The AFL has today released the dates and times for Rounds Seven and Eight of the VFL Premiership Season with both rounds to form the 2021 Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Both weekends of matches formally celebrate the impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the contributions to Australian Football by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present and how they continue to inspire generations of Australians.
Clubs will wear specially designed guernseys to commemorate the occasion.
Round 7 will see the Gold Coast SUNS take on Queensland rivals Aspley at Metricon Stadium, 1:30pm on Saturday May 29
In Round 8 the GC SUNS will again have a bye.
Thursday night football continues in Round Seven of the VFL Premiership Season when Frankston host Richmond under lights at SkyBus Stadium live on Fox Footy on Thursday May 27 from 7.10pm.
VFL football returns to the MCG for the first time in 2021 when Collingwood face Geelong following the AFL match on Saturday May 29 with the bounce at 4.55pm.
Following the completion of Round Six, all 22 clubs will have had broadcast games across Seven, 7plus, Fox Footy and Kayo with strong broadcast numbers highlighting the appetite for state league football across the community
“These two rounds of football are a major celebration on the AFL calendar and we are delighted to celebrate the contributions to the VFL by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present,” AFL Head of Talent Pathways and State League Competitions Tristan Salter said.
“We not only celebrate the contributions of these players but also look forward to the blockbuster matches across both rounds of the VFL and the return to the MCG with Collingwood and Geelong and Richmond and Essendon.”
“The new era of the VFL continues to produce the highest standard of state league football in Australia and we’re delighted with the competitiveness of the league, we marvel at the skill of the players and warmed by the increased support from all football fans.”
“We have and will continue to remain adaptable as we work closely with each stakeholder to ensure we achieve the best possible outcome for everyone in the game in fixturing games,” Salter said.
Matchups for VFL Rounds Nine to 19 has been released with dates, times and venues announced following the release of additional rounds of the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season fixture.
This year’s VFL fixture closely aligns with AFL programs given the VFL involvement of AFL-listed players from 14 AFL clubs and the shared resources across all 14 AFL clubs. The release of rounds Seven and Eight aligns with the current release of the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season fixture and is central to the fixturing of the season.
