Two big pieces of news on the 2017 AFL Fixture – Round 1 is locked in, and it’s been reported by The Herald Sun that we’ll have Good Friday footy for the first time.
First, let’s hop into Round 1. Here’s what’s being reported as the fixture for 2017’s opening weekend:
Thursday, March 23
Carlton vs Richmond, MCG
Friday, March 24
Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs, MCG
Saturday, March 25
Sydney vs Port Adelaide, SCG
North Melbourne vs West Coast, Etihad Stadium
Gold Coast vs Brisbane, Metricon Stadium
Essendon vs Hawthorn, MCG
Sunday, March 26
Adelaide vs GWS Giants, Adelaide Oval
St Kilda vs Melbourne, Etihad Stadium
Fremantle vs Geelong, Subiaco
The Carlton vs Richmond season-opener is something we’ve grown pretty used to in recent years and it’s no surprise to see it as the first fixture on the list once again.
The Bulldogs will begin their premiership defence against the Magpies on the Friday, and assuming he can break into their best 22 over the course of the off-season, Travis Cloke will play his first game for his new side against his old one.
The ‘Q-Clash’ will be the only state derby of Round 1, with Gold Coast’s new recruit Pearce Hanley set to line up against his old side on Saturday, while Essendon’s banned players will return to action on the big stage – a Saturday night blockbuster at the MCG against an old enemy in Hawthorn.
GWS will enter the season as premiership favourites in the eyes of many but if they want to maintain that favouritism they’ll have to find a way to get their first ever win against Adelaide on the Sunday.
St Kilda and Melbourne will also face off that day in a battle of the up-and-comers, possibly setitng the tone for what could be a thrilling push into finals for both sides.
For the first time in several years the fixture doesn’t start on the Easter weekend, in fact, it starts well before – but when Easter does roll around it’s believed there’ll be an AFL match on Good Friday for the first time.
North Melbourne will be involved, having campaigned heavily for a number of years to start up a Good Friday blockbuster – and as a North fan, I’d say it’s a deserved reward. We invented Friday nights you know. Before we got involved, people just went straight from Friday arvo into Saturday morning.
Seriously though, the vast majority of footy fans, myself included, will be glad to see some footy come to Good Friday. It’s believed that the Western Bulldogs will be North’s opponent in this historic match, but the fixture is reportedly set to be rotated between different clubs from year to year.
Big fan of that policy. At least, I will be when they start doing it for the season opener, Dreamtime at the ‘G, ANZAC Day, Easter Monday, Queens Birthday, et cetera et cetera as well.
Got to be all one way or the other there in my view – North Melbourne and the Bulldogs have both put in a lot of work campaigning for this time slot, and to shunt them out of the spotlight after a single year would be rather disrespectful in my book.
Otherwise, it’d just seem like the AFL has one set of rules for big clubs and one set of rules for small clubs – but, we all know that couldn’t possibly be true, right?
Perhaps the best way to do it would be a rotating fixture between Melbourne’s three smallest clubs – North, the Dogs and St Kilda – where the reigning champion each year hosts whichever side didn’t take part in the previous season’s match.
Every other team in the comp has at least one high-profile marquee match booked in year after year. If these three have to split one between them, well, that’s a start at least.
The full 2017 AFL Fixture will be released on Thursday 27 October. Be sure to return to The Roar then for all the details and analysis!
hal
Guest
Maybe you are right but Melbourne have a deplorable record against the Saints. I love putting money on the Saints in this game as they always go in under dog but they always win. I can't see the Pies knocking off the Dogs.
Doctor Rotcod
Guest
Hey hal, I reckon you could be completely wrong about nearly every game Carlton to be good enough for one early season game Doggies let down after the euphoria Agree with you about Sydney vs Port Brisbane, like Carlton ,might be good enough early doors Essendon lose by only a few Adelaide by some over the Giants Melbourne by a lot over St Kilda Fremantle will gel and knock the Cats off The Eagles by heaps against the Roos
me too
Guest
i don't understand why they'd play st kilda and melbourne during the F1 Grand Prix?
