The AFL have confirmed the scheduling of rounds 7 and 8 on Thursday.
The Pies will host the Suns at the MCG for Saturday afternoon football in round 8, before travelling across the city to take on North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in round 9.
See below for the timings.
ROUND 7 V GOLD COAST SUNS
Saturday 1 May, 1.45pm
MCG (home)
FOX
ROUND 8 V NORTH MELBOURNE
Saturday 8 May, 4.35pm
Marvel Stadium (away)
FOX
AFL Executive General Manager Broadcasting and Clubs Travis Auld said the rolling fixture provided flexibility in the scheduling of matches as the AFL continues to release timeslots in smaller blocks, having regard to the ongoing Covid uncertainty.
“We are off to a fantastic start to the 2021 season, so many storylines are starting to play out and so many more are yet to be written,” Mr Auld said.
“A flexible fixturing approach has provided us with an opportunity to optimise our scheduling of primetime slots in each round. The clubs featured in the next block have been strongly influenced by their form in the early part of the season.”
AFL Head of Broadcasting and Scheduling Marcus King said the confirmation of dates and times of the fixture in smaller blocks will continue for the short term, as the league tries to balance providing certainty for fans and clubs.
“As a community we are still navigating through the effects of the Covid pandemic and releasing dates and times of matches in smaller blocks helps to provide certainty for fans wanting to attend matches,” Mr King said.
“The dates and times were formulated having regard to current government advice and border restrictions and we believe we have been able to deliver an attractive fixture for fans both in venue and watching around the country.”
Click here to hear further from Marcus King talking about the schedule.
The AFL will aim to release Rounds Nine & 10 post Round Five.
