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How the AFL plans to beef-up its Thursday night blockbuster schedule
More Thursday night footy is coming in the future. But how will the AFL navigate the tight turnarounds for players? Get the latest fixture whispers.
The AFLPA will attempt to safeguard the health and fitness of its players despite agreeing to the five-day breaks which allow the league to beef-up its Thursday night schedule.
The league and AFLPA agreed to a new deal as part of the collective bargaining agreement that will see clubs playing a maximum of three five-day breaks each home-and-away season.
It allows the AFL to schedule quality Thursday night games every week of the home-and-away season if it sees fit.
The new $643 million-per-year deal that kicks off next year requires the league to schedule the first 15 rounds with Thursday night football from 2025 onwards.
But a league that scheduled 11 Thursday home-and-away games and a Thursday night final is yet to lock in how many Thursdays will be in the 2024 fixture.
The AFL said when it brokered its TV rights deal it was in ?active discussions? about an earlier start time to Friday night football but new CEO Andrew Dillon is yet to get that deal over the line with Channel 7.
The league is expected to again lock in the first 15 or so rounds of the schedule for clarity then have a floating component to maximise blockbusters in the back-end of the season.
But the new-found flexibility with five-day breaks means the league can ensure the quality of Thursday night football, with the AFL believing big blockbuster games to start a round are important for the momentum and flow of a weekend?s action.
The new rules contained in the AFL CBA will give players the best chance to avoid injuries despite the added strain of multiple five-day breaks.
Those rules include:
Clubs cannot play successive five-day breaks.
A club cannot play a five-day break against a team which has had a seven-day break.
Clubs cannot play off a five-day break after travel to Perth.
WA-based clubs cannot play a home game then be forced into a five-day break if that fixture involves interstate travel.
Teams need at least three weeks between five-day breaks.
There are two options for maximising breaks before or after playing off a five-day break.
A club which is playing off a five-day break must have a six-day break in the previous round and a seven-day break in the next round, or a six-day break in the previous round and a seven-day break in the following round.
There is still discretion to change those protocols based on the rule ?in the AFL?s reasonable opinion is likely to impact on the AFL?s ability to comply with any of its obligations to AFL broadcasters?.
Under that scenario the player union and AFL will ?in good faith consider reasonable changes to the five-day break requirements?.
The league is likely to lock in a 26-week home-and-away season with four games in northern states as part of a split round 1, as well as the second AFL Gather Round early in the year.
More Thursday night footy is coming in the future. But how will the AFL navigate the tight turnarounds for players? Get the latest fixture whispers.
The AFLPA will attempt to safeguard the health and fitness of its players despite agreeing to the five-day breaks which allow the league to beef-up its Thursday night schedule.
The league and AFLPA agreed to a new deal as part of the collective bargaining agreement that will see clubs playing a maximum of three five-day breaks each home-and-away season.
It allows the AFL to schedule quality Thursday night games every week of the home-and-away season if it sees fit.
The new $643 million-per-year deal that kicks off next year requires the league to schedule the first 15 rounds with Thursday night football from 2025 onwards.
But a league that scheduled 11 Thursday home-and-away games and a Thursday night final is yet to lock in how many Thursdays will be in the 2024 fixture.
The AFL said when it brokered its TV rights deal it was in ?active discussions? about an earlier start time to Friday night football but new CEO Andrew Dillon is yet to get that deal over the line with Channel 7.
The league is expected to again lock in the first 15 or so rounds of the schedule for clarity then have a floating component to maximise blockbusters in the back-end of the season.
But the new-found flexibility with five-day breaks means the league can ensure the quality of Thursday night football, with the AFL believing big blockbuster games to start a round are important for the momentum and flow of a weekend?s action.
The new rules contained in the AFL CBA will give players the best chance to avoid injuries despite the added strain of multiple five-day breaks.
Those rules include:
Clubs cannot play successive five-day breaks.
A club cannot play a five-day break against a team which has had a seven-day break.
Clubs cannot play off a five-day break after travel to Perth.
WA-based clubs cannot play a home game then be forced into a five-day break if that fixture involves interstate travel.
Teams need at least three weeks between five-day breaks.
There are two options for maximising breaks before or after playing off a five-day break.
A club which is playing off a five-day break must have a six-day break in the previous round and a seven-day break in the next round, or a six-day break in the previous round and a seven-day break in the following round.
There is still discretion to change those protocols based on the rule ?in the AFL?s reasonable opinion is likely to impact on the AFL?s ability to comply with any of its obligations to AFL broadcasters?.
Under that scenario the player union and AFL will ?in good faith consider reasonable changes to the five-day break requirements?.
The league is likely to lock in a 26-week home-and-away season with four games in northern states as part of a split round 1, as well as the second AFL Gather Round early in the year.
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