Fixture 2024 fixture - first game away to GWS?

[collingwood23]

Getting an away game out of the way early, and it being a stand alone game where extra eye balls are on the Pies is a pretty good scenario.

It would be the labour day weekend in Melbourne, so plenty of Pies might also travel for long weekend up to Sydney.

The fixture will give us 5-6 away fixtures (outside of Vic), not sure why people are up in arms about having a few out of the way early.

Exactly what I’m thinking, we get to get an interstate game out the way early in a round that would get all eyes on us which could lead into a blockbuster round 2 home game in what for many teams is basically round 1

 

[DinoSoar]

We are getting shafted.

Agreed. The only way it should be balanced out is for us not to leave the G for the last 6 rounds.

 

[JLC]

Given our drawing power we really shouldn't have any home games at the roofed monstrosity.

Should we unfurl the flag against a minnow so we can maximise the amount of Pie fans at the game?

I couldn't go to the GF in 1990 but at least got to see the flag unfurled against Fitzroy at Vic Park in 91.



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[frizzle]

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.

Like they had to in 2011 for the round 3 clash.

 

[Vicky Park]

Like they had to in 2011 for the round 3 clash.

Was that the game where Blair had a day (night) out? And we now know that the two Daicos kids were involved in the flag unfurling ceremony.

I’d be happy to see Josh and Nick feature again, especially if it’s against Carlton.

 

[Jafo]

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.

See you and raise you playing Dees so May can smoke his pipe along with the rest of them as we unfurl the flag

 

[magpiemaniac44]

I am confused, throught the NRL games in Vegas were on March 2/3. AFL will not start that early

Wouldn't the NRL be playing in Sydney on weekend March 9/10, defeating the purpose of beginning the season in NSW

 

[doofdoof]

Do we need exposure?

It's the last thing we need more of.

Already hard enough for that faithful to get tickets to big games.

 

[pz5151]

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

We're playing against a team that only finished a week earlier. Not a big deal.

 

[magpiewarrior]

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

We did we got a great big shiny 16th Premiership Cup.

 

[doppleganger]

I am confused, throught the NRL games in Vegas were on March 2/3. AFL will not start that early

Wouldn't the NRL be playing in Sydney on weekend March 9/10, defeating the purpose of beginning the season in NSW

The point is that in previous years the AFL has given the NRL a leg up by letting them hit the ground running with clean air for a few weeks to start their season with no AFL competition.

So getting games going earlier in Sydney makes sense.

Keep the Carlton v Richmond as the MCG opener, but if can get content earlier in Sydney especially then it is a no brainer.

 

[barrackers]

Should have a showdown during gather round, so the Adelaide clubs don’t gain an extra home game. After hosting Marvel tenants on their ground for years my only surprise is we didn’t cop Port or Adelaide during the first gather round.

 

[Kappa]

Agreed. The only way it should be balanced out is for us not to leave the G for the last 6 rounds.

Or they could give us a home grand final even if we don't finish top

 

[barrackers]

Glad we’re playing a NSW game this year, however all premiers should open the season with a home game. We’ll get a decent crowd whenever we unfurl the flag, so I doubt the AFL would care though.

 

[legendstatus]

The fixture, lol. Let’s just make shit up and see where it falls

 

[docks]

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.

We did in 2011 and their cheer squad held up a big sign with 16 on it, that won’t be happening next year.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Almost a guarantee that we will start the season against giants at giants stadium. Shame it won’t be at Accor which holds 60k more people but it is what it is.

I don’t think we’ve ever sold out Giants stadium before but fair chance we would this game I guess.

No chance of anybody wanting to play the game at Accor unless they expected 50K minimum, and we don’t even get anything like that for Swans games.

 

[Mollythedolly]

We did in 2011 and their cheer squad held up a big sign with 16 on it, that won’t be happening next year.

Would be accurate if they did.

 

[pz5151]

Should have a showdown during gather round, so the Adelaide clubs don’t gain an extra home game. After hosting Marvel tenants on their ground for years my only surprise is we didn’t cop Port or Adelaide during the first gather round.

Seems like a waste by the AFL. Crowd and Pies would both draw a good crowd in Gather Round regardless of opponent so if they want to maximise attendances it makes more sense to play another non-SA team.

 

[Jen2310]

Fixture release in 2 weeks.

The AFL plans to release the 2024 fixture in a fortnight as clubs prepare to open the season with a northern-states twist.
The league has told clubs it is preparing to release the fixture on Thursday, November 16 as AFL bosses thrash out the final details in talks with club chiefs.

Key requests include another King’s Birthday eve game between Essendon and Carlton, a Good Friday game featuring North Melbourne and the Blues, and a second major home MCG game for St Kilda.

Western Bulldogs are in talks with the league about another marquee game to replace the Good Friday game it lost to Carlton last year.
The 2024 season is expected to be launched with four marquee games in Sydney and Queensland to help deliver the game a boost in the northern states.

