AFL makes move to dump traditional Richmond-Carlton Round 1 blockbuster from primetime over ‘quality concerns’

Carlton and Richmond are set to open the 2027 season on the weekend, with their traditional Thursday night blockbuster falling by the wayside.

The Blues-Tigers clash remained the first Round 1 fixture in each of the past three seasons despite the introduction of the abbreviated NSW and Queensland-focused Opening Round.

The AFL has long been expected to push the two sides’ game back from being the opener in favour of a possible finals-shaping blockbuster.

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But it has now emerged Carlton and Richmond are set to lose their primetime slot entirely.

“After years of opening proceedings at the MCG, and having a free-to-air TV slot, the league has concerns about the quality of the game,” 7NEWS Melbourne’s Xander McGuire reported.

A Saturday or Sunday afternoon game is looming, he added.

Last year’s Thursday night opener drew 74,313 fans and went down to the wire with Carlton winning by four points.

Their second meeting, on a Saturday night in July, brought 54,923 fans threw the gate and again the game was up for grabs until the Blues held on for a two-point win.

Richmond won just three games in 2026 and remain firmly in rebuild mode, while Carlton are hopeful of returning to the finals after this year’s miracle turnaround under Josh Fraser.

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The Blues and Tigers opened every season from 2008-11 before being relegated to the second match as part of a split round in 2012-13.

The fixture was absent from Round 1 in 2014 but returned from 2015-21.

A grand final rematch between Melbourne and the Bulldogs opened the 2022 season, then Carlton-Richmond returned in 2023.

The AFL’s failed Opening Round experiment from 2024-26 pushed the traditional opener back to the second weekend of the season.

Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson reported in April that AFL executives were eyeing off a grand final rematch for 2027’s season opener.

More recently, it has emerged Sydney could host the first game because the MCG will not be immediately available.

Next season will begin two weeks later than the 2026 campaign with Opening Round axed and the MCG being used for Australia’s 150th anniversary Test against England from March 11-15.

Hawthorn and Essendon also want another grudge match in Round 1 following Zach Merrett’s trade.