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
The Dogs weren't really contenders in 2015 though and perceptually were certainly forecast to be strugglers in everybody's predictions.
Duck
Guest
Agree...hawks vs cats always delivers. Essendon are a huge unknown at the start of next year.
Duck
Guest
Agree...or adelaide vs bulldogs is always good.
Ryan
Guest
Your having a laugh, crows will take care of the giants and the swans will murder the port power, just like last time.
hal
Guest
My tips for round one. Richmond to continue their recent dominance over Carlton Footscray to knock over Collingwood Sydney to close down the front runners (snuffing out their season) Gold Coast by less than a kick against Brisbane Hawthorn by plenty against the Essendon GWS to take care of the arrogant sooks St Kilda to continue their dominance over Melbourne Geelong to get the job done against Freo North Melbourne by the narrowest of margins against West Coast
true blue
Guest
I agree. I am a Carlton fan but I am sick of it too. I don't want us playing night games until we have completed the rebuild. The season opener should be between two guaranteed top eight teams not two teams that could potentially be in the bottom four. As for Good Friday football: it's about time. I would like to see a day game and a night game on that day.
Sydneygirl
Guest
Sick of the boring start of Richmond and Carlton. And don't think Good Friday football was needed but figured it would probably come.
Steve J
Roar Guru
Happy for the Dockers v Cats game to start the season for Freo. But this means round 23 for Freo will be away at Kardinia Park, not that the ground holds any fears for Freo anymore. Good thing the bye is in place so Ross won't be tempted to rest before the finals ;) Of courses Freo will be firmly ensconced in the top 8 by then....... Looking froward to seeing a Freo line up on Subi with plenty of pace and some actual new KPP's - pity Pav didn't have one last year in him, could've kicked a lazy 50 while picking up the third best defender.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Jack Russell There are 18 teams in the competition, outside of each of SA, WA, QLD and NSW there are 16 teams spread around the country. The guarantee of a double up of the 'local derby' in WA for example means less travel for ANY of the other 16 sides whether from Victoria or NSW or QLD or SA. Likewise, the Melbourne based local derbies have a similar impact on the 8 non-Vic sides. Don't forget - we have 8:10 ratio non Vic. The NRL has a 5:11 ratio of non-NSW/ACT sides and of that 1 of those 5 is from New Zealand. The AFL has gone more national than the other codes, even the HAL, recall the first 10 side structure had 6 NSW/QLD, 1 NZ and only 3 from WA, SA and Vic combined. Even now, it's only the AFL that has the capacity for local derbies in all mainland states - - so, it's about time the tired old blame the Victorians line gets rested isn't it?? After all - we kick off with a game in each of the mainland states.
hal
Guest
Richmond premiers: you have got to be joking. Richmond by 100 points. K.B has just picked a Carlton win. Richmond won't even come close to the eight. Essendon wooden spooners: turn it up. Essendon will be in the eight next year.
hal
Guest
Richmond back in the eight: no. North wooden spooners: no. Sydney premiers: maybe.
Birdman
Guest
Hmmm.....the Cats/Hawks rivalry has lost it's lustre? - the 2016 QF was decided by a kick after the siren and was considered one of the top 5 games of the season. Remembering that the Hawks pasted the 2016 Dons by over a 100 albeit with the drug cheats on vacation. As I said, I don't mind it but it's more a gesture to the distant past IMHO.
big four sticks
Guest
Good to see Richmond will start the season on a high. The 2017 premiers will be playing the 2017 wooden spoon contenders. Richmond by 100 points. My prediction is Essendoom will collect back to back spoons. These players they get back are a year out of the game and will be left behind. Who is going to kick their goals? A forward line consisting of a guy who can't kick and a dud from GWS.
Swannies
Guest
Swans flag favourites, Tigers to move back into the eight and North wooden spoon in 2017 I would think.
Raimond
Roar Guru
he meant 2015
Raimond
Roar Guru
Never mind that the Giants are the flag favourites, and these were the top-scoring teams of 2016. This was the AFL's ideal moment to give GWS a Friday night match. Not good enough.
Bill
Guest
Sounds good to me.