The AFL tonight confirmed the fixture for week one of the 2018 Toyota AFL Finals Series, to be as follows:

Thursday September 6
First Qualifying Final, Richmond v Hawthorn at the MCG, 7.20pm AEST

Friday September 7
First Elimination Final, Melbourne v Geelong Cats at the MCG (series ticket match), 7.50pm AEST

Saturday September 8
Second Elimination Final, Sydney Swans v GWS Giants at the SCG, 4.20pm AEST
Second Qualifying Final, West Coast v Collingwood at Optus Stadium, 6.10pm AWST / 8.10pm AEST

All matches in week one of the Toyota AFL Finals Series will be broadcast live nationally on the Seven Network, Fox Footy and thanks to Telstra, the official AFL Live App.

Travis Auld, the AFL Executive Team Member responsible for the fixture, said the AFL was seeking to maximise both match day attendance and television viewership for all finals, as well as balancing equitable day-breaks where possible for all clubs in the finals.

He said the AFL had again chosen to open the Finals Series with a Thursday night match, after the success in recent years in this timeslot with both attendance and television viewership, and this game would be played at the MCG on Thursday September 6 with top-placed Richmond to host Hawthorn.

As the loser of that match would then play the winner of Melbourne v Geelong Cats in week two, it was deemed that the First Elimination Final should be played as the Friday game, to ensure a similarity of length of breaks for all clubs in the finals.

For those sides grouped on the other half of the finals draw (teams finishing 2/3/6/7), Mr Auld said West Coast would host Collingwood at Optus Stadium on Saturday September 8, with the derby final between the Sydney Swans and the GWS Giants to be played at the SCG that afternoon.

Using this fixturing model, all clubs who play in week two of the finals will have at least a seven-day break from week one into their next match of the Toyota AFL Finals Series.

Mr Auld said a match in Sydney was best placed to be played as a Saturday game to maximise attendances in NSW, while the match in Perth would be played as a Saturday evening game.

Earlier this month, the AFL announced a price freeze of the national entry level ticket for every week of the 2018 Toyota AFL Finals Series, including the 2018 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

After introducing the historical reduction on entry level prices in 2016, and subsequent price freeze in 2017, the AFL continued its commitment to affordability by again freezing entry level prices nationally, across all games at all venues for the entire 2018 Toyota AFL Finals Series.

The AFL is proud to work with its official airline partner, Virgin Australia, to ensure that as many fans as possible are able to travel to interstate Finals. Virgin Australia has added more than 7,000 additional seats to their flight schedule in September in anticipation of the increased demand for travel throughout the AFL Finals Series.

Match day ticket information for all games across the country can be sourced at afl.com.au/finals.

Fans can purchase packages including; flights, accommodation and match day tickets through the AFL Travel website and fly your colours with Virgin Australia. Visit www.afltravel.com.au for all details.