Thursday date for Geelong in Adelaide

THE AFL’s run of Thursday night clashes will stretch to Round 17 as the league on Friday locked in the Port Adelaide-Geelong clash to kick off Round 13.

The league released its fixture for rounds 13-15, with chief executive Gillon McLachlan (pictured) heralding the return of Thursday night football.

The Port Adelaide-Geelong contest at Adelaide Oval is the Thursday clash of Round 13.

There will be Thursday and Friday night clashes in all slots in rounds 13-15.

The AFL is only allowed to hand each club one five-day break in its bid to schedule Thursday night footy.

But AFL head of broadcasting and scheduling Marcus King said the league hoped to extend the Thursday night clashes to Round 17.

In Round 16, Gold Coast-Richmond is a contender, while in Round 17, Port Adelaide and Melbourne could play a Thursday night clash with both coming off a five-day break.

It means the league will have five Thursdays from rounds 1-5, five from rounds 13-17 and a Thursday night clash in week one of the finals for a total of 11 this season.

The league would like more Thursdays in 2022, but would need to overcome player opposition to five-day breaks.

In highlights released on Friday, Sydney takes on Hawthorn in the Round 13 Friday night encounter, with the league banking on them lifting their game in a round with only six contests and few other Friday night candidates.

Collingwood and Melbourne play the Queen’s Birthday clash on Monday, with the Big Freeze fundraiser returning to the MCG.

In Round 14, Geelong hosts the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium with that clash locked in for a Friday night contest.

Richmond will go to Perth to take on West Coast on the Thursday night of Round 14 in yet another marquee contest for a team handed five in the first 10 rounds.

And in Round 15, Brisbane Lions host Geelong in a big Thursday night encounter.

The league has been able to use its flexible fixture to lock in big clashes between contenders in five of the six Thursday or Friday night contests in rounds 13-15.

Thursday football has been a ratings smash hit, with clubs and players keen for it to return.

Teams coming off by byes can play Thursday night footy without short breaks so the cycle of byes allows the league to fixture those contests without clubs complaining about the injury toll.

Almost a quarter of all players are now out injured as the league assesses the injury toll.

McLachlan told 3AW radio there would be Thursday night footy in the next two weeks of fixtures.

“I reckon I am looking forward to some Thursday night footy,” he said.

“We have been missing it.”