GOOD Friday football comes to the VFL this year with two matches featuring in the latest schedule released on Friday.
North Melbourne and Footscray will give their fans a chance to catch their VFL teams in action when they meet at Aegis Park (Arden St) from 12.05pm before heading over to Marvel Stadium for their regular AFL Good Friday stoush later that afternoon.
South-western rivals Williamstown and Werribee will lock horns in a blockbuster at Williamstown Oval at 1.05pm, with a big crowd also expected when Southport welcomes Geelong to at Fankhauser Reserve for a Thursday night spectacular on Good Friday Eve.
Two matches have been set down for Easter Saturday and four for Easter Sunday, including a morning clash between rivals Carlton and Richmond.
There are also clashes set down for Anzac Eve, with Frankston hosting North Melbourne on the Sunday night, and Anzac Day, with the traditional rivals Essendon and Collingwood also getting acquainted at VFL level with a 1pm match at Windy Hill, while the Casey Demons will entertain Southport and Essendon hosts Box Hill Hawks on Mother’s Day, May 8.
Round 2 will be a virtual footy festival, with Footscray hosting the Northern Bullants on Thursday night and Sydney welcoming Gold Coast to Blacktown for Friday night football, followed by five Saturday afternoon games, one on Saturday night (Frankston v GWS), and two on Sunday in back-to-back timeslots.
There is plenty of night football in the fixture, with Frankston v Werribee (Round 1), being joined by the Thursday, Friday and Saturday night games in Round 2, two Saturday night clashes in Round 3, Thursday in Round 4, Sunday in Round 5 and Saturday nights in Round 7 and 8.
Box Hill and Sandringham will face off at the MCG on Sunday, April 10, as a curtain-raiser to the Hawthorn v St Kilda AFL game, while the other big feature of the seven rounds released on Friday is the Round 3 showdown between long-time former next-door neighbours Port Melbourne and Sydney, who will lock horns at ETU Stadium at 1.05pm on Saturday, April 9 – their first meeting since 1896 and one which will split the allegiances of many supporters who follow both clubs.
Interestingly, only one of Collingwood’s four home games in the first eight rounds – the opening round against the Hawks – will be played at its traditional home of Victoria Park, with its Round 2, 4 and 8 fixtures set down for the newly-named AIA Centre at Olympic Park.
VFL broadcast partner the Seven Network will again show one game each week plus all finals, with all those games being available on 7Plus if you can’t catch them live, while all other matches will be live streamed and available on demand at afl.com.au and the AFL Live official app.
In Round 1, Seven will broadcast the Magpies and Hawks at Victoria Park before heading to Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval for the Sandringham v Richmond game from 11am on Sunday, April 3, in Round 2.
“There have been a number of added complexities and considerations (to the fixture), however we’re pleased to be able to provide clarity on the first eight rounds of the season,” AFL Head of State Leagues Jennie Loughnan said.
“We appreciate the cooperation of the broadcasters and clubs who we’ve worked closely with on the fixture (and) to the fans and players, we know you’ve had to wait for confirmation of the fixtures, so hopefully we can now all look forward to what will be a fantastic first eight weeks of the VFL season.
“Having the Seven Network broadcasting one match per week and having all remaining matches live streamed free via AFL platforms is very exciting for our competition and will make the VFL accessible to more people.
“It’s been a difficult two years for many in the VFL community and while we remain vigilant because of the pandemic, there is a huge amount of excitement going into the season.”
Entry to matches will be $10 for adults and $5 for concession holders, with children under-15 admitted free, although some venues don’t charge.
