster weekend in Sydney before the rest of the season kicks off a week later.

A third marquee game in round 1 could see Richmond play the Suns on the Gold Coast in a bid to capitalise on the Suns’ luring of former Tigers coach Damien Hardwick.

Collingwood is also exploring with the AFL the possibility of playing Brisbane in their now traditional Easter Thursday match at the Gabba and then staying in Queensland for a week to play Gold Coast.

The two proposed matches against Sydney and the Suns would reap the premiers a healthy financial windfall as well as help deliver NSW and Queensland two blockbuster matches.

The AFL is keen to deliver as many big games as it can to the non-Victorian markets, particularly to the north.

A proposed round 1 match featuring Collingwood in Sydney would be played a week after rugby league’s Las Vegas double-header between the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos, and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The Pies have already had informal discussions with the AFL about the Lions-Suns quinella and it’s believed the AFL is warm to the proposal.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon has spoken to clubs about the machinations of round 1 and an exact schedule is up in the air.

“We are currently working through club requests and in the infancy of constructing next season’s AFL fixture. The full fixture will be released in November,” an AFL spokesperson said.

Clubs were sent a fixture demands wishlist in mid September where clubs, for example, will ask not to play on Mother’s Day, or ask for a slot against a specific team if there is a celebration game.

It’s expected Carlton and Richmond will again ask to open the season on a Thursday night.

The premiers believe, however, they are the hottest ticket in the competition and want the prized opening-night slot.

The round 1 season-starter has traditionally been the domain of the Tigers and Blues.

Outside of the two Covid years when crowds were restricted, the past four round 1 attendances between those two teams have attracted 88,804, 72,179, 85,016 and 91,151 fans.

In 2022, the AFL opened the season with a rematch of the 2021 grand finalists Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, mainly because the ’21 premiership was won in Perth and the AFL rewarded the Demons with an MCG first-up blockbuster.

That game was played on a Wednesday night and the crowd – 58,002 – was their second biggest attendance between these two teams since their semi-final in 1994.

Last year it reverted back to Carlton-Richmond because, in part, the AFL was wary about fans from grand finalists Sydney and Geelong attending a game on a Wednesday night.

The AFL would also be mindful that Collingwood’s opening game of 2022 against Geelong at the MCG attracted 86,595 fans.

A Collingwood-Brisbane rematch in round 1 is out of the question because of their Easter Thursday match is a well established fixture.

Collingwood chief executive Craig Kelly was contacted for comment.

 

[RUNVS]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...r/news-story/9f41785088f382d3417d5e74a68ee9ba

Collingwood is proposing an interstate extravaganza in 2024, hoping for a round 1 fixture against Sydney in the Harbour City to kick off the season.

I don't feel too surprised that the AFL is only considering this because Collingwood has asked for it.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

So these four clubs will have their bye in round 3 or 4 while all the other clubs get theirs at roughly the halfway point of the year? Disgrace if true

No, think about it.

 

[Cmarsh]

The more baffling thing is this season just gone when the AFL didn't have a match in Sydney despite all NRL matches were played in Brisbane that weekend.

 

[TimothyJ23]

I don't feel too surprised that the AFL is only considering this because Collingwood has asked for it.

That might be the opening line, but the closing line literally says Craig Kelly was approached for comment and didn't provide one - so I'm not sure how true it is

 

[TimothyJ23]

The more baffling thing is this season just gone when the AFL didn't have a match in Sydney despite all NRL matches were played in Brisbane that weekend.

The NRL's done Magic Round in Brisbane for four or five years now hasn't it?

 

[BobbyMorri]

Why?

They tried this years ago. Collingwood and Sydney at ANZ as a standalone match.

It didn't work.

 

[Outtatym]

Why?

They tried this years ago. Collingwood and Sydney at ANZ as a standalone match.

It didn't work.

The fact anz is a shithole had abit to say in it as well

 

[Cmarsh]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...r/news-story/9f41785088f382d3417d5e74a68ee9ba

Collingwood is proposing an interstate extravaganza in 2024, hoping for a round 1 fixture against Sydney in the Harbour City to kick off the season.

But it has also been floated that the Pies could play the Giants and the Swans play Melbourne in a stand-alone blockbuster weekend in Sydney before the rest of the season kicks off a week later.

A third marquee game in round 1 could see Richmond play the Suns on the Gold Coast in a bid to capitalise on the Suns’ luring of former Tigers coach Damien Hardwick.

Collingwood is also exploring with the AFL the possibility of playing Brisbane in their now traditional Easter Thursday match at the Gabba and then staying in Queensland for a week to play Gold Coast.

The two proposed matches against Sydney and the Suns would reap the premiers a healthy financial windfall as well as help deliver NSW and Queensland two blockbuster matches.

The AFL is keen to deliver as many big games as it can to the non-Victorian markets, particularly to the north.

