Introduction
The AFL fixture 2024 has yet to be announced, which is more than one year from now. But football fans and critics have not waited to be led; they have begun to guess what next year’s 2024 season may come with.
AFL Fixture Process
Currently, the AFL has a well-stipulated procedure for developing fixtures for each season. In addition, the league targets increasing attendance and viewership of the games through fixing tasty fixtures during prime timeslots. Another factor is the desire to sustain historical animosities.
Some of the considerations when making the 2024 afl fixture 2024 include:
- Fixing up encounters between the old foes, like Carlton vs Collingwood and West Coast vs Fremantle.
- Scheduling in big Thursday/Friday night fixtures.
- To optimize the number of home and away fixtures in each team’s schedule.
- How is the number of matches the teams have to play in a sequence on the away team reduced?
The finalized fixture of the 2024 AFL season will not be announced until late 2023, after the 2023 fixtures have been completed. This provides the league ample time to deliberate on all these factors before coming up with the final timetable.
Predicting the 2024 AFL Season Structure
While the actual 2024 afl fixture 2024 is still over 12 months away, some broad predictions can be made about the structure of the season:
Number of Teams: The number of teams in the AFL is projected to remain constant at 18 in 2024. Some ideas have been made concerning the appearance of the 19th license; however, this is not expected before 2025 at best.
Number of Regular Season Matches: Each team will probably again play 22 games in the regular season, or 44 games total for both teams. This has been the case for the last decade, and no signs of any changes exist.
Timing of Matches: The season will be from mid-March to August. Thursday/Friday night, three-match weekends and public holiday Fixtures will be there. The AFL Grand Final 2024 will be held on the last Saturday in September.
Home & Away Split: Each club should be expected to play home matches 11 times and away matches 11 times in the regular fixture. Sustaining this even balance is essential.
Key Matchups to Watch in 2024 AFL Fixture
Every AFL fan will have their preferred matches to watch at their preferred time, but there are other exciting perspectives in the 2024 AFL fixture 2024. Some of the top-billing games that supporters will hope feature next year include:
West Coast vs Fremantle (Western Derby): According to many fans, this is one of the most heated rivalries in football. These WA clubs and their respective supporters hype the games whenever they face each other. While Freo’s rise up the ladder in 2022/23 and WC’s decline are ones to look forward to, their 2024 confrontations are ones to look forward to.
Geelong vs Hawthorn: The rivalry between these two clubs went to a legendary level after the two classic Grand Finals in the 2008/09 season. Since then, their rivalry has retained fans’ focus on their fight. Many talented players, such as Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara, and Joel Selwood, are still active, making a 2024 ‘Country Game’ filled with action.
Carlton vs Collingwood: Look out for the AFL to place another Friday night clash between these arch-rivals in the 2024 fixture. The moments fans celebrated when the Blues snapped a long losing streak to the Pies in 2022 will add a layer of drama to their future encounters.
Once all the AFL fixtures are released early next year, there will be many more exciting fixtures to analyze. From the much-anticipated Showdowns to Q-Clashes to the blockbuster Grand Final rematches, fans of every team have something to look forward to.
How Travel Could Impact the 2024 AFL Fixture
The AFL will also consider each club’s prospective travel calendars when forming the 2024 fixture.
Also, reducing the number of occasions when teams have to travel across states is a consideration. Consecutive fixtures away from home can be very challenging for a team’s physical and mental health.
Anticipate the AFL fixture team to prioritize scheduling bunches of games for interstate sides whenever they are on the road. If Sydney has a trip to Melbourne, it would be desirable if they could play two or even three matches consecutively. This reduces extra flights.
Due to managing 18 teams across the country, it becomes very challenging to work out the fixture list to ensure teams have equal difficulties in the season. Because of the development of stadiums in Tasmania, it may be beneficial for the AFL to have more options in constructing the 2024 draw.
What About Other Competitions?
The 2024 AFL calendar must include other significant events besides the Premiership Season.
