Thurst for night matches

THE AFL’s run of Thursdaynight clashes are set to stretch until Round 17 as the league yesterday locked in the Port Adelaide-Geelong clash to kick off Round 13.

The league has released its fixture for Rounds 13-15, with chief executive Gillon McLachlan heralding the return of Thursday night football.

The Port Adelaide v Geelong contest at Adelaide Oval is the Thursday-night 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 each year 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 CoastRichmond is a contender, while in Round 17 Port Adelaide and Melbourne could play a Thursday night clashes, with both coming off an equal fiveday 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 11 in total in the season. The league would like more Thurs

days in 2022 but would need to overcome player opposition to five-day breaks at a time when nearly a quarter of the AFL players are injured.

In highlights released yesterday, 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 after a COVID pause.