The AFL is set to stick to a one-game pre-season fixture again in 2023, according to SEN’s Dwayne Russell.
Prior to 2020, each team played at least two official pre-season games, but after playing just one in 2021 and 2022, that format is set to stay.
According to Russell, those official games will take place on the weekend of March 2-5 with an announcement from the AFL imminent.
“We’re five weeks away from actual footy and the AFL will soon announce the official pre-season schedule,” Russell said on SEN Afternoons.
“The clubs are all waiting for the official announcement, the fans are all waiting.
“The clubs are suggesting we will get one pre-season game officially broadcast against another opponent on live TV on Fox Footy, which is good news.
“It’s probably going to be on the weekend of March 2, 3, 4 and 5, it’s the same as last year, only one game.
“It was called the AAMI Community Series in the last few years, and it was called the AAMI Community Series last year, but it’s not going to be much of a series as we once knew it.
“The days of an actual pre-season comp are officially dead, COVID helped reduce the pre-season and this year it’s going to be a one-gamer as well.”
While there’ll again only one round of pre-season games, Russell says teams will be able to face off in unofficial club-arranged pre-season fixtures, much like last season.
Russell says clubs have been given the green light to arrange those match-ups the weekend prior to the official games kicking off.
“Clubs are allowed I’m told to make their own arrangements outside of that,” Russell said.
“So, if the Scott brothers … want to have a six-quarter Essendon v Geelong game at The Hangar on Feb 24, 25 or 26, they can do that.
“Do you want more? I always like the two-game pre-season, the days of a three-pre-season game competition-style series are done and dusted and I’m over it, that’s fine.
“I’d like to two games, I liked the fact that we once upon a time used to have two games to watch, but it’ll be a one-game lead-in.”
Clubs will have a weekend off following the pre-season before the AFL season kicks off proper on March 16 when Richmond faces Carlton at the MCG.