The AFL has revealed its fixtures for Round 1 of the 2016 season, with Richmond and Carlton to kick off the year once again.
The Tigers and the Blues will meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, March 24 for the season-opener.
The two sides also opened the 2015 season, and have been traditional opponents in the first round for a number of years now.
The AFL has once again neglected to schedule a match on Good Friday, but Saturday afternoon will see Melbourne meet Greater Western Sydney at the MCG, and Gold Coast host Essendon at Metricon Stadium.
The Saturday night games will feature Sydney and Collingwood at ANZ Stadium, and North Melbourne and Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.
On Sunday the Western Bulldogs will host Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, Port Adelaide will play St Kilda at Adelaide Oval, and West Coast will meet Brisbane at Domain Stadium.
Finally on Easter Monday we will see the now-traditional bout between Geelong and Hawthorn.
There’s a number of things that already look appealing about the first round of next year’s AFL season.
We’ll see Don Pyke and John Worsfold take the chair for the first time as the new senior coaches of Adelaide and Essendon respectively, and a host of players will don new colours for the first time after a busy off-season.
The Easter Monday clash in particular promises some excitement as a new-look Geelong, headed by star recruit Patrick Dangerfield, is unveiled for the first time on the biggest of stages.
The set dates – a week earlier than last year’s fixture – should guarantee that this year’s grand final is again played on the ‘last Saturday in September’.
The full 2016 fixture is expected to see release this Thursday.
Round 1, 2016
Thursday, March 24
Richmond v Carlton, MCG
Saturday, March 25
Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney, MCG
Gold Coast v Essendon, Metricon Stadium
Sydney Swans v Collingwood, ANZ Stadium
North Melbourne v Adelaide, Etihad Stadium
Sunday, March 26
Western Bulldogs v Fremantle, Etihad Stadium
Port Adelaide v St Kilda, Adelaide Oval
West Coast v Brisbane Lions, Domain Stadium
Monday, March 27
Geelong v Hawthorn, MCG
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"We played in 5 states this year. We won in 5 states this year. Not sure who else can boast that." WCE played in 6 states and won in 5 of them. Just curious where you're going with this, that's all.
andyl12
Guest
We played in 5 states this year. We won in 5 states this year. Not sure who else can boast that.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"and we win everywhere we’re sent to" ...but you didn't win everywhere now did you? Last time I checked, you lost quite a few games this year, including a final where you got belted on foreign soil. I just found your comment about 'all of them in Perth' funny, especially from a Victorian, that's all.
jax
Guest
Not at all as that would be injustice, in favour of WC and that wouldn't be fair at all. Look it up in the dictionary as I don't think you understand the meaning.
andyl12
Guest
Except we do play in Tassie, and we win everywhere we're sent to. Get a clue.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"all of them played in Perth, that they never have to go to Tasmania, Geelong, Darwin, Alice Springs or anywhere else they consider too hard to get to" Sounds a bit like Collingwood, Essendon, Hawks etc... except in reverse. :)
Neil from Warrandyte
Guest
At least they won't be playing the hawks in Tassie.
andyl12
Guest
Your theme is that it's never justice until West Coast win every Grand Final, all of them against Fremantle and all of them played in Perth, that they never have to go to Tasmania, Geelong, Darwin, Alice Springs or anywhere else they consider too hard to get to, and that all of their MCG games should be in July or August (but not in Melbourn-esque weather), with the MCG boundary line brought in by 20m on each wing to and with the crowd capacity reduced to Subiaco's crowd capacity because WA haven't been able to build a 100K stadium yet.
jax
Guest
I'll complain about injustice. I'm very consistent and there is a theme but it may have gone over your head?
David
Guest
They can put one hand on the wooden spoon from the get go.
andyl12
Guest
Oh dear Jax, is there anything you won't whinge about?
WhereIsGene
Guest
Carlton shouldn't even be PLAYING in round one, the AFL should give them the bye or something so that we can at least enjoy the opening round without being reminded of how putrid they are - even worse next year too without Menzel & Henderson. If Mike Fitzpatrick wasn't a former Carlton man they'd never had got that round one 'blockbuster' (HAHA) against Richmond in the first place.
jax
Guest
The VFL is getting WC's MCG game out of the way early. WC play the Hawks on the G in R2 when it should have been scheduled between R18-20. It could just all be a co-incidence.
13th Man
Guest
Oh dear Carlton are playing in the season opener? Really AFL? they finished bottom! West Coast get a pretty easy first game as well, would think there fixture is likely to be a lot harder next year, will play both Freo and Hawthorn twice I would think. Freo V Western Bulldogs the pick of the bunch I think!
Gyfox
Guest
If the AFL is serious about promoting the game in Qld, why send Brisbane to play in Perth - guaranteed defeat!
Riordan Lee
Editor
YES! Carlton opening the season! YES! ... ........ ............
Martyn50
Guest
On the positive side that means home games towards the end of season on run to finals
Brian
Guest
adding to the drip feed Round 2 is Hawthorn v West Coast MCG Sunday afternoon. Disappointed there is no Good Friday. Richmond thrashing Carlton followed by a rest day is hardly huge.
Brian
Guest
what about Richmond?
Ryan Buckland
Expert
I might be one out here, but the drip feeding of the fixture is one of the only things the AFL does that really annoys me. That said, I'm happy with West Coast's round one match! While we're on the topic, I should flag now that there'll be a club-by-club breakdown of the fixture the day after its released (latest intelligence suggests its happening on Thursday this week).