The AFL has announced that Essendon and Gold Coast will play each other twice in the final round of the season after their opening round clash was postponed from this Saturday due to Cyclone Alfred.
In a statement released on Thursday the league also confirmed that Brisbane’s clash with Geelong, originally fixtured as the season opener, would be played in round three, when both teams were due to have a bye.
The Bombers and Suns will play each other twice in round 24.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Brisbane and Geelong game will be played at 6.35pm local time (7.35pm AEDT) at the Gabba on Saturday night in round three.
Round 24 is a floating fixture and will not be announced until later in the season.
“When looking at the rescheduling of these matches we had a focus on having the least amount of disruption on the competition, ensuring that all clubs still have a mid-season bye and managing travel arrangements across the season – particularly for the four impacted clubs,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
“I would like to thank our clubs, broadcasters and venues for their cooperation during this unprecedented situation and our thoughts remain with our staff, players, fans and all those in southeast Queensland and northern NSW that may be impacted.”
The Bombers said preserving their mid-season bye was “extremely important” and were confident they had arrived at the “best option available” for the club and players.
“We stand with the AFL in prioritising the health and safety of the Queensland and New South Wales communities,” Essendon CEO Craig Vozzo said.
“The club has worked closely with the AFL over the past few days on a number of different rescheduling options.
“We will continue to work with the AFL on the scheduling of our rounds 17-24 matches to prioritise the very best outcome for our players and the wider club.”
Gold Coast CEO Mark Evans said the club was supportive of the AFL’s decision.
“We are appreciative of the AFL’s efforts to move quickly to reschedule our match and provide certainty for our members and fans,” Evans said.
“We are satisfied this arrangement is the most reasonable outcome given the circumstances, and could very well provide fans from teams across the competition with one of the great grandstand finishes to a season.
“As for this weekend, the health and safety of our community is the number one priority right now and we urge everyone to follow the recommended advice to stay safe from Cyclone Alfred.”
More to come
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