After floating an NSW-centric split-round proposal to begin the 2024 home and away season, the AFL is reportedly eager to involve Queensland in the festivities.
According to the updated proposal, the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns will each host matches on the same weekend as the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants.
The Giants are slated to host Collingwood at GIANTS Stadium on the first Saturday night of the new season; a rematch of this year's preliminary final.
Following that, the Swans are expected to host Melbourne on Sunday afternoon; a fixture that will see newly-signed Sydney ruckman Brodie Grundy face his former side.
However, in addition to that pair of mouth-watering matchups, the Lions and Suns are both expected to get in on the split-round action, per a report by AFL Media journalist Riley Beveridge on Friday morning.
The addendum to the original proposal would see Brisbane host Carlton in another 2023 preliminary final rematch, while Richmond would travel to Heritage Bank Stadium to play the Suns, who are now headed by former Punt Road mentor Damien Hardwick.
According to Beveridge, sending Carlton and Richmond to Queensland on the first weekend would then allow the storied rivals to return to Melbourne to face off in their traditional season-opening Thursday night slot; under slightly different circumstances, of course.
The idea also stipulates that the eight teams that play in the first half of the split-round would all have an early bye after also playing games in the second half of the fortnight.
GWS Giants CEO Dave Matthews confirmed the AFL's initial raising of the concept to the clubs, which was first reported on Monday.
"It's (the split-round) still to be locked away by the AFL over the next few weeks [but] that's certainly the plan," Matthews said via AFL.com.au.
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The initiative is understood to be part of incoming AFL CEO Andrew Dillon's plan to further expand the competition's spectacle in the northern states.
The league has not confirmed any such proposal as part of next year's fixture as yet.