After playing some great footy in 2016, the 2017 AFL fixture — released in full on Thursday — rewards the Adelaide Crows with five prime time Friday night matches.
And four of these will be played at Adelaide Oval, which the Crows say is a “major boost” for the club and its fans.
Port Adelaide has also fared well, with the AFL granting the club its two fixture requests — a Rd 8 clash in Shanghai and a home game in Anzac Round.
Port Adelaide will host the Blues in Anzac Round on Friday April 21 in a night game at the Adelaide Oval.
And as confirmed on Wednesday, Port will play the Suns in the first AFL premiership game to be played in China.
FIXTURE HIGHLIGHTS…
ADELAIDE CROWS
• Two 2016 finalists among Adelaide’s five ‘double up’ opponents. The Crows will play both Geelong and Hawthorn twice, as well as Melbourne, Essendon and Port Adelaide.
• A home game against Fremantle in Indigenous Round (May 27).
• The club’s first game for premiership points in Darwin.
• Three games at the MCG.
• A return to Hobart for the first time since 2014.
• Thirteen night games.
• Adelaide’s first game against the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval.
• No Saturday afternoon/twilight games in Adelaide.
PORT ADELAIDE
• Port Adelaide will travel 10 times in the 2017 season – including five trips to Victoria, once each to the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland and WA, and the historic trip to Shanghai in China.
• An out-of-sequence bye for the Power and Suns has been programmed into Round 9, allowing for a one-week recovery following the China game; all other AFL byes will take place between rounds 11 and 13.
• Thursday night, Friday night and two Saturday night games at home.
• The Power’s first game at Simonds Stadium since 2013, a night clash against the Cats in Round 10.
• It will also play against the reigning premiers, the Western Bulldogs, at Eureka Stadium in Ballarat in Round 22.
• The first home Showdown of the season, and multicultural round, and ANZAC Round are keynote events.
• The Power plays the Crows, West Coast, Collingwood, Gold Coast and Brisbane in double-up fixtures.
• The Power never travels in consecutive weeks.