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL
VFL FIXTURE 2022
ROUND 1
Friday, March 25
Footscray v Sydney (VU Whitten, 4.35pm)
Carlton v Brisbane Lions (Ikon, 5.05pm)
Saturday, March 26
Geelong v Essendon (GMHBA, 2.05pm)
Gold Coast v Northern Bullants (Metricon, 2.05pm local)
Frankston v Werribee (Skybus, 7.05pm)
Sunday, March 27
Richmond v Southport (Swinburne, 11.35am)
Collingwood v Box Hill Hawks (Victoria, 12pm)
Casey Demons v Sandringham (Casey, 1.05pm)
GWS v Port Melbourne (Blacktown, 2.05pm)
North Melbourne v Williamstown (Aegis, 4.05pm)
Coburg bye
ROUND 2
Thursday, March 31
Footscray v Northern Bullants (VU Whitten, 5.35pm)
Friday, April 1
Sydney v Gold Coast (Blacktown, 7.05pm)
Saturday, April 2
Coburg v Port Melbourne (Piranha, 1.05pm)
Southport v Williamstown (Fankhauser, 1.05pm local)
Brisbane Lions v North Melbourne (Moreton Bay, 1.05pm local)
Collingwood v Geelong (AIA, 2.05pm)
Casey Demons v Essendon (Casey Fields, 3.05pm)
Frankston v GWS (Skybus, 7.05pm)
Sunday, April 3
Sandringham v Richmond (WS Trevor Barker, 12pm)
Box Hill Hawks v Carlton (Box Hill, 3.05pm)
Werribee bye
ROUND 3
Friday, April 8
Geelong v Brisbane Lions (GMHBA, 4.05pm)
Saturday, April 9
Northern Bullants v Collingwood (Preston, 12.05pm)
Port Melbourne v Sydney (ETU, 1.05pm)
GWS v Coburg (Blacktown, 1.35pm)
Richmond v Footscray (Swinburne, 2.05pm)
Werribee v Southport (Avalon, 7.05pm)
Williamstown v Casey Demons (Williamstown, 7.10pm)
Sunday, April 10
Box Hill Hawks v Sandringham (MCG, 12pm)
Gold Coast v Carlton (Metricon, 12.35pm)
Essendon v Frankston (Hangar, 12.35pm)
North Melbourne bye
ROUND 4
Thursday, April 14
Southport v Geelong (Fankhauser, 7.05pm)
Friday, April 15
North Melbourne v Footscray (Aegis, 12.05pm)
Williamstown v Werribee (Williamstown, 1.05pm)
Saturday, April 16
Sandringham v Gold Coast (WS Trevor Barker, 11.05am)
Collingwood v GWS (AIA, 2.05pm)
Sunday, April 17
Carlton v Richmond (Ikon, 11.05am)
Sydney v Northern Bullants (Blacktown, 1.05pm)
Casey Demons v Coburg (Casey, 1.35pm)
Port Melbourne v Essendon (ETU, 2.10pm)
Box Hill Hawks, Brisbane Lions¸ Frankston bye
ROUND 5
Saturday, April 23
GWS v Sandringham (Blacktown, 1.35pm)
Werribee v Carlton (Avalon, 2.05pm)
Footscray v Southport (VU Whitten, 3.05pm)
Sunday, April 24
Brisbane Lions v Port Melbourne (Moreton Bay, 11.05am)
Coburg v Box Hill Hawks (Piranha, 1.05pm)
Richmond v Casey Demons (Swinburne, 2.10pm)
Frankston v North Melbourne (Skybus, 7.05pm)
Monday, April 25
Essendon v Collingwood (Windy Hill, 1.05pm)
Geelong, Gold Coast, Northern Bullants, Sydney, Williamstown bye
ROUND 6
Saturday, April 30
Coburg v Collingwood (Piranha, 1.05pm)
Carlton v North Melbourne (Ikon, 2.05pm)
Sunday, May 1
Gold Coast v Werribee (GC Training Oval, 11.05am)
Footscray v Essendon (VU Whitten, 11.35am)
Geelong v Williamstown (GMHBA, 12pm)
Sydney v Brisbane Lions (SCG, 1.05pm)
Northern Bullants v GWS (Preston, 1.35pm)
Box Hill Hawks v Casey Demons (Box Hill, 2.05pm)
Sandringham v Frankston (WS Trevor Barker, 2.05pm)
Port Melbourne, Richmond, Southport bye
ROUND 7
Saturday, May 7
Brisbane Lions v Coburg (Moreton Bay, 12.35pm)
Port Melbourne v Richmond (ETU, 12.35pm)
Werribee v Sydney (Avalon, 1.05pm)
Williamstown v Gold Coast (Williamstown, 2.05pm)
Sandringham v Northern Bullants (WS Trevor Barker, 2.05pm)
North Melbourne v Geelong (Aegis, 2.10pm)
Frankston v Carlton (Skybus, 7.05pm)
Sunday, May 8
Casey Demons v Southport (Casey, 12.35pm)
Essendon v Box Hill Hawks (Windy Hill, 2.10pm)
Collingwood, Footscray, GWS bye
ROUND 8
Saturday, May 14
Collingwood v Footscray (AIA, 2.05pm)
Williamstown v Frankston (Williamstown, 7.35pm)
Sunday, May 15
North Melbourne v Casey Demons (Aegis, 12pm)
Northern Bullants v Port Melbourne (Preston, 1.05pm)
Southport v GWS (Fankhauser, 1.35pm)
Box Hill Hawks v Richmond (Box Hill, 2.05pm)
Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Coburg, Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sandringham, Sydney, Werribee bye