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

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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.

Carlton’s Tom De Koning flies for the ball in the 2023 season-opening match against Richmond.Credit: Getty Images

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.

As the game faces life after Lance Franklin in its toughest market, the commission will also consider hosting the AFL season launch – generally a lavish function involving clubs, AFL bosses, broadcast and other commercial partners – in Sydney. Swans chairman Andrew Pridham has put forward his club’s new headquarters at the historic Royal Hall of Industries as one potential venue.

The AFL in NSW is facing life without superstar forward Lance Franklin, who has retired.Credit: AFL Photos

In another left-field proposal, the AFL has looked at GWS hosting a home game at the SCG early in the season when Giants Stadium is unavailable due to the Easter Show.

While the Giants are not against the idea, the move has met strong resistance from the Swans. Said Sydney chief Tom Harley: “A lot of water would have to fall under the bridge for that to happen. It’s our ground. We’d certainly be happy for them to host us here [at the SCG] in a derby, but it would be unlikely otherwise.”

Harley said he supported bringing the season opener forward to give the Sydney market AFL exclusivity but added the AFL needed to focus on better promoting the Sydney games and Australian rules in the lead-up.

“Gather Round is a really good example of how you can be flexible with the fixture,” said Harley. “The key part for us is that the other states get a leg up. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that we missed some opportunities when it came to fixturing games here this year, and we all acknowledge it was a big miss.

“Whether we bring the season forward and kick it off in Sydney or look at other blockbusters, that move should come after a really strong campaign across the Sydney market starting off at the back end of summer.”

Added GWS boss Dave Matthews: “Starting the season earlier in Sydney makes great sense … The key thing that we speak to the AFL about is that we have to do things differently up here – differently in terms of promotion, ensuring both teams remain competitive and looking at the best slots to engage our fans. It’s such a cluttered and competitive market.”

The AFL has in recent months achieved a new deal with media partner News Corp, where Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and Brisbane’s Courier Mail have appointed a designated AFL journalist partly funded by the competition. In another key initiative, Giants captain Toby Greene and Sydney star Isaac Heeney have joined forces to launch “The Fifth Quarter”, a regular school-holiday Auskick program in Sydney.

The AFL Commission this year ploughed an additional $2 million into growing the game in NSW, establishing a northern markets expansion hub. Frustrated club bosses Harley and Matthews said the game was going backwards in the state with Matthews adding the NRL was stronger now in NSW than when the Giants started.

Yet despite the game development and promotional push, the AFL launched the 2023 season in Sydney with a Giants game against Adelaide. Grand finalists Sydney played away at Gold Coast. All the momentum from the Swans-Collingwood preliminary final was overlooked with neither the Swans nor the Giants hosting the Magpies in Sydney.

Not only did the harbour state fail in its bid to host Gather Round but when the entire NRL competition left Sydney in early May for its annual Magic Round festival in Brisbane, the two Sydney AFL teams were fixtured away from the city – the Swans in Melbourne and the Giants in Canberra.

While the Giants lost significant momentum during the COVID pandemic, Matthews said of the Saturday night clash with the Swans: “This is one of the most highly anticipated Sydney derbies we’ve seen – the whole city is engaged, and we’re expecting to go very close to a sellout … For us, it’s about continuing to build on this momentum.”

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