The AFL has tonight confirmed the fixture for Week One of the 2022 Toyota AFL Finals Series as follows:
Thursday, September 1
Second Elimination Final, Brisbane Lions vs. Richmond at The Gabba, 7.20pm AEST
Friday, September 2
Second Qualifying Final, Melbourne vs. Sydney Swans at the MCG, 7.50pm AEST
Saturday, September 3
First Qualifying Final, Geelong Cats vs. Collingwood at the MCG, 4.35pm AEST
First Elimination Final, Fremantle vs. Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium, 8.10pm AEST/6.10pm local
AFL EGM Clubs, Finance and Broadcasting Travis Auld acknowledged the huge amount of hard work that had gone into the 2022 home-and-away season and thanked all those who played a part.
"To every club, player, coach, umpire, staff member, all our commercial and broadcast partners, venues and of course, the loyal fans who showed up week in and week out – thank you for your unwavering support in making another successful season of footy possible.
"This was a spectacular final round of home-and-away footy and a fitting end to a memorable season. These matches have set us up for what will be a thrilling first round of Finals – four huge clashes across the country and eight powerful teams giving it their all to get a step closer to that coveted place in the Grand Final," Mr Auld said.
The Week One fixture seeks to maximise attendance and audience, while also considering relevant club preferences and balancing equitable days break between games where possible for all clubs in the finals.
The Week One Finals fixture bolsters an already strong weekend of football – Round Two of AFLW Season Seven will see blockbuster matches happening across the weekend, including a showdown between traditional rivals Essendon and Carlton at ETU Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Week Two of the Finals Series will see the loser of Melbourne and Sydney Swans play the winner of Brisbane Lions and Richmond, while the loser of Geelong Cats and Collingwood will play the winner of Fremantle and Western Bulldogs, with venues and times for matches to be confirmed at the conclusion of Week One.
The AFL last week announced a price freeze on all tickets for all matches across Weeks One to Three of the 2022 Toyota AFL Finals Series.
Match day ticket information for all games across the country can be sourced at afl.com.au/finals.
All matches in Week One of the Toyota AFL Finals Series will be broadcast live nationally on the Seven Network and Fox Footy and streamed live on Kayo.