AFL locks in 20 straight days of footy for Round 9 to 12
The AFL is gearing up for 20 consecutive days of footy as the league tries desperately to keep the season afloat.
33 matches will be played across round nine to 12, kicking off on July 29 with a match between Richmond and the Western Bulldogs. That will be just two days after the completion of round eight.
There’ll even be some double headers on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Games played across Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia. Tasmania is also in line to host games for the first time in 2020, pending state government exemption.
“Unprecedented times delivers us an unprecedented fixture for the next block of games. This is giving fans a unique opportunity to watch footy in a way we couldn’t normally produce.” AFL General Manager of Clubs and Broadcasting Travis Auld said.
“This season has had so many twists and turns but it has also driven enormous interest from our supporters across the country. Round Seven had the second highest ratings this year and our average TV ratings for games are up 20% on the 2019 average. The numbers show fans are tuning in to watch their teams and now they can watch footy every day for 20 days.”
Mr Auld said it made sense to compress the season while the majority of clubs were in hubs.
“We have taken the opportunity to compress the season as the feedback from clubs is that while they are in a hub environment there was a desire to play more games in a shorter period of time, and in turn we can effectively complete the season in a quicker format. Given that we don’t have the ability to prioritise attendance at matches this season it allows us to play games in the non-traditional time-slots of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night and showcase our game across the entire week.”
“As we set ourselves for the next few weeks, compressing some additional games into the fixture for our upcoming block of matches from Round Nine will feature non-traditional timeslots which will be a new experience for fans.
Four-day breaks will be used for the first time with Brisbane, Collingwood, Geelong, Melbourne and North Melbourne having two each, while Adelaide, Essendon, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide, Richmond and St Kilda all have one in this fixture block.
“In constructing this block of matches we have focused on ensuring the teams with four-day breaks are, where possible, minimising travel in and around those matches. Teams who have four-day breaks in this block of matches will be afforded a BYE in the next block.”
Carlton, Fremantle, Hawthorn, West Coast Eagles will have a BYE in Round 10, while GWS GIANTS and Sydney Swans will have a BYE in Round 11, to accommodate the 14-day quarantine requirement of the WA government.
The teams who are yet to have a scheduled BYE will receive one in the next block of fixtures, with the exception of Melbourne and Essendon who didn’t play a match in Round 3.
Mr Auld thanked the clubs, the players and AFLPA and the broadcasters for being so supportive in an unprecedented period for our game. The AFL and AFLPA reached agreement on four-day breaks, as well as releasing the freeze on player contracts from 2021 onwards.
“The entire AFL industry’s collaboration through this unique season of football has been a defining factor in allowing the competition to continue. I would like to thank the clubs, the players and the AFLPA and our broadcasters for understanding the challenge and playing their part in helping piece this next block of games together.
“I would also like to thank the umpires who have made similar sacrifices across this season.
“It is important for us to remain flexible and agile and to continue to embrace the unique challenges the season continues to throw up.”
See below fixture for Rounds Nine through Twelve of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.