A proposed round 1 match featuring Collingwood in Sydney would be played a week after rugby league’s Las Vegas double-header between the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos, and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The Pies have already had informal discussions with the AFL about the Lions-Suns quinella and it’s believed the AFL is warm to the proposal.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon has spoken to clubs about the machinations of round 1 and an exact schedule is up in the air.

“We are currently working through club requests and in the infancy of constructing next season’s AFL fixture. The full fixture will be released in November,” an AFL spokesperson said.

Clubs were sent a fixture demands wishlist in mid September where clubs, for example, will ask not to play on Mother’s Day, or ask for a slot against a specific team if there is a celebration game.

It’s expected Carlton and Richmond will again ask to open the season on a Thursday night.

The premiers believe, however, they are the hottest ticket in the competition and want the prized opening-night slot.

The round 1 season-starter has traditionally been the domain of the Tigers and Blues.

Outside of the two Covid years when crowds were restricted, the past four round 1 attendances between those two teams have attracted 88,804, 72,179, 85,016 and 91,151 fans.

In 2022, the AFL opened the season with a rematch of the 2021 grand finalists Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, mainly because the ’21 premiership was won in Perth and the AFL rewarded the Demons with an MCG first-up blockbuster.

That game was played on a Wednesday night and the crowd – 58,002 – was their second biggest attendance between these two teams since their semi-final in 1994.

Last year it reverted back to Carlton-Richmond because, in part, the AFL was wary about fans from grand finalists Sydney and Geelong attending a game on a Wednesday night.

The AFL would also be mindful that Collingwood’s opening game of 2022 against Geelong at the MCG attracted 86,595 fans.

A Collingwood-Brisbane rematch in round 1 is out of the question because of their Easter Thursday match is a well established fixture.

Collingwood chief executive Craig Kelly was contacted for comment.

These ideas are coming from Collingwood?
Surprising.

 

[Ticky009]

These ideas are coming from Collingwood?
Surprising.

No its not. Magpies just want to get more fans in NSW and this is one way to do it. A 'home' game in NSW - get stuffed.

 

[Spiritof82]

AFL.com.au reporting a staggered season start.

GWS v Collingwood and Sydney v Melbourne - both Sydney team home games - played a weekend before the official full Round 1 (including those four teams in different matches).

The four clubs playing that early weekend would then not play in an early round (somewhere between R2 and gather round) to allow the other 14 clubs to "catch-up".

"Under the floated fixture, which was sent to clubs last week and caveated by the fact it was only a draft version, the second weekend would then feature a full complement of games and be headlined by Carlton against Richmond on the Thursday night.

The four teams that played on the earlier weekend – the Giants, Magpies, Swans and Demons – would then have a bye at some point inside the season's first few weeks, enabling the remaining 14 teams to catch up on fixtures.

The proposed fixture would be the first step in new AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon's ongoing plan to grow the game in the northern states, putting the entire weekend's spotlight on blockbuster fixtures in New South Wales."

AFL floats double-header in Sydney to open 2024 season

The 2024 season would start in Sydney under an AFL proposal

www.afl.com.au

Crap idea, why would you play Collingwood in Sydney against the plastics, it will only draw a couple of hundred people (all Collingwood supporters). If the AFL is after revenue then play the game in Melbourne, at least you'd know you'd get 80-90k Collingwood supporters attending.

 

[Vic pokiesmon]

Makes sense to start the season a week early in Sydney particularly if no NRL games are on.Victorians Will watch these games in greater magnitude and still tune into traditional Tigers Blues etc the week after anyway.Victorians don’t seem to realize that most Of the highest rating games of all time involve the Swans and as more and more Sydney people start to realise the Giants are the true Sydney team and not from South Melbourne our tv ratings crowds etc will only rise in next few decades.It’s a win win in all respects really

 

[juss]

Stupid idea.

Round 2 has 4 games with either fresher teams or teams who have already played a game and are more progressed, unless you play the same 4 teams against each other in round 2 but obviously against alternate teams.

But then you have the bye situation with 4 teams having a bye at a significantly different time.

No problem with the proposed games, but a stupid idea on timing.

 

[Dee Train]

Sounds s**t

 

[Goggin Our Best]

To me the obvious match up - Round 1 on the Friday night at the MCG was Coll v GWS

I think when the Dolphins played the Broncos in their 1st meeting they got 60000 - now Coll v GWS - i know it is all Coll driven - but GWS have been a good competitive consistent club over the journey - and played very well in the finals last year - so i think they have earnt their stripes and belong in the AFL

So Coll v GWS - they will get 95000 to a home and away game - with one of the teams representing the Western Suburbs of Syd - and that will resonate quite a bit in NSW - and easily trumps the 60k the 2 QLD sides got in Rugby League heartland - then i dont think you pass up that opportunity

 

[THE EQUALIZER]

Take the matches on opening weekend from Mothers Day round.

Byes for those teams come in roughly rounds 9 and again in rounds 14 or 15.

Clever move by those clubs participating to get themselves 2 in season byes.

Opening weekend teams play amongst themselves in the first few rounds and directly after their byes to minimise disruption to the rest of the competition.