EDDIE McGuire expects Collingwood to regain hosting rights for the 2019 Queen's Birthday blockbuster, despite Melbourne's belief work still needs to be done before it is locked away.

Since 2001, the Demons have hosted the annual clash as a favour from the Pies with gate takings worth close to $1 million per match.

The event has grown beyond the action on the field in recent years to raise funds as Neale Daniher's fight to Freeze MND takes centre stage.

Seven days before the sides meet as top-eight teams for the first time since 2006, McGuire believes it will return to an alternating fixture from next year.

"Agreements have been made, it's going to alternate," the Pies president told AFL.com.au.

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"This is Melbourne's game on, next year is Collingwood's game on. The year after that is Melbourne's, the year after that Collingwood. Hopefully it'll be the same for the next 100 years. Ultimately you have to wait for the fixture to come out.

"We're working very much together to make sure this day continues to be significant in the spirit that Neale's added to the occasion for his Freeze MND cause.

"This year by right should've been a Collingwood home game but we were happy to do it for the spirit of Neale."

McGuire said he had spoken to former Melbourne board member, and a driving force behind 'Fight MND', Bill Guest about the prospects of next year's fifth event being a Collingwood home game.

AFL clubs will submit their 2019 fixture requests to the AFL between July and August with the Queen's Birthday rights set to feature prominently for Collingwood and Melbourne.

However, it appears some work needs to be done between both parties.

"The AFL determines the fixture, the clubs don't determine the fixture," Melbourne CEO Peter Jackson told AFL.com.au. 

"I have had a preliminary conversation with (Collingwood CEO) Mark Anderson about this.

"We talked about having a look at the financial ramifications about what does this match return mean for them in the context of their overall fixture.

"It's not our decision, it's not Collingwood's decision."

Collingwood this year has two high-drawing fixtures against each of Carlton, Essendon and Richmond.

"Collingwood should do their analysis carefully about where their net position will be after all of this," Jackson said.

"If they give up one of those to get the Queen's Birthday game on alternate years, they're going to have to give up something to get something. We would encourage them to do that analysis first and the AFL to do that analysis."

The outgoing Demons boss also feared of the potential rollercoaster effect for his club in playing next year's Queen's Birthday match as the away team.

Should the game revert to an alternating fixture from next year, the Demons face playing both Queen's Birthday and Anzac Day Eve games as visitors.

Melbourne played Richmond in the Anzac Day Eve match this year as the home team in round five.

Into its fourth season, the Anzac Day Eve clash has attracted an average of more than 70,000 people to stamp itself on the calendar of blockbusters that includes Anzac Day, Dreamtime at the 'G and Easter Monday.

"It would be all duck and no dinner," Jackson said. "We're a smaller club than Richmond and Collingwood.

"I'm not sure it's smart to do it that way as a club to be exposed one year and getting the rewards the other year.

"To lock in Melbourne and Collingwood on top of all those other games makes it really hard for the AFL to come up with a fixture that accommodates all the other teams.

"That's the issue the AFL has to think through, it has to work out if we do want to switch this game, what do we take off Collingwood and how do we make it work for all the other teams as well."

Jackson, who will step down as full-time CEO at season's end, was grateful of Collingwood's support to have hosted the Queen's Birthday encounter since 2001.

The Pies’ decision to give the Demons the lucrative rights also allowed them an extra away match at the MCG each season.

The Pies have 14 games at the home of football this year, the equal-most of any side in the competition alongside Richmond.

This year is the first time since 2014 the Pies and Demons have met only once in a season.

McGuire said 17 years of "charity" was enough.

"There's no need for us to be generous, we no longer give them money, the AFL takes it. These are the unexpected consequences of equalization,” he said.

"Melbourne is a strong club now, equalisation has underpinned them and they're no longer talking about merging which has happened over the years. Now let's work together."

The Demons will be looking for seven wins in a row for the first time since 2000 next Monday.