2012 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Fixture

AFL Chief Operating Officer Gillon McLachlan released the fixture today, after an extensive four-month development process.

The Giants, who enter the competition after the arrival of the Gold Coast Suns for the 2011 year, will make their home at Skoda Stadium in Sydney’s West, while also playing home matches at ANZ Stadium, Blacktown International SportsPark and Manuka Oval.

Mr McLachlan said the inclusion of the Giants was a tremendous step forward for the game, now completing internal state head-to-head rivalries in WA, SA, QLD and NSW.
 
“The Giants, led by Hall of Fame coach Kevin Sheedy, will make their debut in the first match of the season, against the team that has done so well to carry the flag for our game in New South Wales over nearly three decades – the Sydney Swans,” Mr McLachlan said.
 
“The Giants will complete the development of their club with the cream of the selections at next month’s NAB AFL Draft at Sydney Olympic park Sports Centre, and we expect the rivalry with the Swans to develop into one of the great contests in our game.”

In 2012, the competition’s expansion to 18 clubs will see the season conducted across 23 rounds, with all clubs continuing to play 22 matches. All clubs will play 11 home games and 11 away games, with rounds 11-13 to feature six byes in each of those weeks.

“I think this fixture is very well balanced and has something for everyone.” Mr McLachlan said.

In 2012, three AFL venues will host matches for the first time – Skoda Stadium and Blacktown International SportsPark in Greater Western Sydney and Blundstone Arena in Hobart. The Giants will play six matches and one match respectively at the West Sydney venues while North Melbourne will host two matches in Tasmania, coupled with the four games already played by Hawthorn out of Aurora Stadium in Launceston.

Key features of the 2012 Toyota AFL Premiership Season include:

• Blacktown International SportsPark to host its first AFL match in Round Three when the Eagles, who have enjoyed a long affiliation with the East Coast Eagles in the Hills District (who compete in the Sydney AFL competition), travel to play the Giants.

• The Giants will christen a third new AFL venue in Round Nine when Skoda  Stadium sees Essendon travel to Western Sydney. The master Sheedy will tackle his famous apprentices Hird and Thompson in the coaching box.

• GWS Giants to host  six matches at  Skoda Stadium in Western Sydney in Rounds Nine, 12, 16, 18, 19 and 23 and to host three matches at Manuka Oval in Rounds Five, Seven and 21.

• Themed Rounds in Round One (Opening), Round Five (Anzac Day), Round Eight (Indigenous), Round 14 (Multicultural) and Round 17 (Women’s).

• Three ANZ Stadium matches to include both matches between the Swans and the Giants, along with traditional meeting between Swans and Collingwood.

Mr McLachlan said all clubs had been contacted in relation to their fixture over the last fortnight with the document completed after discussions with the AFL’s broadcast partners – the Seven Network, FOXTEL, Austar, Fox Sports and Telstra – and venues.

“With the support of our broadcast partners in television, radio, mobile and online, we aim to have the widest possible coverage of all 198 home and away games, along with the nine matches of the finals series.”

To view round by round fixture