Clubs expect round 24 will kick off with Collingwood playing Essendon at the MCG on Friday night as the AFL looks to create a cliff-hanging finish to the 2023 season.
Three club sources said while the AFL were only giving clubs a preliminary indication on Sunday night, the starting point was likely to be the blockbuster between two big-drawing Victorian clubs.
Collingwood and Essendon are likely to kick off the final round of the home and away season.Credit: Eddie Jim
The Magpies, who will be without Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos for the next six weeks, remain two games clear on top while the Bombers sit 13th but just one game out of the eight after they defeated West Coast by a point on Saturday.
Carlton’s win over St Kilda on Sunday saw them leap into 5th spot on the ladder, virtually guaranteeing they will be fighting for a position in the final eight in round 24. The Blues play the Giants at Marvel Stadium with a source from one of the clubs, who had to remain anonymous because they were not authorised to speak publicly, expecting the match will be played mid-afternoon on Sunday, the same timeslot Carlton played last season when they made a dramatic exit from the eight in a one-point loss to Collingwood.
Sydney are expected to play Melbourne at the SCG on Saturday afternoon or Saturday night, while Geelong and the Western Bulldogs are expected to meet at GMHBA Stadium under lights on Saturday night. Hawthorn are expected to play Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday in what will be a dead rubber.
The Brisbane Lions host St Kilda at the Gabba in the final round with the game initially considered a potential Friday night clash, however the Saints’ loss to Carlton, which sees them drop to seventh, their lowest position in 2023, makes the game more likely to be played on Sunday according to one industry source who was not authorised to speak publicly on the fixture.
Port Adelaide are likely to host Richmond at Adelaide Oval on either Saturday night or Saturday twilight. The pre-finals bye makes the day in which teams play less relevant than it was before 2016 when it was introduced.
Jamie Elliott was the hero for Collingwood in the final round last season.Credit: Getty Images
If Brisbane played on Sunday then North Melbourne’s match in Hobart against Gold Coast would be played on Saturday, while the season would finish with a Sunday twilight game in Perth when West Coast finish their disappointing season at home against Adelaide, as Taylor Walker potentially aims to win the Coleman Medal.
The AFL’s decision to hold off on fixture decisions began during COVID when each round was a week-by-week decision, with the final round now unconfirmed until as late as possible to ensure the most decisive games feature in the best timeslots.
This season has been extremely tight with just six premiership points separating fifth-placed Carlton and Essendon in 12th.
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