Richmond will head to the Gold Coast in the Opening Round of the 2024 season, as confirmed by the AFL this morning.
The Tigers are one of four Victorian teams to hit the road for the AFL's new Opening Round matches across Queensland and New South Wales, taking on the Suns at twilight on Saturday, March 9.
Richmond will then face Carlton in the traditional Round 1 fixture at the MCG on Thursday, March 14.
The eight teams that play in the Opening Round will then have a bye between Rounds 2 and 6, with all 18 teams in the competition having played the same number of games by the beginning of Round 7.
AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said the AFL was presented with a unique opportunity to feature four matches ahead of the traditional start to the season.
“We were fortunate to be in a position where we were able to have access to our major venues in Queensland and New South Wales a weekend earlier than usual which gave us a unique opportunity to play these four games in key markets where footy continues to grow in popularity,” said Mr Dillon.
“The four match-ups are big, with four of our biggest supported Victorian clubs travelling north, and we look forward to starting our season with real momentum before we head into a blockbuster round of matches in Round 1.
“We continue to find opportunities to build marquee games and events across the season, with recent examples being King’s Birthday Eve, ANZAC Day Eve and Gather Round and our four matches in the Opening Round build on this approach.
“Given this weekend also falls on the Labour Day long weekend in Victoria it presents a terrific opportunity for fans to travel north to support their club and enjoy an extended interstate break.
“We are driven to have footy in every home around the country, whether that be playing, coaching, umpiring, supporting or volunteering and starting the season across Queensland and NSW will only amplify this desire.
“There’s a lot of people behind the scenes who helped bring this concept to life and I would like to thank our venues and the clubs for sharing in our Opening Round vision.”
The full 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Season fixture will be released on Thursday 16 November.
