NAB Cup match times altered

The AFL wishes to advise the following match times have been altered / confirmed for upcoming matches of the 2012 NAB Cup.
 
Saturday March 3, Round Two. Sydney Swans v North Melbourne at Bruce Purser Reserve to now commence at 7pm local time, changing from 2.40pm.
Saturday March 10, Round Three. Brisbane Lions v Carlton at Maroochydore now confirmed at 3.40pm local time (venue was previously TBC).
Saturday March 10, Round Three. Port Adelaide v Fremantle at Victor Harbour now confirmed at 3.40pm local time (venue was previously TBC).
 
The match times have been set around the key factors of travel arrangements for the visiting teams and the expected weather conditions at each venue, and all media should please note these changes and update them in their schedules.

Separately, the match-time schedule for the week one three-way match-ups in the NAB Cup is as follows (all times are local, and the timings for games 2/3 are approximate):

Friday February 17, Etihad Stadium; Richmond v North Melbourne (6.45pm), North Melbourne v Hawthorn (7.50pm), Hawthorn v Richmond (8.55pm).
Saturday February 18, Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney; GWS Giants v Western Bulldogs (7.15pm), Western Bulldogs v Collingwood (8.20pm), Collingwood v GWS Giants (9.25pm).
Sunday February 19, Patersons Stadium; West Coast Eagles v Essendon (4.45pm), Essendon v Fremantle (5.50pm), Fremantle v West Coast Eagles (6.55pm).

Friday February 24, Etihad Stadium; St Kilda v Sydney Swans (6.40pm), Sydney Swans v Geelong Cats (7.45pm), St Kilda v Geelong Cats (8.50pm).
Saturday February 25, Metricon Stadium; Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne (6.10pm), Melbourne v Brisbane Lions (7.15pm), Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast Suns (8.20pm).
Sunday February 26, AAMI Stadium; Port Adelaide v Carlton (2.40pm), Carlton v Adelaide Crows (3.45pm), Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide (4.50pm).

As detailed at the time of the release of the NAB Cup fixture in late 2011, all 18 clubs have had all matches fixtured for the opening three rounds of competition. Each club will play two shortened matches in their week one pool against the other two sides, comprising two 20-minute halves (approximately) across a three-hour window for the three matches.

Clubs will then play full-scale matches in weeks two and three of the NAB Cup. All matches across the three rounds (two shortened games and two full games) will count equally for four points and percentage, with the two best-performed teams over the opening three rounds to compete in the NAB Cup Grand Final on Saturday March 17. The 16 other clubs will play NAB Cup matches that weekend across March 16-17 in various metropolitan cities across the country.
 
FOXTEL, AUSTAR and FOX SPORTS will kick off the new AFL television rights deal for 2012-2016 by exclusively covering all of the matches in round one of the NAB Cup live and a minimum of five matches live in each of rounds two and three, all in High Definition and uninterrupted siren to siren. The NAB Cup Grand Final will be broadcast live by both FOX SPORTS and the Seven Network. 
 
The AFL fixtured each club’s matches for both rounds two and three of the competition, so clubs were aware of their travel schedule and could fully plan their preparation and training workload as they built up to the start of the premiership season. In rounds two and three, matches have been fixtured across both regional venues and our major AFL venues.

A key focus of the NAB Cup will be the spirit that AFL matches bring to a community. Ticket offers for children under 15 will be available around NAB Cup matches in rounds 1-3 with more details at afl.com.au. Tickets to all Round 1-3 NAB Cup matches will be on-sale via Ticketmaster from 9am (local time) Monday February 6. For more details visit afl.com.au