MELBOURNE will play its final round of the 2012 season on Saturday, September 1 against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium.
The AFL announced on Tuesday that it had finalised round 23, which had been left as a floating round when the fixture was originally released.
The AFL said the sides most likely to finish higher on the ladder should play on Friday and Saturday, so they could maximise fixture options for week one of the finals and give greater recovery time for teams.
The AFL said the sides most likely to finish higher on the ladder should play on Friday and Saturday, so they could maximise fixture options for week one of the finals and give greater recovery time for teams.
The matches scheduled on Sunday, September 2 do not feature sides currently in the top eight. Carlton and St Kilda are still finals prospects, but are two games behind the eighth-placed Essendon.
The Fremantle and Melbourne clash was scheduled on Saturday night, as the ninth-placed Dockers push for the finals.
The schedule for week one of the 2012 Toyota AFL finals series will be announced on either September 1, following the completion of the Saturday night matches or in the evening on Sunday, September 2.
The schedule of games will be as follows (local time in each case):
Friday, August 31
Friday, August 31
Hawthorn v West Coast Eagles at the MCG, 7.50pm (Channel 7)
Saturday, September 1
Saturday, September 1
Geelong Cats v Sydney Swans at Simonds Stadium, 1.45pm (Channel 7)
Adelaide Crows v Gold Coast Suns at AAMI Stadium, 1.40pm (Foxtel/Fox Sports)
GWS Giants v North Melbourne at Skoda Stadium, 4.40pm (Foxtel/Fox Sports)
Fremantle v Melbourne at Patersons Stadium, 5.40pm (Foxtel/Fox Sports)
Essendon v Collingwood at the MCG, 7.40pm (Channel 7)
Sunday, September 2
Sunday, September 2
Carlton v St Kilda at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm (Foxtel/Fox Sports)
Richmond v Port Adelaide at the MCG, 3.15pm (Channel 7)
Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs at the Gabba, 4.40pm (Foxtel/Fox Sports)
