Two Anzac Day AFL matches have had their start times shifted after Tasmanian law forced a scheduling rethink for round seven.
Hawthorn’s clash with Gold Coast at UTAS Stadium in Launceston has been pushed back 15 minutes from its original 12:15pm slot to 12:30pm.
The AFL said the change was made because of Tasmania’s Anzac Day Observance Act 1929, which bans any sporting events in the state from starting before 12:30pm on Anzac Day.
The knock-on effect means the blockbuster Essendon v Collingwood match at the MCG has also been nudged back five minutes to 3:20pm to cut down on overlap between the two games.
The AFL’s head of scheduling, Josh Bowler, “thanked clubs, broadcast partner Foxtel, Channel 7, UTAS Stadium and the MCG for collaboratively working together on a solution”, the league said in a statement.
The Gold Coast game is the first of four matches Hawthorn will play at UTAS Stadium this season, with the ground currently undergoing a major upgrade.
The Hawks are also set to host Adelaide in round 11 on Thursday, May 21, Melbourne in round 17 in the week of Monday, July 6, and North Melbourne in round 21 in the week of Monday, July 27.
