Carlton has declared its desire to feature in “as many blockbusters as possible” in 2023 – and that could start in game No. 1, with the Blues and Richmond poised to return to the season-opener slot.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Thursday hinted the 2023 fixture would likely be released in the first week of December.
The opening match of that fixture will likely see the Blues and Tigers go head-to-head, reports the Herald Sun.
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The AFL this year scheduled a Grand Final rematch to open the 2022 season, with Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs clashing at the MCG on a Wednesday night, but it appears doubtful Geelong and Sydney would commence next season. Neither club is likely to be keen to play at the MCG or SCG on a Wednesday night, while the Cats will almost certainly prefer to save their two MCG home games per season for blockbuster opponents later in the season.
The Blues-Tigers Round 1 match has been a mainstay of the AFL fixture since 2007, with the two clubs meeting in the opening round In 15 of the past 16 seasons.
Carlton is keen to cash in on its 2022 rise and expected growth in 2023 from a fixture perspective.
The Blues played five Thursday or Friday night encounters in 2022, but club chief executive Brian Cook wants more.
“To be really frank we really want as many blockbusters as possible,” he told the Herald Sun. “We get good crowds, we had the highest average home crowds, that was coming off some pretty poor years, so we are after as many blockbusters as we possibly can get. That is really the key for us.
“We are like every other club, we get our five or six interstate games but even if we got an extra blockbuster we would be very happy with that. It’s in the interests of Carlton and the AFL for that to happen and also the broadcasters.”
In other Round 1 fixture whispers, Hawthorn has reportedly requested to play arch-rival Essendon to help celebrate its 1983 premiership reunion.
While the Blues loom as a big fixture winner, clubs tipped to struggle in 2023 are unlikely to be rewarded with many marquee timeslots for next year.
The league has already declared it has scrapped the rolling fixture strategy, with the first 15 rounds for 2023 to be announced in December before unveiling Rounds 16-22 midway through next season. The return of locking in the majority of the fixture early means the AFL will be less likely to schedule underperforming clubs in timeslots with high viewership.
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Meanwhile, the possibility of a 2023 ‘Magic Round’ – where the 18 clubs would travel to one state to play all nine games – is gathering significant momentum.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said a call on whether a Magic Round will be held next year would have to be made “in the next week or so”.
“It’s something we have been looking at. It went to the Commission on Tuesday,” McLachlan told reporters on Thursday.
“I think there is good momentum, but we’ve got a few issues to solve for the Commission.”
South Australia remains keen to host the extravaganza, but Sydney would be well placed given both the SCG and Giants Stadium would be used, while Accor Stadium would be another possibility.
Should the event be ticked off by the AFL Commission next week, the round would be on top of the 22 games clubs already play, so it would likely replace one of the official pre-season rounds.
It’s understood clubs and players are generally supportive of the idea, with both parties set to receive a cash splurge. The Herald Sun reported clubs had been told they’d each receive a $500,000 windfall from Magic Round – with $200,000 of that money able to be spent on extra football department spending – while the AFL’s players would also be given $200,000 extra per club by the league.
