AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has claimed that Melburnian's hunger for live football could see the largest crowd in over six-decades attend the Demons and Bulldogs' season opener in Round 1 of next season.

The league chief's comments came in the wake of Saturday morning's announcement from AFL House that the first week of next season was set in stone.

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With the vast majority of Melbourne's previously success-starved fans unable to attend their drought-breaking victory in Perth in September, it is likely that this same throng will be out in droves to see their 13th flag unfurled on Wednesday, March 16.

However, McLachlan also suggested that fanatics of the Bulldog breed are sure to have turnstiles ticking wildly for what will be their club's first shot at redemption.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Christian Petracca of the Demons under pressure from Marcus Bontempelli of the Bulldogs during the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final match between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium on September 25, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Gary Day/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"I know there's a bit of pain for people, a bit of a loss, particularly for the Melbourne supporters, but also for the Bulldogs supporters, who didn't get to see the Grand Final (at the MCG)," McLachlan was quoted byย AFL Media.

The administrator also pointed to the fact that this same demand was enough to have the 2021 grand final combatants open the new year over footy.

"The more we talked about it, starting with the Grand Final rematch made sense," he continued.

"We like the Carlton-Richmond slot on Thursday night, that's got its own tradition and momentum now after about 15 years.

"The feedback from Melbourne supporters is really strong and I reckon we're going to have huge games right the way through and we'll go close to selling out that Wednesday night."

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 25: The Demons celebrates after the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final match between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium on September 25, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

While predicting a crowd well before tickets become available may seem a fruitless exercise, McLachlan held hopes that the single home-and-away game attendance record set in June of 1958 was set to be broken.

"There's a chance I think we have the biggest home-and-away crowd we've ever had in Melbourne, I really feel that's a strong possibility," he said in finality.

99,256 fans filed into the MCG for the Round 10 clash between reigning premiers Melbourne and then runners-up Collingwood.

The Redlegs ran out 11-point victors that Monday afternoon under the watch of Norm Smith, however, Demon diehards will be hoping history is not set to repeat, as the Pies exacted their revenge in the grand final by three straight kicks before 97,956 sets of eyes.