AFL Fixture Update: Rounds 16–22 Released, Primetime Slots Revealed
The Australian Football League (AFL) will release the fixture details for rounds 16 through 22 on Thursday. The schedule outlines the allocation of matches, including primetime television slots, for the upcoming period. The final two rounds of the season remain floating fixtures.
Primetime Match Allocations
Sydney and Geelong are each scheduled for four Thursday or Friday night matches across these rounds, the highest number of any club. Fremantle, Brisbane, Adelaide, Collingwood, and the Western Bulldogs are anticipated to have three such matches each. Hawthorn is expected to have two Friday night matches.
North Melbourne has been scheduled for a standalone Friday night game against Collingwood (their first since 2019) and a Thursday night game against the Western Bulldogs in round 22.
Carlton and Essendon have not been scheduled for any Thursday or Friday night matches. Carlton has been allocated six Saturday matches and a Sunday night game against St Kilda. Essendon has five Sunday matches, including three with a 4:40pm start.
Richmond has one scheduled free-to-air match: a Sunday round 18 game against Melbourne.
Specific Match Scheduling
The upcoming schedule includes a Thursday night match between Fremantle and Sydney at Optus Stadium on July 9 (round 18). This is one of three primetime games featuring two non-Victorian clubs.
Key matchups include:
- Round 16: Sydney vs. Brisbane (Thursday night); Hawthorn vs. Greater Western Sydney (Friday night); Port Adelaide vs. Adelaide (Saturday night).
- Round 18: Fremantle vs. Sydney (Thursday night).
- Round 22: Western Bulldogs vs. North Melbourne (Thursday night).
Brisbane has been scheduled for three primetime games against Sydney, Geelong, and Hawthorn.
Two Friday night double-headers are scheduled for rounds 17 and 20. The round 20 double-header will feature the Western Derby.
Future Scheduling
The AFL has not yet scheduled rounds 23 and 24.