| Round Nine | |||
| Wednesday, Jul 29 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Western Bulldogs vs. Richmond | Metricon Stadium (SEVEN) | 7:10pm | 7:10pm |
| Thursday, Jul 30 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Carlton vs. Hawthorn | Optus Stadium (FOX) | 5:40pm | 3:40pm |
| Melbourne vs. Port Adelaide | The Gabba (SEVEN) | 8:10pm | 8:10pm |
| Friday, Jul 31 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Essendon vs. Brisbane Lions | Metricon Stadium (SEVEN) | 7:50pm | 7:50pm |
| Saturday, Aug 1 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| North Melbourne vs. Adelaide Crows | Metricon Stadium (FOX) | 2:35pm | 2:35pm |
| St Kilda vs. Sydney Swans | The Gabba (FOX) | 5:10pm | 5:10pm |
| West Coast Eagles vs. Geelong Cats | Optus Stadium (SEVEN) | 8:10pm | 6:10pm |
| Sunday, Aug 2 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Gold Coast SUNS vs. GWS GIANTS | Metricon Stadium (FOX) | 3:35pm | 3:35pm |
| Fremantle vs. Collingwood | Optus Stadium (FOX) | 6:10pm | 4:10pm |
| Round Ten | |||
| Monday, Aug 3 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Port Adelaide vs. Western Bulldogs | Adelaide Oval (FOX) | 7:10pm | 6:40pm |
| Tuesday, Aug 4 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Richmond vs. Brisbane Lions | Metricon Stadium (FOX) | 7:10pm | 7:10pm |
| Wednesday, Aug 5 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Geelong Cats vs. North Melbourne | The Gabba (FOX) | 5:40pm | 5:40pm |
| Adelaide Crows vs. Melbourne | Adelaide Oval (FOX) | 8:10pm | 7:40pm |
| Thursday, Aug 6 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Collingwood vs. Sydney Swans | The Gabba (FOX) | 5:40pm | 5:40pm |
| Gold Coast SUNS vs. St Kilda | Metricon Stadium (SEVEN) | 8:10pm | 8:10pm |
| Friday, Aug 7 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Essendon vs. GWS GIANTS | Metricon Stadium (SEVEN) | 7:50pm | 7:50pm |
| Byes: Fremantle, West Coast Eagles, Hawthorn, Carlton | |||
| Round Eleven | |||
| Saturday, Aug 8 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Port Adelaide vs. Richmond | Adelaide Oval (FOX) | 4:35pm | 4:05pm |
| Brisbane Lions vs. Western Bulldogs | The Gabba (SEVEN) | 7:40pm | 7:40pm |
| Sunday, Aug 9 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| West Coast Eagles vs. Carlton | Optus Stadium (SEVEN) | 3:35pm | 1:35pm |
| North Melbourne vs. Melbourne | Blundstone Arena (FOX) | 6:10pm | 6:10pm |
| Monday, Aug 10 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Geelong Cats vs. St Kilda | The Gabba (FOX) | 6:10pm | 6:10pm |
| Fremantle vs. Hawthorn | Optus Stadium (FOX) | 8:40pm | 6:40pm |
| Tuesday, Aug 11 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Adelaide Crows vs. Collingwood | Adelaide Oval (FOX) | 7:10pm | 6:40pm |
| Wednesday, Aug 12 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Gold Coast SUNS vs. Essendon | Metricon Stadium (FOX) | 7:10pm | 7:10pm |
| Byes: GWS GIANTS, Sydney Swans | |||
| Round Twelve | |||
| Thursday, Aug 13 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Sydney Swans vs. GWS GIANTS | Optus Stadium (FOX) | 8:10pm | 6:10pm |
| Friday, Aug 14 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Geelong Cats vs. Port Adelaide | The Gabba (SEVEN) | 7:50pm | 7:50pm |
| Saturday, Aug 15 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| North Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions | Blundstone Arena (FOX) | 2:35pm | 2:35pm |
| Melbourne vs. Collingwood | The Gabba (FOX) | 5:10pm | 5:10pm |
| Fremantle vs. Carlton | Optus Stadium (SEVEN) | 8:10pm | 6:10pm |
| Sunday, Aug 16 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Western Bulldogs vs. Adelaide Crows | Metricon Stadium (FOX) | 1:05pm | 1:05pm |
| St Kilda vs. Essendon | The Gabba (SEVEN) | 3:35pm | 3:35pm |
| West Coast Eagles vs. Hawthorn | Optus Stadium (FOX) | 6:10pm | 4:10pm |
| Monday, Aug 17 | STADIUM (NETWORK) | EST | LOCAL |
| Richmond vs. Gold Coast SUNS | The Gabba (FOX) | 7:10pm | 7:10pm |
