- Pleasingly, nine out of the first 12 games for Melbourne are to be held at the MCG, and a total of 13 games at our home ground is great for our supporters. Highlights include home games against MCG rivals Hawthorn on a Friday night, as well as Richmond and Collingwood, and the continuation of other traditional rivalries, with games against Essendon and Carlton. The Round 1 home game against the Brisbane Lions is a great way to kick the season off.
- Playing in Darwin for the third consecutive year enables the Club to continue to build on the programs we have established, and to develop our community in this important AFL region. Melbourne supporters have embraced this game, and have begun travelling in large numbers to Darwin for this match, which we hope will continue for this season and beyond.
- The continuation of the Club’s marquee game against Collingwood on the Queen’s Birthday attracts our biggest crowd of the year, and provides the chance to continue to work towards our goal of once again breaking the home and away attendance record set by these two teams game back in Round 10 of 1958 - 99,346. The Club will also hold its annual walk to the ‘G on this day, creating a sea of red and blue which envelops the MCG every year. Last year’s game was played in front of 77,598 spectators.
- Our supporter base in NSW will be pleased to see Melbourne play at both the SCG and Manuka Oval, giving those supporters a chance to see the Demons live for the first time in a number of years.
- Melbourne is proud of its association with the broadcast partners, and is pleased with an even spread of games across Channel Seven (11 games) and Fox Sports (10 games). There are a range of timeslots for our supporters to enjoy including Friday and Saturday night games against Hawthorn, Essendon and St Kilda.
From a commercial point of view, the fixture does throw up some financial challenges, with six of our home games being against interstate clubs. In addition, it is the clear preference of the Club not to play home games at Etihad Stadium.
CEO Cameron Schwab said, “We understand the challenge of creating an equitable fixture for 18 teams. We look forward to being a team that has earned the right to secure more of the premium time slots on a regular basis.”
