Releasing its 2002 fixture list, the AFL said there were less Sunday games, with 67 of the 176 matches to be played at night. The blockbusters between the Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon clubs will continued to be played twice each, as will the Adelaide and Perth derbies.
Stadium Australia will host three matches, and there will be two in Launceston. For the first time Saturday afternoon matches will be played in Perth at Subiaco Oval and at Adelaide’s Football Park.
AFL football operations manager Andrew Demetriou (pictured, closest to camera) said a similar approach was taken when preparing the 2002 fixture as applied for the 2001 season.
"Our fixture for 2001 helped deliver a total of 5.9 million spectators for the premiership season, our second best total on record and an increase of 3.4 percent when compared to 2000," Demetriou said. "For 2002, our fixture is designed to maximise attendances and the involvement of supporters.
"Taking into account the interests of our 16 clubs has also been fundamental to our planning of the 2002 fixture and many of our scheduling decisions reflect the direct requests of our clubs. In broad terms, our fixture is designed to deliver stability for our clubs and supporters."
