The league's move to starting the season a week earlier has meant a scheduling clash over venues that are also used for Sheffield Shield cricket.
The MCG, Adelaide Oval, `Gabba and SCG are all football-free until the start of next month.
Collingwood host Fremantle on Friday night at Etihad Stadium to open the season, while earlier in the day Victoria ended their Shield season against Queensland at the MCG.
"We've found ourselves in this conundrum, where we have the MCG vacant this weekend," Demetriou told Fairfax Radio.
"We would have normally played a Richmond-Carlton, or (another) big game.
"It's sort-of absurd that the MCG is not being used, it's not going to be used the next couple of weeks and football is being played elsewhere."
The AFL wants the Junction Oval redeveloped so low-attendance domestic cricket matches such as the Shield can be played there, freeing up the MCG.
But Junction Oval's future as a sporting venue is in limbo because it needs a redevelopment and there is a funding shortfall for the work.
"Victoria haven't made the Sheffield Shield final - it's one of the reasons why we've been trying to organise to get access to the ground earlier and work with cricket to get their academy (at Junction Oval) up," Demetriou said.
The AFL season is starting a week earlier because the players wanted a second bye in the fixture.
This is the first time since 2006 that round one has not featured the Carlton-Richmond blockbuster at the MCG.
That match will go ahead instead on Thursday, March 27 to open round two.
This weekend's opening four AFL games coincide with the Australian F1 Grand Prix at Albert Park.
Demetriou said the league was happy to work around the event.
"We support the Grand Prix and we would avoid, as we've done this weekend, clashing with the race," he said.
"But it's much more preferable to be playing a big game on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night at the MCG in front of 80-85,000 people - absolutely more preferable."
Also this weekend, Gold Coast host Richmond and Greater Western Sydney host Sydney in their derby on Saturday.
Carlton host Port Adelaide on Sunday night at Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, Demetriou was also asked on Friday if he had received any job offers and replied there were "a couple of nibbles".
Demetriou will resign from the league later this year.
He confirmed the offers were not sport-related.
"I'm just weighing them all up," he said.
