IF THE prospect of facing Richmond at the MCG in a preliminary final wasn’t tough enough already, the AFL’s fixturing has potentially made the task a little more unpleasant. 

The winner of the sudden-death semi-final between Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney at the MCG on Saturday night will earn the right to challenge the Tigers and, in the process, become just the third team in the past 19 years to enter a preliminary final on a six-day break.

It adds another layer of difficulty to a gargantuan assignment against a well-rested Richmond – who will have enjoyed a 15-day break – on the hallowed turf where the reigning premier has won a record 22 games on the trot. 

This only amplifies the Magpies’ missed opportunity in their agonising loss to West Coast in the qualifying final in Perth on Saturday night.

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The only other two examples this century of teams playing preliminary finals on six-day turnarounds were Sydney in 2016 and Collingwood in 2012.

After being minor premiers, John Longmire’s Swans lost their qualifying final to the Giants at ANZ Stadium, before defeating Adelaide at the SCG and overcoming their short break to belt Geelong by 37 points in their preliminary final at the MCG.

Then on an eight-day break, Sydney lost a tough and tight Grand Final to the Western Bulldogs.

Four years earlier Collingwood lost its qualifying final to Hawthorn, before tragedy struck in the form of the death of 22-year-old former Magpie John McCarthy, who’d just completed his first season with Port Adelaide.

In a devastating end to Nathan Buckley’s first season as coach, the Pies posted an emotional victory in their semi-final against West Coast at the MCG, only to be eliminated six days later by Sydney at ANZ Stadium, just a day after players and officials had attended McCarthy’s funeral. 

Following the advent of Sunday finals, there was a six-day break for a preliminary finalist almost every year from 1984-99. Finals were first played on Friday nights in 1995, adding greater flexibility to finals fixturing. 

SIX-DAY BREAK BEFORE A PRELIMINARY FINAL - 2000-2018