IT WILL be the primetime Lions in 2023, as Brisbane emerges the big winner after the AFL released the fixture for the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership season.
Chris Fagan's men have been slated to play two Thursday night games and four Friday nights in the first 15 rounds, a major bump on previous seasons where they've battled for marquee timeslots.
Carlton leads the competition with the most Thursday-Friday slots, but Brisbane's push up the pecking order should be no surprise as the premiership contenders are one of the most attractive teams to watch, finishing in the top three for scoring in each of the past four seasons.
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The Blues have seven games in the prime slots, cashing in on a much-improved 2022, starting with its regular season-opener against Richmond in round one, followed by hosting premier Geelong at the MCG to open round two.
The Cats have five Thursday or Friday night games, while Richmond, Melbourne, Sydney and Port Adelaide have four apiece.
Powerhouses Essendon and Hawthorn, along with Greater Western Sydney are the only clubs without a prime timeslot in the first 15 rounds.
"We are really pleased to be able to deliver a fixture that balances great broadcast slots and great access for fans," AFL EGM clubs, broadcast and fixturing Travis Auld said.
"Momentum early is key, and the fixture has been designed in a way to spread the marquee showpiece Thursday and Friday nights timeslots across all of the key states including games at the MCG, Marvel Stadium, SCG, The Gabba, Adelaide Oval and Optus Stadium.
"Thursday night blockbusters remain a priority for us, both from a broadcast and crowd-build perspective. We feel we have the right balance, having five in the first five rounds, a break then Thursdays come back into play across rounds 13 through 15.
"The Sunday afternoon 3:20pm timeslot worked really well last season – big match-ups, big crowds and some of the best games of the season –we are hoping that continues in 2023."
The draw throws up a number of changes to previous years, headlined by Gather Round in round five that will see all 18 clubs play matches in South Australia at three venues across four days.
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There are also changes to the bye period and a tweak around a marquee fixture.
North Melbourne has retained its Good Friday billing, this year hosting Carlton, while there is a round nine Friday night double-header starting with Richmond and Geelong at the MCG, overlapped by West Coast and Gold Coast at Optus Stadium.
The traditional Anzac Day blockbuster between Collingwood and Essendon falls on a Tuesday to end round six, with both teams facing a five-day turnaround for round seven fixtures.
The King's Birthday match between the Magpies and Melbourne will conclude round 13, with a new fixture between two of Victoria's biggest clubs to be played on the night before it, when Essendon and Carlton square off at the MCG at 7.15pm on Sunday, June 11.
While in previous seasons the bye period has been traditionally split up evenly over three rounds, next year it will be over four, with all teams getting a rest somewhere between rounds 12 and 15.
The first Showdown of the season between Port Adelaide and Adelaide will come in round three, as will the first Western Derby. The first Sydney Derby will be played in round seven and the first QClash in round 10.
And then there's the mouth-watering match-ups of players who moved clubs during the off-season facing their former teammates for the first time.
New Lion Josh Dunkley will play the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium in round three.
Jason Horne-Francis will face North Melbourne at Hobart's Blundstone Arena in round nine when Port Adelaide make the trip south, while Melbourne fans will have to wait until round 11 to host Luke Jackson's Fremantle at the MCG.
