The AFL released its 2017 fixture this morning. Seven will show more Thursday night matches, from five this year to eight next year. Five of them will be held in consecutive weeks mid season. Seven will also show the first ever Friday night match in Canberra (GWS v Western Bulldogs on April 28) and the first ever premiership match in China (Port Adelaide v Gold Coast in Shanghai on May 14).
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Essendon will have 11 games produced by Ch 7 next year 
8 of them on Saturday night, 2 Friday night (thank God) & of course Anzac Day.
The first 5 games are on Ch 7, including a rare prime-time against Brisbane at the GABBA (R2).
Why are the two early Saturday games in round 1 at 4.35pm?
To allow the AFL Women’s GF to be held
Seven will show the Monday night match between Richmond and Melbourne on April 24 next year, the night before Anzac Day. It will be a programming dilemma for the network: should it rest My Kitchen Rules for the night in all states, or to have a split schedule for the week, with possibly a new episode of MKR on Thursday for Melbourne and Adelaide?
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[AFL considers moving grand final to twilight timeslot in 2017](http://AFL considers moving grand final to twilight timeslot in 2017 )
CEO Gillon McLachlan says the AFL is considering a twilight grand final in 2017 and will make a decision over summer.
McLachlan confirmed that Channel 10 would not be taking up an offer to broadcast 11 matches next year, meaning they would be shown only on pay TV.
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Ok I need some assistance. I know this isn’t channel 7 related. But I am considering what to do next year to get a few more matches, other than the 3 a week from seven.
If I get a smart TV can I just get an AFL live pass and play it on my phone? Or will that not work?
Rest it for all states. Viewership will be down due to the public holiday anyway
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Richmond and Collingwood have unsurprisingly been punished really hard next year. The Tigers have zero Friday Night games and the Pies only feature twice.
Also briefly looking at the draw, looks like next year Tassie will get quite a number of average early Saturday games after Hobart getting “lucky” the last couple of seasons of higher quality matches (including this years first Friday night game in the state).
It’s about time Collingwood were punished!
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Have to agree. Three consecutive years of missing out on the top 8 with quite a high number of very poor performances during those years (even match day attendances have fallen off the cliff) has finally caught up. Richmond also deserve their terrible draw for next year.
Seems to me that runners-up Sydney are the big winners for next season. Shouldn’t this have been for the actual premiers? 
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[quote=“EyewitnessTV, post:832, topic:376, full:true”]I personally wouldn’t mind seeing Garry Lyon join Seven’s commentary team from next year.[/quote]Well, looks like this has been ruled out now. Garry is set to return to Footy Classified on Nine from next year accrording to today’s Herald Sun.
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I agree, the Western Bulldogs should have been the more bigger winners than Sydney in the draw for 2017.
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Garry Lyon will probably call AFL matches for SEN radio as well.
I miss Garry. Would be good to see him back.
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[quote=“stilesykenny, post:861, topic:376, full:true”]
I agree, the Western Bulldogs should have been the more bigger winners than Sydney in the draw for 2017.[/quote]Difference - Sydney is the AFL’s love child, whereas the Bulldogs certainly are not. Probably should feel very “lucky” they got what they have.
[quote=“stilesykenny, post:862, topic:376, full:true”]
Garry Lyon will probably call AFL matches for SEN radio as well.[/quote]I expect some radio work from Garry next year. He may even join 3AW.
Certainly we finally feel we are getting somewhere near recognition after not having any FNF games (and countless Sunday 4:40 games, of which we have none next season) for close to 4 years. Interesting though having FNF in Canberra, just hope the temperature isn’t too low for that one. Personally though I hope it isn’t too low for the early June Thursday Night trip to Sydney where all things being equal I should be there rather than relying on the TV.
Seven has signalled its intentions to air one AFLW competition game per week from February in the lead up to the Men’s season. No word yet on whether this will be a Friday/Saturday primetime match or Saturday/Sunday afternoon game.
Good news for fans of women’s footy.
I reckon Seven will show the afternoon match since it will air the inaugural Nitro Athletics League on the second week of February, including the Saturday night final.
I’m hoping for a five hour live recount on Seven to reallocate the Medal.
[quote]Essendon star Jobe Watson will hand back the Brownlow Medal he won in 2012.
Watson, who was among 34 past and present Essendon players banned for the 2016 season over the club’s supplements program, announced the decision today in a statement.
[/quote]
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