Hawthorn have been rewarded for his or her gorgeous surge to the AFL finals this 12 months with a collection of prime-time fixtures in 2025.
Dubbed the “Hollywood Hawks” final season, Sam Mitchell’s entertainers will play seven video games on Thursday and Friday nights by way of the opening 16 weeks subsequent 12 months.
The Hawks, who begin their marketing campaign in “Opening Spherical” for the primary time, additionally function in a blockbuster Sunday evening fixture in opposition to Port Adelaide to finish Collect Spherical and the normal standalone Easter Monday conflict with Geelong.
Carlton and Collingwood even have seven matches in Thursday and Friday slots, whereas Essendon (eight) are the one membership with extra.
Collingwood may even function closely in prime-time matches. (Getty Photos: Daniel Pockett)
The Energy-Hawks conflict in Collect Spherical is certainly one of a sequence of marquee Sunday evening matches the AFL hopes will assist drive report attendances and tv audiences in 2025.
The brand new slot is a product of the league’s new $4.5 billion broadcast deal, which begins subsequent 12 months.
A handful of the Sunday evening video games will probably be broadcast free-to-air, whereas the league is in search of to make the most of public holidays round a lot of these fixtures.
The Western Bulldogs play St Kilda on Easter Sunday, whereas Carlton and Essendon meet of their annual evening sport earlier than the King’s Birthday vacation.
The primary Queensland derby of the season — Brisbane tackle Gold Coast in spherical eight — falls earlier than the native Labour Day vacation.
West Coast will host Geelong in spherical 12, the evening earlier than WA Day.
The Eagles and Fremantle will host 5 of the 9 video games that will probably be broadcast in Sunday evening slots on the east coast, together with a derby at 3.10pm native time in spherical three.
Affirmation of the Sunday evening matches comes on prime of Thursday evening soccer changing into an everyday a part of the fixture, set to function in 23 home-and-away rounds subsequent 12 months.
AFL fixtures boss Josh Bowler hopes the marquee matches will assist drive one other record-breaking 12 months of attendances after greater than 8 million followers went by way of the gates final season.
“We’re thrilled to announce a fixture that may construct on this, whereas additionally being the fairest attainable draw for all of our golf equipment as they appear to chase the premiership flag,” Bowler mentioned.
“We’re happy to supply followers extra Thursday nights than ever this season with 23 matches set to be performed throughout the season.
“Sunday nights proved to be highly regarded final season and we’ve got quite a few marquee matches slated for this time slot, together with Collect Spherical, Easter Sunday, Queensland Labour Day Eve, WA Day Eve and King’s Birthday Eve.
“These matches, together with different large match-ups fixtured for key dates within the nation’s calendar, have turn out to be a part of the vacation celebrations for followers to mark of their diaries and plan journeys with family and friends round.”
Sir Doug Nicholls Spherical will function the annual Dreamtime on the G fixture between Essendon and Richmond as a standalone fixture on a Friday evening in spherical 11.
The next day, Docklands Stadium will host a uncommon double-header with Carlton-GWS (1:20pm) and North Melbourne-Collingwood (7:35pm) matches.
The Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn and North Melbourne will all have fun the 100-year anniversaries of their entry into the competitors, then generally known as the VFL, with marquee matches.
The schedule for the primary 16 weeks of the season has been locked in, with rounds 16-23 to be confirmed about 4 weeks out.
Spherical 24 will probably be left as a floating fixture because the league makes an attempt to arrange one other grandstand end to the home-and-away season.
Opening Spherical
All occasions in AEDT
Thursday, March 6
- Brisbane Lions vs Geelong Cats — Gabba, 7:50pm
Friday, March 7
- Sydney Swans vs Hawthorn Hawks — SCG, 7:40pm
Saturday, March 8
- Gold Coast Suns vs Essendon Bombers — Cararra Stadium, 5:15pm
Sunday, March 9
- GWS Giants vs Collingwood Magpies — Sydney Showground Stadium, 3:20pm
Spherical 1
Thursday, March 13
- Richmond Tigers vs Carlton Blues — MCG, 7:30pm
Friday, March 14
- Hawthorn Hawks vs Essendon Bombers — MCG, 7:40pm
Saturday, March 15
- Geelong Cats vs Fremantle Dockers — Kardinia Park, 1:20pm
- Sydney Swans vs Brisbane Lions — SCG, 4:15pm
- Western Bulldogs vs North Melbourne Kangaroos — Docklands, 7:35pm
- Collingwood Magpies vs Port Adelaide Energy — MCG, 7:35pm
Sunday, March 16
- Adelaide Crows vs St Kilda Saints — Adelaide Oval, 12:35pm
- Melbourne Demons vs GWS Giants — MCG, 3:20pm
- West Coast Eagles vs Gold Coast Suns — Perth Stadium, 6:10pm
AAP
