2013 Finals: Week 1

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The AFL has confirmed the fixture for week one of the 2013 Toyota AFL Finals Series, to be as follows (all times are local):

Friday September 6
First Qualifying Final, Hawthorn v Sydney Swans at the MCG, 7.50pm (series ticket match)
Saturday September 7
Second Qualifying Final, Geelong v Fremantle at Simonds Stadium, 2.20pm Second Elimination Final, Richmond or Collingwood v Port Adelaide at the MCG, 7.45pm
Sunday September 8
First Elimination Final, Richmond or Collingwood v Carlton at the MCG, 3.20pm

AFL chief executive officer Andrew Demetriou said the AFL had determined that the highest teams on the ladder needed to have the greatest consideration when weighing up the fixture structure and match locations for the opening week of matches in the 2013 Toyota AFL Finals Series.
Minor premier Hawthorn, as the No.1-ranked team of the season with a 19-3 record, should be fixtured to play on the Friday night to open the finals series and the respective membership bases of both clubs guaranteed the match could only be played at the MCG.
Mr Demetriou said the AFL had considered the Geelong v Fremantle Qualifying Final to be played at any of the MCG, Etihad Stadium or Simonds Stadium, and had ultimately settled on Simonds Stadium as a Saturday afternoon game.
"The unique circumstances of three of our largest membership-base clubs in Hawthorn, Richmond and Collingwood all earning the right to host finals in the first weekend of the finals series meant that if possible none of those sides should be scheduled to host a final away from the MCG, given that it is their regular home ground and the size of the expected crowd for each game was well above 50,000.
"The second Qualifying Final match between Geelong and Fremantle was determined to be scheduled as a day game, to ensure that Fremantle could return to Perth on Saturday evening after the match, and we considered the likely crowds at each of the three different venues under consideration.
"Due to the fact the MCG could host three large-drawing matches this weekend with Hawthorn, Richmond and Collingwood all as home teams, it was determined it was not feasible for the ground to host all four matches by also playing Geelong v Fremantle at the MCG.
"While the Geelong v Fremantle finals match last year did draw a crowd of just under 44,000, our crowd modelling showed us that game comprised some 6000 series tickets, just over 10,000 entries in the MCC members and less than 1000 travelling Fremantle members from Western Australia.
"It was therefore felt there would likely be an expected crowd of no more than 28-33,000, regardless of whether it was played in Geelong or at Etihad Stadium, and the second-ranked team over the season deserved the opportunity to host a finals match, now that the venue capacity at Simonds Stadium has been expanded and the facilities upgraded with the redevelopment work in recent years.
"Upon consideration, it is the AFL's intention that Metricon Stadium and Skoda Stadium will also host finals in future seasons, should Gold Coast and the GWS respectively earn the right to do so, and therefore Geelong should have the same right for matches to be considered at its home venue in circumstances where there were multiple finals in Melbourne on a weekend of the Finals Series meaning that the MCG may host other matches, and when the expected crowd can be accommodated in the stadium -- that being games against Fremantle, Port Adelaide, the Suns and the Giants.
"A finals match in the Geelong region for the first time in more than a century, now that the ground has the capacity to host some finals matches, will also provide a significant boost to the local economy and region and further push the ambitions of the club and the competition to complete the remaining redevelopment work at the ground and further expand its capacity towards 40,000."
Mr Demetriou said the Second Elimination Final involving Port Adelaide as the away team to either Richmond or Collingwood had to be scheduled on Saturday night, due to a fixturing issue at Patersons Stadium in week two of the finals, whereby the ground is only available for AFL use on Friday night, September 13 (meaning this game could not be played on Sunday).
A Rugby Union Test is booked for Saturday September 14 at Patersons Stadium so the matches involving the Second Qualifying Final and the Second Elimination Final were required to be played by this Saturday night, to ensure that any potential match in Perth in week two of the finals (should Fremantle lose to Geelong) allowed a six-day break for both clubs.
The First Elimination Final involving Carlton as the away team to either Richmond or Collingwood will be scheduled as the Sunday afternoon game at the MCG.
Mr Demetriou said the he wanted to thank all football supporters for their commitment to the game in the 2013 season and looked forward to them enjoying the finals series.
"We congratulate all the teams that have made the eight and look forward to an exciting finals series given the quality of the football that has been on display through the first 23 rounds," he said.