The AFL has announced the full fixture for season 2024, which will look slightly different than usual.
The season will kick off with the ‘Opening Round’ or Round Zero in early March, with four games held in Sydney and Queensland as the league tries to grab the attention of footy fans in the northern states.
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The AFL has announced the full slate of games for the first 15 rounds and will confirm times and dates for games from Round 16 onwards midway through the year, as part of their floating fixture.
Round 1 will begin with the traditional Thursday night clash between Carlton and Richmond at the MCG.
The ripple effect of only eight teams playing in the ‘Opening Round’ means the season will be somewhat more disjointed than unusual — with a total of nine various bye rounds across the season.
Most Thursday night games will start at 7.30pm — 10 minutes later than previous seasons — and Friday night games will start at 7.40pm, 10 minutes earlier than previous years in a bid to be more family friendly.
Footy fans will be pleased there is very little overlap in games on Sunday, with many Sundays featuring two games starting at 1pm and 4pm.
Winners and loses from 2024 AFL fixture
The Gold Coast Suns have arguably one of the easiest draws for 2024. They are the only team to play battlers North Melbourne and West Coast twice as new coach Damien Hardwick aims to lead the Suns to their first ever finals appearance.
Couple of things to note for the NSW teams in today's #AFL Draw: - Giants to play at 12 different venues (Any time, any place as Tom Green would say)- Swans-Pies to play twice in a season for the first time since 2013- GWS play 3 of last year's bottom 4 in the first month
— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) November 16, 2023
Always fascinating to see who the AFL anoint prime time darlings. Next year Carlton have been given a league-high 8 games on Thu and Fri in the first 15 rounds, including the Good Friday twilight slot against North Melbourne. Lions and Pies with 7. The improving Crows given 6.
— Sam Edmund (@Sammy__Edmund) November 16, 2023
Carlton has been rewarded for a resurgent second half of the 2023 season that saw them make the preliminary final.
The Blues have been given eight games in ‘prime time’ slots on Thursday and Friday night — the most out of any team in the first 16 weeks of the season.
Grand finalists Brisbane have been dealt a brutal draw — playing West Coast, Port Adelaide and Fremantle all away f...
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