DARWIN will showcase two primetime games on Friday and Saturday night that will be AFL's headline acts for the Toyota Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Gold Coast will take on Carlton in the opening R13 match at TIO Stadium - on Friday, August 21 - a day before the Dreamtime in Darwin match between Essendon and Richmond.

>> SEE THE FULL ROUND DETAILS BELOW

The Friday game will be the first time Blues recruit Jack Martin (pictured below) faces off against his former teammates from the Suns.

Jack Martin in action for Carlton during the R3 clash against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium. Picture: AFL Photos

Three days of no AFL matches will occur between the conclusion of round 12 (on Monday August 17) and the beginning of round 13, with the AFL allowing all clubs a "breather" after the scheduling of 33 matches in 20 consecutive days for rounds nine to 12.

ROUNDS 10-12 Check out the full fixture

The round 13 fixture reverts to a more traditional scheduling of Friday-Monday games.

Hawthorn, currently in Perth, will spend at least two weeks in Adelaide after round 12. It will play Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday August 22.  

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The two Sydney teams, Swans and Giants, currently based in south-east Queensland, will head to Perth for byes in round 11, and then a match against each other to open round 12 on Thursday, August 13. They will play Fremantle and West Coast respectively in round 13.

DREAMTIME NOT AT THE 'G Sir Doug Nicholls Round headline act gets new stage

Brisbane will host St Kilda at the Gabba on the Sunday of round 13. 

Matches in round 13 will be played in Darwin, Adelaide, south-east Queensland and Perth.

Friday, August 21

Gold Coast v Carlton, TIO Stadium, 7.20pm ACST

Saturday, August 22

Western Bulldogs v Melbourne, Metricon Stadium, 1.45pm AEST

Port Adelaide v Hawthorn, Adelaide Oval (FOX) 4.05pm ACST

Essendon v Richmond, TIO Stadium, 7.10pm ACST

Fremantle v Sydney, Optus Stadium, 6.10pm AWST

Sunday, August 23

Adelaide v Geelong, Adelaide Oval, 12.35pm ACST

Brisbane v St Kilda, Gabba, 3.35pm AEST

West Coast v Greater Western Sydney, Optus Stadium, 4.10pm AWST 

Monday, August 24 

Collingwood v North Melbourne, Gabba, 7.10pm AEST