MANY of the most iconic regional and suburban football grounds across Australia will host AFL football during the 2015 NAB Challenge.
Matches will be played in every state and at several venues that don't normally host AFL football, including Blacktown (NSW), Mandurah (WA), Burpengary (Qld), Townsville (Qld), Fremantle Oval (WA), Coffs Harbour (NSW), Morwell (Vic), Shepparton (Vic), Ballarat (Vic), Albury (NSW), Bendigo (Vic) and Whitten Oval (Vic).
Several venues will also host official AFL pre-season matches for the first time – Drummoyne (NSW), Norwood (SA) and Port Lincoln (SA).
Each team will play three NAB Challenge matches across four weeks. Every club will play two matches across the first three weeks and a final match in the fourth week.
The final week of matches will feature derbies in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT, along with traditional match-ups between Victorian clubs at Etihad Stadium, including a double-header at that venue on Saturday, March 21.
You can click here to check out the full 2015 NAB Challenge fixture
How to watch
Reigning premier Hawthorn will kick off the NAB Challenge, hosting Collingwood at Aurora Stadium on Thursday, February 26, in what will be the Magpies' first official AFL match in Tasmania as that state celebrates 150 years of Australian Football.
Foxtel will be the exclusive TV broadcaster of the 2015 NAB Challenge, with 21 of the 27 matches shown live around Australia on Fox Footy. You can view the full NAB Challenge broadcast guide here.
You can also watch the 21 broadcast matches on your mobile and tablet with your AFL Live Pass. Sign up here for a four-week free trial during the NAB Challenge.
Specific rules
Nine points awarded for goals kicked from outside the 50m arc.
A player awarded a 50m penalty which takes them inside the 50m area can elect either to kick from outside 50 for nine points or kick from inside 50 for six points.
Longer breaks between quarters, if the weather requires.
Rookie list players can be used in games.
Interchange: Rounds one and two - six interchange players plus two substitutes per team.
Unlimited interchanges per team for game. Round three – four interchange players plus two substitutes per team; cap of 120 interchanges per team.
Tighter interpretation of blocking in marking contests.
Time-on/off: Rounds one and two – no time-on/off in first 15 minutes of each quarter unless a goal is scored or there is a major undue delay. The final five minutes of each quarter reverts to normal time-on/off scenarios. Round three – 20 minutes plus normal time-on/off scenarios.
Trialling of four-umpire system in games over first two weekends.
If any match is drawn, no extra time will be played.