The mooted opening weekend games include GWS Giants versus Collingwood, Sydney Swans versus Melbourne, Gold Coast against Richmond and Brisbane versus Carlton.

It will see new Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick take on his old side, new Swan Brodie Grundy

4

Brodie Grundy

Age

30

Ht

202cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.5

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

9.6

5star

CL

4.1

5star

HO

32.0

5star

D

16.4

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

9.6

5star

CL

4.0

5star

HO

34.6

5star

D

13.8

4star

K

5.2

2star

HB

8.6

5star

CL

2.6

5star

HO

20.6

5star

face his old Melbourne teammates and the Lions and Blues clash in a repeat of the 2023 preliminary final.

Scheduling four games on the opening weekend of the season will mean those clubs will have two byes in-season.

Carlton and Richmond could continue their blockbuster rivalry in the early rounds of the season.

 

[magpie_marty]

Hope it's a night game,
I recall was it rd 1 this year GWS played the Crows and both teams were dead on there feet at 1/2 time due to the heat.

 

[Kappa]

Hope it's a night game,
I recall was it rd 1 this year GWS played the Crows and both teams were dead on there feet at 1/2 time due to the heat.

They'll do Thursday night / friday night / sat afternoon / sat night... so very high chance it'll be a nightgame.

The gold coast game will probs be afternoon

 

[localfootylegend23]

It's a f***ing rort if we don't play round 1 at home. Any premier should. AFL's $$$ hat on making us go to that dump in Sydney so they sell out a game for once.

 

[Kappa]

It's a f***ing rort if we don't play round 1 at home. Any premier should. AFL's $$$ hat on making us go to that dump in Sydney so they sell out a game for once.

I'd rather play week 1 and have an extra bye week 2 rather than playing without an early bye

 

[Jen2310]

The first four games of the 2024 AFL season have been labelled “Round Zero” by clubs as part of the new northern-states extravaganza.
The league will meet over the next two days to decide what to call the opening weekend of the new season, which will see four games played in Sydney and Queensland across March 8-10.

It means there will still be nine games as part of regular round 1 the following weekend on March 14-17, including the Richmond-Carlton blockbuster on Thursday night at the MCG.

Collingwood will play GWS in one of the four “Round Zero” games and then the Pies want to unfurl their premiership flag on the Friday night of round 1, March 15, against a strong Victorian club at the MCG in the second game of its back-to-back premiership campaign.

The plan is to help kick the season off with a bang in Queensland in New South Wales in “Round Zero” to help grow the developing markets.
Clubs have codenamed it “Round Zero” but the league could shift to officially label the northern-states footy festival the “Opening Weekend”.

The “Round Zero” arrangement is an experimental step for the league following feedback from the Queensland and New South Wales clubs.

The four opening weekend games are GWS Giants versus Collingwood, Gold Coast versus Richmond, Brisbane versus Carlton and Sydney Swans versus Melbourne.

Those eight clubs will also be scheduled a second in-season bye, most likely some time after the round 4 Gather Round in South Australia on April 4-7, to ensure parity is restored across the fixture.

The byes for the eight clubs could either be split across several rounds or scheduled for one weekend in the second month of the season.

St Kilda is eyeing a round 2 home game blockbuster against Collingwood at the MCG on Thursday night, March 21 following the success of the Saints’ 150th year clash against Essendon there this year.

The clash against the Magpies at the MCG would be a major drawcard game for the Saints and attract a bumper crowd, helping to fill the coffers for the club off the back of last year’s finals series.

Western Bulldogs were eyeing a blockbuster early-season home game against the Magpies but that opportunity could instead be handed to Ross Lyon’s men.

he Magpies are locked in to take on Brisbane in the grand final rematch on Thursday, March 28 in what is looming as a certain round 3 sellout at the Gabba.

Collingwood pipped Brisbane in this year’s grand final by four points at the MCG to win its 16th premiership cup, joining Essendon and Carlton with the most flags.

Brisbane is expected to travel west to play in Perth for its second game after opening the season against the Blues in a repeat of the preliminary final.

North Melbourne will host Carlton on Good Friday, March 29 at a packed-out Marvel Stadium after the two clubs drew 49,062 to the same clash this year.

The Anzac Day blockbuster between Collingwood and Essendon on Thursday, April 25 lines up with round 7.

HOW IT COULD LOOK​

2024 AFL season
Collingwood
Round Date Opponent
Round Zero Mar 8-10 GWS Giants (GS) away
R1 Mar 15 Vic club (MCG) home
R2 Mar 21 St Kilda (MCG) away
R3 Mar 28 (Easter Thursday) Brisbane (G) away
R4 Apr 4-7 Gather Round (SA)
R5 Apr 11-14 Bye?
R6 Apr 18-21 ?
R7 Apr 25 Anzac Day Essendon (MCG)

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-2024-fixture-four-games-to-open-afl-season-before-round-1/news-story/e146c777d9d686f88544b408a05af10e