Richmond will host Collingwood in a Thursday-night blockbuster to begin
the second round of the 2019 AFL season.
The scheduling of last year's preliminary finalists and fierce rivals on the Thursday night means the Tigers will play consecutive Thursday night games to start the season. Richmond, as usual, will play Carlton in the first game of the year.
Collingwood and Richmond clashed in a blockbuster preliminary final at the MCG last season. Credit:Eddie Jim
Clearly, the AFL is capitalising on the strong form and popularity of the Magpies and Tigers, who reprised a century-old rivalry last year when the clubs made the top four and played off in a preliminary final, in which Collingwood upset the flag favourites.
Richmond, therefore, have at least four stand-alone blockbuster games: the opening two rounds, Anzac eve against a resurgent Melbourne, and the well-established Dreamtime at the ’G game against another competition giant, Essendon.
Collingwood's will open their season in a Friday night clash with Geelong, the AFL having released the opening-round fixture earlier this week.
The Magpies will be financially rewarded with more prime-time slots in next year's fixture as a reward for their rise to the grand final. But their draw is expected to be more difficult, in terms of the quality of opponents they will face twice.
As the 13th team in 2017, they played the Brisbane Lions, Carlton and Fremantle twice last season, in addition to Richmond and Essendon.
The Tigers will be the away team to Carlton in the opening round, but will be the home side for round two. It is also their turn to host the Demons in the Anzac eve game, which has mushroomed into one of the season’s marquee matches in the space of only a few short seasons.
Conversely, Carlton is set to be stripped of prime-time slots next season, having been surprisingly handed one Thursday night and four Friday night games last season.
St Kilda will also lose their prime fixture on Good Friday against North Melbourne, with the AFL set to introduce another Victorian club, most likely Essendon.
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