The 2024 fixture has been released, with a total of 25 rounds to cover the upcoming season before another September finals series.
The new season will commence on Thursday, March 7 at the SCG between Sydney and Melbourne in what will be the first of four matches for the 'opening round' of the year - taking place a week prior to Round 1.
VIEW: FULL AFL FIXTURE
New South Wales and Queensland will host the quartet of matches over the first week, while all 18 clubs will feature in the following week's schedule.
Gather Round will commence in Round 4 in South Australia, which will be opened by an enticing encounter between Adelaide and Melbourne on Thursday, April 4.
Anzac Day will see two matches played on April 25, with GWS to host Brisbane in Canberra following the traditional matchup between Collingwood and Essendon at the MCG earlier that day.
Sir Doug Nicholls Round will take place over Rounds 10 and 11, opening with a Thursday night clash between Gold Coast and Geelong in Darwin.
Carlton and Brisbane hail as the prime-time leaders, with both clubs scheduled to play in a league-high seven matches on either Friday or Thursday nights.
Two Friday night games are scheduled for Round 9, with Geelong hosting Port Adelaide and Sydney travelling to Fremantle.
One key change to the 2024 fixture will see earlier starts for Friday night matches, with those fixtures to take place at 7:40pm next year - 10 minutes earlier than the more accustomed 7:50pm starts - while Thursday night matches are set to take place 10 minutes later at 7:30pm.
Round 1, 2024:
Thursday, March 14
Carlton vs Richmond
MCG, 7:30pm
Friday, March 15
Collingwood vs Sydney
MCG, 7:40pm
Saturday, March 16
Essendon vs Hawthorn
MCG, 1:45pm
GWS vs North Melbourne
GIANTS Stadium, 4:35pm
Geelong vs St Kilda
GMHBA Stadium, 7:30pm
Gold Coast vs Adelaide
Heritage Bank Stadium, 7:10pm
Sunday, March 17
Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs
MCG, 1:00pm
Port Adelaide vs West Coast
Adelaide Oval, 3:30pm
Fremantle vs Brisbane
Optus Stadium, 3:50pm
*All times local.ย
