Fixture 2024 fixture - first game away to GWS?

[TimothyJ23]

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

A standalone NSW weekend with GWS hosting us Saturday into Swans hosting Dees on Sunday to "open" the season

The report suggests we then get a weekend off inside the first month or so of the season for the other 14 teams to catch up on those games (rather than just splitting up R1, which would make sense if you have to do this rubbish.)

 

[GoldenMagpie16]

Don't mind it. We are due to play GWS at Sydney anyways.

 

[Pies_10]

Garbage

 

[jimmy35]

Yep let’s use Collingwood up to maximise the AFL brand. Doesn’t matter anyway but be nice to have a home opener as Premiers.

 

[sr36]

Yep let’s use Collingwood up to maximise the AFL brand. Doesn’t matter anyway but be nice to have a home opener as Premiers.

It'd be nice if the team that finished the latest didn't start the season a week before most other teams. Silly.

 

[Markfs]

i was expecting a predicted team for the first round...

in - schultz or shultz
out - ginnivan

 

[danielnajdek]

Should be playing at the G for our first game being Premiers. Would love to play Carlton just so their fans can watch us unveil the flag.

 

[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

 

[danielnajdek]

Also don’t expect us to be playing Sydney at the G for a while. We got our once in 10 year game this year.

 

[Cory]

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

Gold Coast v Richmond

Brisbane v Carlton

Sydney v Collingwood

GWS v Essendon

Of course. Have to make it about
individuals against their old clubs. Hardwick v Richmond
Grundy & Adams v Sydney

 

[sr36]

i was expecting a predicted team for the first round...

in - schultz or shultz
out - ginnivan

There will be months of threads about that as well as months of comments about Ginnis summer training. I'm waiting until he trains two houses down before I drop him.

 

[Vicky Park]

But…but…didn’t we just win the flag? Shouldn’t we get some kind of reward for that?

 

[Markfs]

There will be months of threads about that as well as months of comments about Ginnis summer training. I'm waiting until he trains two houses down before I drop him.

thats your problem, sr, unwilling to commit to team selection 6 months out...you need to back yourself

 

[TimothyJ23]

But…but…didn’t we just win the flag? Shouldn’t we get some kind of reward for that?

Precisely

Only one club has gone away interstate to open their reigning premiership season in the last decade - WCE to Brisbane in 2019.

 

[Markfs]

But…but…didn’t we just win the flag? Shouldn’t we get some kind of reward for that?

the reward is that they hate us more...

 

[manicpie]

Well, baton down the hatches and summon the troups, looks like we are going to have to win it the hard way again with every side trying to produce their best against. Are we up for the challenge? ****en oath we are

 

[TimothyJ23]

Robbo with the goss. Apparently it's our idea?

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-fixture-2024-collingwood-propose-sydney-season-opener/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.

 

[Markfs]

I hear Craig wants the Pies to go on tour.....24 dates around the nation....lightshow and a cast of thousands...pirotechnics....face paint....children from schools in each centre...

 

[windchimes]

i was expecting a predicted team for the first round...

in - schultz or shultz
out - ginnivan

In: Kreuger

Out: Cox

 

[Markfs]

In: Kreuger

Out: Cox

well done chimey...good to get the kreuges in early in the summer. Mason is spending too much time on his podcasts to train anyway...

 

[legendstatus]

Not sure about this. Need to think about pros v cons

 

[Black_White]

Happy to take the opening spotlight off the Scum and the tiggers.
Back where we belong, as the opening act.

 

[sr36]

thats your problem, sr, unwilling to commit to team selection 6 months out...you need to back yourself

Stuff it.
R1
Out Ginni, Murphy
In Schultz McStay
Sub: Lippa

 

[76woodenspooners]

But…but…didn’t we just win the flag? Shouldn’t we get some kind of reward for that?

Is there no better reward than visiting the grandkids?

 

[Ingy]

The back to back QLD games is a great idea.

The Lions should have to play us at the G later in the year.

Sick of playing 'home' games at that roofed joint