Richmond vs Carlton @ the MCG --- Round 1 (sic), 2024

[one-eyed]

Round 1 (2nd week)   
Thursday, March 14           
Carlton vs RICHMOND               
7:30 pm EDT               
@ the MCG                       
Broadcast on Seven.

https://oneeyed-richmond.com/forum/index.php?topic=33110.msg761650#msg761650

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Sydney opening? Why Blues, Tigers may be bumped from first game

Caroline Wilson
The Age
August 5, 2023

The AFL is considering a radical shift in the 2024 fixture with a proposal to launch the season at least one week early in Sydney in a bid to steal a march on the NRL.

The Swans and the Giants hosting a double-header, or hosting games on consecutive days over the weekend of March 8-10, is one of a series of initiatives to be put forward at the competition’s September AFL Commission talks. Carlton and Richmond, who have traditionally opened the season, would most likely clash at the MCG on Thursday, March 14, with the rest of the opening round to follow.

Some senior AFL bosses are acknowledging a number of fixturing own goals in 2023 against the NRL in Sydney, which has gained further momentum in NSW since the birth of Greater Western Sydney, who still struggle to attract an audience. The move to open the season early ahead of the Carlton-Richmond game comes as the NRL is looking at launching its 2024 season in Las Vegas.

AFL CEO-elect Andrew Dillon confirmed the competition was looking at an early season launch in Sydney, which could involve both the Swans and the Giants hosting games. The two clubs remain in finals contention and face off at Giants Stadium on Saturday night.

Dillon said the prospect was one of a series of proposals being considered as part of a wider assault on the Sydney and NSW markets starting from the grassroots.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/sydney-opening-why-blues-tigers-may-be-bumped-from-first-game-20230803-p5dtlz.html

[one-eyed]

AFL floats double-header in Sydney to open 2024 season

By Riley Beveridge
afl.com.au
16 October 2023

THE AFL has floated with clubs a Sydney-focused split round to begin the 2024 season, which would see both the Giants and the Swans hosting blockbuster standalone fixtures across an earlier weekend of action.

It's understood the proposed round one fixture, which was distributed to clubs last week but is not final, would feature Greater Western Sydney kicking off the 2024 season against Collingwood on a Saturday night before Sydney plays Melbourne on the Sunday afternoon.

Every other club's season-openers would then be played the following weekend and would likely feature Carlton's annual Thursday night clash against Richmond at the MCG.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1054725/afl-floats-sydney-double-header-to-open-2024-season-giants-collingwood-swans-melbourne-carlton-richmond-sydney

[lamington]

I’m not too upset about losing the opener. The afl always has new rules and new interpretations at the start of the year and we always get shafted with free kicks when the umpires are too whistle happy

[Willy]

Yeah I DGAF when we play Carlton.

[one-eyed]

Greater Western Sydney is set to open the 2024 AFL season against Collingwood, with the Giants awaiting final confirmation from head office.

GWS CEO Dave Matthews confirmed the news to SEN on Thursday afternoon, with the league looking to break further into the Sydney market under Andrew Dillon’s leadership.

“If we could get a week ahead of what is seen to be the Melbourne opening, Richmond and Carlton, and we could get a couple of standalone fixtures up here in terms of the Swans being at home and us being at home, I think it would be great.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/10/19/thats-certainly-the-plan-new-afl-season-opener-set-for-2024/

[one-eyed]

The AFL is considering us playing Gold Coast away first up in Qld before playing Carlton in round 2.

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But it's now understood the AFL is also contemplating a further two fixtures in Queensland across that same earlier weekend, which would feature Brisbane playing a home match at the Gabba and Gold Coast hosting Richmond.

One option being considered is for the Lions to play Carlton in a rematch of last season's preliminary final, while a Suns-Tigers matchup would see Damien Hardwick coaching against his former side for the first time.

That proposal would enable both the Blues and the Tigers to play in Queensland across the earlier weekend, before returning to Victoria for their annual Thursday night clash at the MCG the following week.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1054865/northern-exposure-two-queensland-games-floated-for-round-one-sydney-swans-gws-giants-brisbane-lions-gold-coast-suns

[JP Tiger]

Did the AFL just invent round 0.1?     

