COLLINGWOOD has emerged as the losers in the round 23 fixture with the club's clash against North Melbourne to be played on Sunday afternoon ahead of its potential first final. 

The Magpies, currently seventh on the ladder and two wins ahead of the ninth-placed Carlton, will play the Kangaroos at 3.20pm AEST at the MCG on Sunday, September 1, in a free-to-air game.

Click here to see the round 23 fixture

Hawthorn has been rewarded for its expected top of the table finish with a Friday night fixture against the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium at 7.50pm. 

The schedule will allow the Hawks and Swans – two current top-four sides - maximum rest between their last home-and-away game and first final, and for the Hawks to travel. 

Broadcast agreements and the AFL's guarantee to clubs and players for six-day breaks between games, have meant Thursday night at ANZ Stadium was not an option for that match. 

Thursday night games are only considered for the Easter weekend with no game on Good Friday, and when teams are coming out of byes. 

A Friday night double-header that would have pitted the Swans-Hawks game against the Magpies-Kangaroos was also not considered. 

"[Thursday] wasn't an option for round 23," general manager of broadcasting, scheduling and legal affairs Simon Lethlean told AFL.com.au.

"We guarantee clubs and players minimum six-day breaks into regular rounds unless there's an irregular reason like a public holiday match, like Anzac Day or Easter Thursday when there's no Friday match. 

"We certainly wouldn't play Friday night up against each other.

"It's noted to be our best match of the round and it's on both Fox and Channel 7, so to have it up against another game wouldn't be appropriate."

The fixture saw a double-header on Anzac Day this year – Essendon-Collingwood at the MCG and St Kilda-Sydney Swans at Wellington's Westpac Stadium – but that was made possible by time differences. 

Lethlean said the Magpies were entitled to be disappointed but understood the reason behind their Sunday afternoon fixture.  

"I spoke to [CEO] Gary Pert and he understands Sydney-Hawthorn has been fixtured for Friday because they're two of the top four sides. Hawthorn is on top and travelling," he said. 

"They have the right to play Friday night if we could do it for them, and we have.

"We've got two MCG games in the next two days and we gave preference to Essendon and Richmond because they're the higher-placed sides.

"Collingwood and North are below those clubs at the moment."

The other current top eight sides that are travelling have also been catered for with Saturday games.  

The St Kilda-Fremantle clash at Etihad Stadium has been scheduled for 1.45pm to allow the Dockers time to get home to Perth ahead of their first final. 

The Port Adelaide-Carlton clash at AAMI Stadium will be at 4.10pm local time, which will give the Blues time to get back to Melbourne ahead of Adelaide airport's curfew, should they climb into consideration. 

Geelong will host the Brisbane Lions at Simonds Stadium at 2.10pm, while in a match unlikely to impact on the finals, West Coast will face Adelaide at Patersons Stadium at 6.10pm AWST. 

The other Saturday evening game is Essendon-Richmond at the MCG, to be played at 7.40pm. 

Lethlean said none of the games would move now regardless of what happened to the Bombers with the ASADA investigation. 

"There's no need to change it. Those games are locked in now; Essendon and Richmond are both in the eight at the moment and that's all we took into account," he said. 

On Sunday, Gold Coast-Greater Western Sydney at Metricon Stadium (1.10pm) and the Western Bulldogs-Melbourne at Etihad Stadium (4.40pm) will round out the home-and-away season. 

The NRL's Canterbury Bulldogs-Penrith Panthers clash, originally scheduled for Friday night at ANZ Stadium, is expected to be moved to Saturday.