Hobart’s new stadium could be nearly a third as big as promised — without blowing the budget. Jon Ralph reveals how Macquarie Point’s management is planning for big Devils crowds.

So here we are at Round 20, the last full weekend of July and the AFL still haven't released the fixtures for Rounds 23 and 24, and we've got another random re-appearance of a FRIDAY NIGHT DOUBLE HEADER, and another Marvel Stadium Saturday double, the first one since Round 8.

We didn't ask for it, but we got it.

Now, on with the show, and there's some decent contests this weekend, plus some games that won't be going straight to VHS, mainly because VHS is obsolete.

• Adelaide play Collingwood on the Thursday night at the Adelaide Oval, another game with massive consequences for both teams as the Crom need to keep winning to remain in the Top 4 hunt and stay in the Top 6, while Collingwood have a very realistic chance at finally defeating a Top 8 team this year, and of course the Round 23 game last year to decide the minor premiership was Adelaide's greatest home crowd ever at 54,283... there was another game a few weeks later, but only Collingwood remember it.

• Another crunch game as the two oldest clubs in the league in Melbourne and Geelong play at the MCG to start the Friday doubleheader, as the former Geelong captain and assistant coach Steven King finally gets to take on Chris Scott with a fair bit on the line as Melbourne have a massive shot at a Top 4 finish, and Geelong need to win given they're 2 games outside the Top 6

  Another fun history lesson, the last time Melbourne hosted Geelong in a Home & Away Friday night game was Round 19, 2008... the same night the Beijing Olympics began, Geelong led 53-0 at Quarter Time and won by 116 points.

• For the first time since Round 20, 2005 there will be a Friday night Western Derby as Fremantle play West Coast at Optus, as Perth prepares to deal with some of the almightiest traffic congestion ever seen... it's also the 200th AFL game at Optus!

• The first of the Marvel Saturday games as Carlton host the Gold Coast, and all I can surmise is what a perfect opportunity for Carlton to reignite the streak.

• The Saturday twilight game has the great rivals Hawthorn hosting Essendon at the MCG, the Hawks getting another very winnable game in the hunt for a Top 2 spot, and the Bombers now play with the freedom of knowing they've lumped the great anchor of wooden spoon favouritism onto Richmond... although unfortunately for the Bombers, Richmond play West Coast next week.

• The other twilight game features the second of the Sydney Derbies in 2026 as the Orange Team from Western Sydney host the Swans from Eastern Sydney, and after getting their arses kicked by the formerly last-placed Bombers, GWS now have a game they might turn up for given the Swans are in 2nd... so expect Dean Cox to pull a surprise and stick a 1 in front of that 2 to make it look like they're a Bottom 10 team....

  Still, the Swans are playing like one right now.

• The standalone Saturday night game returns as the Western Bulldogs play Richmond in the second of the Saturday Marvel games, and it was this game last year that caused Dwayne Russell to mention the phrase "They need a safeword here Richmond!"... it obviously worked as the Bulldogs only won by 79 points.

• The early Sunday game has the Brisbane Lions hosting Port Adelaide at the Gabba, the Lions one of the other teams right in the hunt for a Top 2/Top 4/Top 6 finish, and there is a big milestone for the Lions with it being Charlie Cameron's 200th game for the Lions after that trade from Adelaide in 2017... since 2019, he's only missed 2 games (Both of them last year)

• And the last game of the round has North Melbourne hosting St Kilda at Marvel, as North go for another honourable loss in a frustrating end to their year, while St Kilda hang on by their arse hairs to a Top 10 spot, which may get a potential lifeline with Max King half a chance to play his first game since Round 16, 2024...

  One King prepares to leave, another one returns

200th AFL game at Perth Stadium (West Coast have played there 105 times, Fremantle 103)... all up it's the 819th VFL/AFL game in WA

Luke Ryan is the first player to play 100 games at Perth Stadium... Andrew Brayshaw will play his 99th game, and Liam Duggan is 3rd ahead of his 92nd game at Optus

200 games for Jordan de Goey ... it wasn't him, his dog did it

Charlie Cameron's 200th game for Brisbane

150 games for Nic Newman and Isaac Quaynor

Ben Keays plays his 150th game for Adelaide, and 150th consecutive AFL game (3rd current player on 150+ consecutive games after Jack Crisp on 280 and Callum Wilkie on 173)

150 AFL games as Coach double - Matthew Nicks and Justin Longmuir ... Both coaches had to isolate and miss games in 2022 (Nicks missed Round 8, Longmuir missed Rounds 3 and 4)

100 games for Hayden Young , Dylan Stephens , and Tom Powell may as well start paying rent because he's stuck here for a while

Harris Andrews' 100th game as captain of the Brisbane Lions

Two Metre Peter Wright's 100th game for Essendon

50 games for Nathan O'Driscoll , Joe Richards , Karl Worner and Jack Williams