The AFL has announced the fixture for the 2024 Smithy’s VFL season with the Brisbane Lions featuring five times in front of their Brighton Homes Arena faithful in the opening 13 rounds.
The fixture release includes the schedule for Rounds 1-13 along with the match ups for the remaining eight rounds with times and venues to be confirmed.
The Lions will open their season against Essendon at the NEC Hanger in exciting news for our Victorian fans, on Saturday March 23 at 1:05pm.
The first home game for the Lions will be in Round 2 against Collingwood on Good Friday (Friday March 29) at 11:05am.
The Lions will then tackle rivals Geelong on April 20 at 1:05pm in Round 4 VFL action.
Round 6 shapes as a big clash against reigning VFL premiers, the Gold Coast SUNS at Brighton Homes Arena.
Sandringham in Round 12 at 11:05am on Saturday June 15 and Frankston in Round 13 on Saturday June 22 at 11:05am complete the Lions confirmed home games through the opening 13 matches.
A total of seven trips to Victoria in 2024 is an exciting prospect for Lions fans down south.
“Every year you’re looking to improve and this season gives us another opportunity to do that,” Hudson said.
“We’re coming off a strong year in 2023 but we want to continue to develop our list as a whole.
“For guys like (Kai) Lohmann, (Harry) Sharp, (Jimmy) Tunstill, (Jaxon) Prior and (Henry) Smith, they are the next crop of talent for our AFL group and you saw what Jaspa Fletcher was able to do last season.
“It will be another exciting year for the VFL program and we’ve been able to bring in some more quality young talent too.”
Venues and times for the Smithy’s VFL fixture from Round 14 onwards will be confirmed once the last part of the AFL fixture is announced later in the year.
The 2024 Smithy’s VFL season will feature the same 21 teams from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland who competed across the past two seasons.
The home-and-away season will consist of 21 rounds, with every team to play 18 matches.
AFL Head of State League Competitions, Jennie Loughnan, said: “We are excited to build on a really positive 2023 for both the Smithy’s VFL and VFLW and get the 2024 season underway on March 22.
“We have made enhancements to the fixtures to help ensure 2024 is even bigger and better for our clubs, players and fans.”
