Details for Rounds 16-23 have finally been released after the AFL's rolling fixture was finalised on Tuesday, with the league locking in dates and times for the eight-round window while deciding to drop Thursday night fixtures.
The back end of the fixture will see Collingwood and Essendon secure three Friday night timeslots each, with the two teams to meet in Round 17 on July 5, while fellow contenders Melbourne and Sydney have also secured multiple slots in the prime-time window as part of the newly released block of matches.
Round 20 will see two rivalries battle it out on Saturday, July 27, with the twilight slot going to the QClash before the Western Derby is held later that evening in Perth.
The first Friday night game that will open a round will come at the Gabba when Brisbane host Melbourne for their Round 16 bout on June 28. It will be the Lions' only Friday night draw after Round 14.
Round 21 will see two Friday games take place, with the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne meeting at Marvel Stadium at 7:15pm (AEST) before the West Coast Eagles host Gold Coast at 8:30pm at Optus Stadium.
In the absence of Thursday night football, the AFL has added to the usual Saturday schedule with another afternoon match to be played, often tallying five games on Saturdays.
Round 24 details will be confirmed at a later date.
โIt has been a thrilling start to the 2024 season, great footy, big games, big events, setting us up for one of the great seasons on record,โ AFL Head of Broadcast Operations and Scheduling Josh Bowler said in a league statement.
โFans have turned up in record numbers and we are set up for an electrifying second half of the season.
โWe have big competitive match ups in the marquee slots, including a string of blockbuster Friday night games heading into finals.
โAlthough there are no further Thursday night matches this season, as we transition to new broadcast arrangements in 2025, we will look to continue to build on the growth and success we saw this season having already delivered 14 in a row.โ