The pre-season competition will follow the same format as the 2023 season. Pool matches will be played in February and March, and final matches will be played in the weeks before Round 1.
Another point of interest for the AFLW will be planning the fixture for the 2024 season. The sixth AFLW season is believed to consist of a 10-week regular season and three weeks of finals.
The proposed changes incorporating VFL, state leagues, and underage fixtures will cause several problems. However, the AFL has again demonstrated competence in synchronizing competitions for optimal visibility and logistical efficiency.
How Can Teams Prepare for the 2024 AFL Fixture?
Although the specifics of the 2024 match will not be known until closer to the season, AFL clubs can begin planning for 2024 campaigns at an advanced level.
This is especially true for teams such as Gold Coast, GWS Giants, and Sydney, which have additional travel requirements. Looking at this year’s fixture to see what trips the interstate clubs need will help with planning.
Performance optimization and regeneration initiatives for players can also apply what they have learned from this season to simulate loads and training protocols for 2024. Academic sports science departments now consider future travel schedules much earlier.
The trade and draft period, particularly the off-season, will also impact the 2024 season. Changes in some of the players can affect the clubs’ willingness to engage in long road trips.
In general, experienced AFL coaches understand that advanced planning is necessary if some aspects of the 2024 fixture still need to be finalized. Using this year’s draw as a guide, they can make probable assumptions about what to anticipate.
2024 AFL Fixture – Key Takeaways
While the wait for the official 2024 AFL fixture announcement continues, some solid predictions around the schedule for the 2024 season can be made:
- Each of the 18 AFL clubs played 22 regular season matches.
- Unfavorable working-time arrangements for Thurs/Fri nights and holidays
- West Coast v Fremantle-type games will be featured at the traditional rivalry match.
- Continued to be a factor for travel schedules and recovery time
- Fair distribution of home and away matches for the teams
In general, the structure of the competition will remain stable until 2024. However, fans and media will always consider the fixture released in late 2023 to evaluate the draw, victors, and vanquished.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2024 AFL Fixture
Football fans always have many questions, especially when the new AFL fixture for the season is released. Some common queries will populate conversations around the 2024 fixture when it drops.
When will the 2024 AFL fixture be released?
The official 2024 AFL fixture will be released in October/November 2023. The last fixture release has yet to be scheduled, but it was released in mid-to-late October in previous seasons.
Are there any new stadiums or teams impacting the 2024 fixture?
There need to be expansion teams or new stadiums planned to commence construction in 2024. This means that the 2024 fixture, when it is arranged, will not be affected structurally.
How many Friday night games will each team get in 2024?
The AFL also emphasizes the premium Friday night timeslot when determining fixtures. Each club has been granted one or two Friday night fixtures in the last few seasons. Forecast a similar variety of primetime games in 2024 as well.
Will Good Friday matches continue in the 2024 fixture?
The North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs matchBulldogs’ on Good Friday has become traditional for Easter. As long as it maintains good ratings and crowds, this clash should be written off the 2024 calendar.
Will there be more throwback/retro matches in 2024?
As for AFL fans, they have embraced the return to throwback jumps in recent seasons where the historical club guernseys and logos have been used. It is possible for the league to consider adding 1 or 2 retro strip matches into the 2024 season.
Conclusion
AFL fans are some of the most passionate and vocal, especially when discussing fixtures, draws, and schedules. That is why people have started speculating and forecasting what could happen in the 2024 season.
When the last fixture of the 2024 AFL fixture is officially marked and set for the last quarter of 2023. People will thoroughly dissect the winners and losers. The ABCs, such as who gets the Friday nights, who play more away games, and who has to face whom twice, will always be at the forefront of discussion.
From traditional rivalry blockbusters to Easter Monday classics. Retro round matches. And State of Origin shootouts. Fans will not be left wanting for the booking market. With plenty of enthralling encounters to look forward to.
While the 2022 finals series was relatively open and fresh talents from the 2021 draft pool dominated the 2023 season. The 2024 season is packed with exciting matches. From the first to the last quarter of the Grand Final.
