ROUND 23 will kick off in style with a Friday night Collingwood-Hawthorn blockbuster, but top-eight contenders Adelaide and Gold Coast have been handed Sunday games and possible short breaks heading into the finals.

The AFL released the final round 23 fixture on Tuesday, with Adelaide the only existing top-eight team not playing on the Friday or Saturday.

On Saturday, August 30 (all times local):
- Essendon (seventh) will play Carlton at the MCG at 1.45pm.
- Fremantle (fourth) will play Port Adelaide (fifth) at Patersons Stadium at 1.10pm.
- The Sydney Swans (first) will meet Richmond at the SCG at 4.40pm.
- Geelong (third) will play the Brisbane Lions at Simonds Stadium at 7.40pm.
- North Melbourne will play Melbourne at Etihad Stadium at 7.40pm.

With Collingwood (ninth) and Hawthorn (second) opening the round, this leaves Adelaide (eighth) and Gold Coast (10^th) as the only teams now within a game of the top eight that are drawn to play on the Sunday before the first week of the finals.

However, both the Suns and Crows will be playing at home in afternoon games.

On Sunday, August 31:
- The Suns will play West Coast at Metricon Stadium at 1.10pm.
- Adelaide will play St Kilda at the Adelaide Oval at 2.50pm.
- The Western Bulldogs will play Greater Western Sydney at Etihad Stadium at 4.40pm.