THREE entirely new venues in three different states will host JLT Community Series fixtures in 2019, with the revamped pre-season schedule officially released on Monday.
Clubs will now play their two JLT Community Series fixtures across two weeks, as opposed to three last year, with the schedule to span from Thursday to Monday each round.
ROUND ONE FIXTURE Who does your club play first in 2019?
Port Pirie in South Australia, Lismore in NSW and Werribee in Victoria will host pre-season fixtures for the first time.
Carlton will open and close the JLT Community Series, hosting Essendon at Ikon Park on Thursday, February 28 in the opening fixture before taking on Collingwood at Morwell Recreation Reserve on Victoria's Labour Day to end the pre-season competition on Monday, March 11.
Fremantle will host Collingwood on Western Australia's Labour Day the week prior, with neither WA club to leave their home state throughout the tournament.
PRE-SEASON FOOTY Check out the full JLT fixture
North Melbourne will play St Kilda at Avalon Airport Oval in the first JLT Community Series game to be played in Werribee, while Adelaide will take on cross-town rivals Port Adelaide at the Memorial Oval in the first ever match to be played in Port Pirie.
Sydney faces Gold Coast at Oakes Oval in the second week of the competition, which will be the first time Lismore has ever hosted a pre-season clash.
AFL general manager of clubs and broadcasting Travis Auld said he was excited about the prospect of taking games to new locations.
"The JLT Community Series is all about connecting the elite men's game to regional and suburban footy grounds, allowing fans the opportunity to see their heroes and new recruits up close before the premiership season begins," Auld said.
"The regions hosting 2019 JLT Community Series matches highlight and align to the work JLT undertakes within the football community and experience shows us that football fans from all parts of the country embrace the pre-season matches, while players are able to return to communities that have played a big part in their careers.
"For example, Port Adelaide's new recruit Sam Mayes will be due to play his first game for his new club in the town of his birth Port Pirie."
All 18 JLT Community Series matches will be broadcast exclusively on Fox Footy.
2019 JLT Community Series Fixture
Week one
Thursday, February 28
Carlton v Essendon at Ikon Park, 6.40pm EDT
Friday, March 1
West Coast v Geelong at Leederville Oval, 4.10pm WST
Saturday, March 2
North Melbourne v St Kilda at Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee, 1.10pm EDT
Adelaide v Port Adelaide at the Memorial Oval, Port Pirie, 3.40pm CDT
GWS Giants v Sydney at Blacktown International Sportspark, 7.10pm EDT
Sunday, March 3
Brisbane v Hawthorn at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, 12.40pm EST
Richmond v Melbourne at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton, 4.40pm EDT
Gold Coast v Western Bulldogs at Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 6.40pm EST
Monday, March 4
Fremantle v Collingwood at HBF Arena, Joondalup, 3.40pm WST
Week two
Thursday, March 7
Geelong v Essendon at GMHBA Stadium, 7.10pm EDT
Friday, March 8
GWS Giants v Adelaide at UNSW Canberra Oval, 7.10pm EDT
Saturday, March 9
Port Adelaide v North Melbourne at Alberton Oval, 12.40pm CDT
Melbourne v Brisbane at Casey Fields, Cranbourne, 4.10pm EDT
Hawthorn v Richmond at UTAS Stadium, 7.10pm EDT
Sunday, March 10
Sydney v Gold Coast at Oakes Oval, Lismore, 1.10pm EDT
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda at Mars Stadium, Ballarat, 4.10pm EDT
Fremantle v West Coast at Rushton Park, Mandurah, 4.10pm WST
Monday, March 11
Collingwood v Carlton at Morwell Recreation Reserve, 2.10pm EDT
