TWO GAMES have been shifted in Saturday's round 22 fixture to accommodate broadcasters' coverage of the Matildas' historic quarter-final clash against France at the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Sydney's clash with Gold Coast will now start at 1.45pm AEST, having originally been scheduled at 2.10pm AEST. Meanwhile, Carlton's blockbuster against Melbourne has moved from 7.25pm AEST to 7.30pm AEST.
The Seven Network will broadcast the SCG clash to local markets in NSW and Queensland, with the change to an earlier fixture enabling the game to finish before the network's pre-game coverage of the Matildas' quarter-final against France.
Meanwhile, a later start time at the MCG on Saturday night will enable Seven to show the news in the half-hour gap between the Matildas' match and Carlton's clash with Melbourne.
"This Saturday will be an historic moment for all Australians, and the biggest night of sport since Sydney 2000 as the mighty Matildas look to capitalise on their inspiring World Cup campaign," Channel Seven's managing director Lewis Martin said.
"Between the Matildas and finals footy coming early for AFL with the Carlton against Melbourne thriller, it doesn’t get bigger than Saturday night across the screens of Channel Seven.
"Like the rest of Australia, Seven is right behind the Matildas and we have worked closely with the AFL to adjust bounce times for certain games on Saturday to ensure no one misses a minute of what will be a massive night for both women’s football and AFL."
The SCG has already announced that the Matildas' game will be played on the big screens at the ground immediately after Sydney's clash with Gold Coast, while the MCG is also considering a similar proposal prior to Carlton's fixture with Melbourne.
The Matildas are due to meet France at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium at 5pm AEST.