THIS weekend’s Rivalry Round could bring the biggest single round aggregate crowd in AFL history, according to AFL broadcasting and commercial operations manager Gillon McLachlan.

The round features some of footy’s oldest and newest rivals going head to head, with some matches tipped to pull in crowds of close to 80,000 at the MCG, and capacity houses expected at several other venues.

While the current round record (367,974) has stood since round 22, 1998, McLachlan says the AFL is confident that figure can be bettered this week.

“Last year Rivalry Round was the fourth most attended single round in AFL history with over 344,000 people, and this year we’re going after the record for the most attended round ever,”  McLachlan said on Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s a round that’s becoming very much a cornerstone of the fixture and celebrates the great match-ups in our game.

“I think it’s a round that the supporters mark down as a ‘must attend’ round and it celebrates the rivalries that have been created because of conflict, history, geography or location.”

McLachlan said the record was due to be broken.

“It depends on what you think is going to turn up; if we get over 75,000 for Richmond-Collingwood we think we can give it a real shake, it’s really that – and the Essendon-Carlton match – where we have the capacity at the MCG to push the record,” he said.

“We know we’ll be at capacity in all the other states ... we think we’ll be at capacity for Bulldogs-St Kilda here, it’s just how close we get to 75-80,000 at those two (MCG) games.

“We think it’s possible (to break the record). It would be even more possible if Geelong built a third deck at Skilled Stadium, but we’ll push on despite that obstacle.”

In celebrating 150 years of football, there are some big themed rounds set down on the AFL’s calendar, and McLachlan said Rivalry Round was a great way to kick-start the unique themed weekends.

“I guess in the context of Rivalry Round this year, we’re also looking ahead to May 10th, where all community football leagues across Australia will be celebrating their rivalries,” he said.

“During the Community Football weekend, all football leagues in all states and territories have been asked to schedule local rivalries, and with the compliment of AFL players going back to these clubs, we think it’s going to see two million people, we hope, watch community football on this day.

“Later that night the AFL will be putting on the game that night between Victoria and the Dream Team, completing a weekend that we think will be a landmark on the AFL calendar.

“We think that’s a fantastic extension to Rivalry Round.”