The 2021 AFL season kicks off with a bang on the Seven Network this Thursday night, when bitter rivals Richmond and Carlton square off in their traditional round one blockbuster at the MCG, live and free.
Seven’s coverage starts at 4.00pm WST Thursday on 7mate, when fans will enjoy an epic showdown between a powerhouse Richmond team chasing a premiership three-peat in 2021 and an emerging Blues side desperate to return to the finals for the first time since 2013.
Thursday’s showdown is the first of five live and free blockbusters in four days on Seven in round one. The others are:
- Collingwood v Western Bulldogs and former Magpies favourite son Adam Treloar, 4.00pm WST on Friday
- Melbourne v Fremantle, 10.30am WST on Saturday
- Essendon v Hawthorn, 3.30pm WST on Saturday
- West Coast v Gold Coast, 3.00pm WST on Sunday
Fans in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia will also be able to watch every game involving teams from their home states.
Seven’s round one coverage will be led by the game’s best team of callers: Brian Taylor, James Brayshaw, Hamish McLachlan and Luke Darcy.
Expert commentators Luke Hodge, Wayne Carey, Daisy Pearce, Matthew Richardson, Jobe Watson, Leigh Matthews, Tim Watson, Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel and Abbey Holmes are also part of football’s best line-up in 2021, along with Abbey Gelmi, Jacqui Felgate, Jude Bolton, Xavier Ellis, Mark Soderstrom, Jason Bennett, Nigel Carmody and Campbell Brown.
This Sunday, Abbey Gelmi, Tim Watson, Matthew Richardson and Heath Shaw will launch Sunday Footy Fest on 7mate at 9am WST, when fans can look forward to an all-new wrap of the entire day’s action, including the AFLW and AFL matches of the day, and round one’s other highlights and news.
Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin, said:
“There’s no more exciting time of the year than the opening round of the AFL season. This season also has all the ingredients to be one of the most thrilling premiership races in years. With the game’s #1 commentary team again in place, we can’t wait to bring all Australians every second of the action, live and free.”
On Monday night, premiership teammates and footy mavericks Heath Shaw and Dale Thomas will give fans an unfiltered view of the game’s biggest stories on the brand new Heater and Daisy Show on 7plus.
But, first, everyone’s favourite footy show, The Front Bar, will get the 2021 AFL party started tonight, when Mick Molloy, Sam Pang and Andy Maher return to share a laugh ahead of round one.
After Friday night’s Collingwood-Bulldogs grudge match, Adam Cooney and Cam Luke will settle in on the Armchair Experts sofa to give their unique take on the big clash on Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus.
Seven’s live and free AFLW coverage also continues with round eight action this weekend, including the following marquee match-ups:
- Richmond v West Coast Eagles, 9.30am WST on Sunday, 7mate and 7plus
- Fremantle v Melbourne, 3.00pm WST on Sunday, 7mate and 7plus
AFL blockbuster season opener on 7mate
Richmond v Carlton, Thursday from 4.00pm WST
TV broadcast times on Seven: AFL – Round 1, 2021
Wednesday 17 March
The Front Bar
Sydney 11.00pm on Channel 7
Melbourne 8.30pm on Channel 7
Brisbane 11.00pm on Channel 7
Adelaide 8.30pm on Channel 7
Perth 8.30pm on Channel 7
Thursday 18 March
Richmond v Carlton (MCG)
Sydney 7.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 6.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm LIVE on 7mate, 6.55pm LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 4.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Friday 19 March
Collingwood v Western Bulldogs (Marvel Stadium)
Sydney 7.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Melbourne 7.00pm LIVE on 7mate, 7.30pm LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 6.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Adelaide 6.30pm LIVE on 7mate, 7.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 4.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Armchair Experts
Sydney 11.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Melbourne 11.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 10.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Adelaide 10.30pm LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 10.30pm on 7mate
Saturday 20 March
Melbourne v Fremantle (MCG)
Perth 10.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Adelaide Crows v Geelong Cats (Adelaide Oval)
Adelaide 4.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Essendon v Hawthorn (Marvel Stadium)
Melbourne 6.30pm LIVE on 7mate, 7.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Adelaide 6.50pm LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 3.30pm LIVE on 7mate
Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans (Gabba)
Sydney 7.30pm LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 6.45pm LIVE on Channel 7
Sunday 21 March
Sunday Footy Fest
Sydney 12.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Melbourne 12.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 9.00am LIVE on 7mate
North Melbourne v Port Adelaide (Marvel Stadium)
Adelaide 12.30pm LIVE on Channel 7
GWS Giants v St Kilda (Giants Stadium)
Sydney 2.30pm LIVE on 7mate
Melbourne 2.30pm LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 2.00pm LIVE on 7mate
West Coast Eagles v Gold Coast Suns
Brisbane 5.00pm LIVE on 7mate
Perth 3.00pm LIVE on Channel 7
Monday 22 March
Heater and Daisy Show
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth on 7plus
The bulk of this press release relates to WA only. Times in WST? Fremantle and West Coast games listed among 5 on FTA this weekend? That’s only in WA.