2011 Draw [merged]

[one-eyed]

NEXT year's home and away season will again finish with a 'floating' final round to ensure clubs have enough rest before the finals.

The 2011 fixture, which will consist of 24 rounds to accommodate the byes caused by the introduction of Gold Coast, is currently in the final stages of preparation.

The AFL will release the fixture on Friday, October 29.

As in recent seasons, there will again be a number of short breaks between the first and second times some clubs play each other. The narrowest margin will be six weeks.

"We'll continue our system whereby you don't have to play every club in the first 15 or 16 weeks," Lethlean said.

"However, no club can play another club twice before round 11 and every club will have played each other by round 23.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/104275/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

AFL announces key fixture details for 2011
By Adam McNicol
Tue 07 Sep, 2010


NEXT year's AFL fixture will consist of 19 rounds of eight games and five rounds of seven games to accommodate the introduction of the Gold Coast Suns.

For next season only - given the competition will expand to 18 teams in 2012 - all 17 clubs must have two byes to enable a 22-game season to be completed across 24 weekends of football.

Having looked at various options to construct a 187-match season, the AFL decided this would be the most appropriate way to breakdown the season.

The League considered two other options, including the idea of playing 23 rounds of eight games and one round of three games.

“The fixture we will use provides the best spread of byes across the competition for the season,” the League’s chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan told afl.com.au on Tuesday.

“This mix will enable the byes for all teams to be spaced as best we can through the season.

“For our broadcast coverage, the majority of the season will look exactly as this year does.

“In the rounds where there will be only seven matches played, we will work with our broadcast partners so that one fixture slot is removed from these rounds.”

It is expected that three of the rounds in which only seven games are played will take place early in the season.

This will enable a number of feature matches to be scheduled around the Easter and Anzac Day period.

As an example, three teams, including the Brisbane Lions, could have the bye in round four.

This would allow the Lions and their opponent to have a reasonable amount of rest before doing battle in an Easter Thursday (April 21) game at the Gabba in round five.

The completed 2011 fixture will be released in late October, although the League has already announced Gold Coast will have a bye in round one.

The Suns will then play their first home-and-away game against Richmond at the Gabba in round two.

2011 FIXTURE SUMMARY

* The introduction of the Gold Coast Suns provides 11 extra games across the season - 187 games in total (was 176 games), plus finals.

* 19 rounds x eight matches (one bye) - Starting times and television slots same as in 2010.

* Five rounds x seven matches (three byes) - one slot to be dropped in each round, with the AFL and television networks to decide which one.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/102170/default.aspx

[mightytiges]

If round 5 is Easter then

Round 1 ...... March 24-27 ..... Carlton vs Richmond (MCG) Thurs Night March 24
Round 2 ...... April 1-3 .......... Gold Coast vs Richmond (Gabba) .... assume it'll be a tv game so Fri or Sat Night
Round 3 ...... April 8-10
Round 4 ...... April 15-17
Round 5 ...... April 21-25 ....... Brisbane vs ?? (Gabba) Easter Thurs April 21
                                          Collingwood vs Essendon (MCG) Anzac Day Easter Mon April 25

[cub]

Wasn't there some mention of Saturday twilight games for the suns somewhere ?

Anyway suits fine 

[mightytiges]

Wasn't there some mention of Saturday twilight games for the suns somewhere ?

Anyway suits fine 

It'll probably be Saturday night then as I think there's some rule about no day games in Qld before May.

[one-eyed]

The AFL are giving Collingwood a soft start to 2011. A home game against the Swans at Etihad in round 1 following by a bye in round 2.

[wayne]

The AFL are giving Collingwood a soft start to 2011. A home game against the Swans at Etihad in round 1 following by a bye in round 2.

Etihad? Don't Collingwood play at, and only at, the MCG?

[one-eyed]

LOL wayne


Known NAB Cup week 1 (6 pools of 3 clubs)

Pool 1?: GWS, Gold Coast, Sydney

Pool 6: Geelong, North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/104356/default.aspx

[nahadaman]

Can anyone tell me where and when I can purchase tickets to round 2 Tigers vs Suns?

[one-eyed]

Can anyone tell me where and when I can purchase tickets to round 2 Tigers vs Suns?

Via Ticketmaster presumably. Round 2 is on the weekend of April 1-3 but the AFL hasn't released yet which day our game is on.

[one-eyed]

A poster on BF is claiming this is the first round 1 fixture for the NAB Cup next year with us in the same pool as Carlton and Brisbane.

Friday Feb 11
Adelaide v Port Adelaide v St.Kilda - AAMI Stadium (N) (SEVEN)

Saturday Feb 12
Sydney v Gold Coast v GWS - Blacktown Olympic Park (N) (TEN)

Sunday Feb 13
Hawthorn v Melbourne v Essendon - Etihad Stadium (T) (FOX)

Friday Feb 18
West Coast v Fremantle v Collingwood - Patterson's Stadium (N) (SEVEN)

Saturday Feb 19
Carlton v Brisbane v Richmond - Etihad Stadium (N) (TEN)

Sunday Feb 20
Geelong v North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs - Skilled Stadium (T) (FOX)

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19410132&postcount=138

[Infamy]

Wouldn't the team that has the break in the 2nd round of matches have an unfair advantage over teams that play 2 games straight?

[mightytiges]

Wouldn't the team that has the break in the 2nd round of matches have an unfair advantage over teams that play 2 games straight?

They're 40 minute long games each so I guess it depends on how long a break there is between each match. The side with the break in the middle of the 3 games will have to keep warmed up for an hour in between so no one does a soft tissue injury in the last match.

Not sure why we would play Carlton first up either when we play them in round 1.

[WilliamPowell]

Not sure why we would play Carlton first up either when we play them in round 1.

Or do we?

That's not official yet is it?

[one-eyed]

From today's Sunday Herald-Sun.....

Round 1

Richmond vs Carlton ..........@ MCG, Thursday Night March 24..........H-Sun doesn't say whose home game it is
Geelong vs St Kilda ........... @ MCG, Friday/Sat Night March 25/26
Adelaide vs Hawthorn ........ @ AAMI Stadium
West Coast vs North Melb....@ Subiaco
Essendon vs Vic club .......... for James' sake 

Gold Coast ....... bye

Geelong to get 7 games at Kardinia Park

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/saints-and-cats-to-clash-in-round-1/story-e6frf9jf-1225942708663