[one-eyed]

The new floated AFL fixture for next year -
Round 1 -
Brisbane v Carlton (QLD)
Gold Coast v Richmond (QLD)
GWS v Collingwood (NSW)
Sydney v Melbourne (NSW)
Bye for other 10 teams

Round 2 - All 18 teams play beginning with Carlton v Richmond Thursday night.

https://twitter.com/aflcentral1/status/1715278226367606850

[taztiger4]

we played the Black Hole Suns up there Rd 1 in 2014

[one-eyed]

MCC BOSS DOESN’T EXPECT OPENING ROUND TO DILUTE ROUND 1 [nee second week] CROWDS AT THE MCG

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/12/20/mcc-boss-doesnt-expect-opening-round-to-dilute-round-1-crowds-at-the-mcg/

[one-eyed]

“I GUARANTEE IT”: CAM LUKE’S BOLD CARLTON V RICHMOND ROUND 1 CROWD PREDICTION

By Lachlan Geleit
SEN
21 December 2023

SEN host Cam Luke has named his early certainty for the 2024 AFL season.

Much of the chatter in the last few weeks in the AFL world has surrounded the league’s new Opening Round which will take place before Round 1 in NSW and Queensland.

Opening Round will see eight teams play across four games, with a traditional Round 1 taking place the following weekend with all 18 teams involved.

That means that the season will officially be opened up when Sydney host Melbourne at the SCG on Thursday, March 7 – moving away from the traditional Thursday season opener between Carlton and Richmond at the MCG.

While some fans of the Blues and Tigers are disgruntled that their sides won’t officially be kickstarting the campaign, Luke doesn’t expect it to hinder crowd figures whatsoever.

In fact, Luke’s early certainty is that there’ll be more fans at 2024’s Round 1 game between the sides compared to the 88,084 that attended the fixture in 2023 – even if both clubs will have played a week earlier up north.

“A lot of people are a little bit disgruntled if you barrack for Richmond or Carlton because we have Opening Round a week earlier (than Round 1),” Luke said on SEN Afternoons.

“I guarantee that the MCG on that Thursday night will have a bigger crowd next year than it was this year.

“I guarantee it. That game, the first game at the MCG, Richmond v Carlton, will be jam-packed.

“88,074, they will beat it. The Carlton fans better be on that bandwagon, and for Richmond fans, there’s plenty to get into.”

Luke even went as far as to predict that last year’s crowd figure will be easily eclipsed, stating that at least 90,000 will turn up to the MCG for the blockbuster clash in 2024.

“I’ll go one step further, they'll get 90,000 to the MCG,” Luke added.

“They'll get 90 plus … it will be full to the brim.

“That is my absolute certainty, there will be a bigger crowd next year than there was at Richmond v Carlton this year.”

The crowd for the Thursday Round 1 opener between Richmond and Carlton has once passed 90,000, with 90,151 attending the season-opener in 2018.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/12/20/i-guarantee-it-cam-lukes-bold-carlton-v-richmond-round-1-crowd-prediction/

[one-eyed]

Carlton defender Jacob Weitering could miss up to six to eight weeks after tearing his calf at training, reports The Herald Sun.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/01/12/report-carlton-defender-weitering-suffers-torn-calf-at-pre-season-training/

[one-eyed]

Just catching up from yesterday.

Carlton defender Jacob Weitering could miss up to six to eight weeks after tearing his calf at training, reports The Herald Sun.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/01/12/report-carlton-defender-weitering-suffers-torn-calf-at-pre-season-training/

Confirmed to miss the round 1 (sic) game against us.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2024/02/13/weitering-set-to-miss-early-rounds-after-revealing-timeline-on-calf-injury/

[one-eyed]

Sam Walsh is another Blue who is in doubt for the early rounds.

https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1759849638046445809

[one-eyed]

Sam Walsh is another Blue who is in doubt for the early rounds.

https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1759849638046445809

The Blues now ruling out the star onballer for their opening two fixtures against Brisbane and Richmond.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1082397/big-carlton-blues-blow-star-midfielder-sam-walsh-to-miss-start-of-season