Sport AFL Pre-season games and results, practice matches, AAMI Community Series fixture

08:17 23 february 2021

08:17 23 february 2021 Source: sportingnews.com

AFL stock market: Pre-season edition

There are always reports during the pre-season in the AFL about a certain player who is ready for a breakout or playing a revamped role. Everyone wants to nail predictions about a player and to make it easy, I will be playing the AFL stock market. For each of the 18 AFL sides, I will be buying, holding and selling stocks, attempting to predict the future. Adelaide Buy: Wayne Milera This guy has always promised the world, but injuries have slowed him down. He has the ball skills, power, endurance and class to be a very handy AFL player, but we haven’t seen it. With a midfield role this year, it’s Wayne’s world.

The start of the 2021 AFL Premiership season is fast approaching - but first the 19 teams have to prepare with a series of pre-season games.

Because of concerns around COVID-19 and the desire to limit team travel, the traditional competitive matches - this year known as the AAMI Community Series - has been shortened one match for each team.

However, each team will also play a practice match in their home state before the official pre-season games begin as coaches try to figure out their best 22 for round one.

Sporting News analyses everything you need to know about the AFL's pre-season plans.

AFL Practice Matches Schedule/Results

Date	Fixture/Result	Stadium	AEDT/Local Time
Wed Feb 24	Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn	Whitten Oval	10.30am
Thu Feb 25	Carlton v Essendon	IKON Park	11.00am
Thu Feb 25	North Melbourne v St Kilda	Arden Street	12.00pm
Fri Feb 26	Melbourne v Richmond	Casey Fields	9.30am
Fri Feb 26	Geelong v Collingwood	GHMBA Stadium	11.00am
Sat Feb 27	Port Adelaide v Adelaide	Alberton Oval	11.30am/11.00am
Sat Feb 27	GWS Giants v Sydney	GIANTS Stadium	11.00am
Sat Feb 27	West Coast v Fremantle	Mineral Resources Park	1.00pm/10.00am
Sat Feb 27	Gold Coast v Brisbane Lions	Metricon Stadium	4.00pm/3.00pm

Why is there an AFL Practice Match series?

The AFL have organised a one-match AFL practice series to take place instead of two rounds of the AAMI Community Series.

The order of merit: Gold Coast Suns 2021 season

Who are the Suns players that should play to their optimum level in season 2021? To be eligible for selection, a player must have played at least five games in season 2020, so there can be a reference point as far as those players who apply their talent the best at AFL level. It appears as if all the Suns’ key players have a clean bill of health. It was tough to leave out players like David Swallow, Sam Day and Izak Rankine, but the reality is good players are going to miss out, because there are only ten players to choose from (plus an honourable mention).

Because of concerns around COVID-19 and the desire to limit travel, each team will play a single match in their own state across a four-day period.

There will be no crowd at each match, but select media will be allowed to attend

AAMI Community Series Fixture/Results

Date	Fixture/Result	Stadium	AEDT/Local Time
Thu Mar 4	Carlton v St Kilda	Marvel Stadium	7.10pm
Fri Mar 5	Collingwood v Richmond	Marvel Stadium	7.10pm
Sat Mar 6	Hawthorn v North Melbourne	University of Tasmania Stadium	1.10pm
Sat Mar 6	Fremantle v Adelaide	Fremantle Oval	4.10pm/1.10pm
Sat Mar 6	Geelong v Essendon	GMHBA Stadium	7.10pm
Sun Mar 7	Sydney v Gold Coast	GIANTS Stadium	1,10pm
Sun Mar 7	GWS Giants v Brisbane Lions	Manuka Oval	4.10pm
Sun Mar 7	West Coast v Port Adelaide	Leederville Oval	1.00pm/10.00am
Mon Mar 8	Western Bulldogs v Melbourne	Marvel Stadium	3.10pm/12.10pm

How does the AAMI Community Series work?

The 'competitive' pre-season games - called the Marsh Community Series last year - usually see teams play two matches across two-to-three week period in front of crowds, with an emphasis on contests being scheduled in regional areas.

However, this season there will be only be one 'competitive' match - essentially a glorified practice game - with supporters leading into the start of the AFL season.

There is no official winner of the AFL pre-season competition with the governing body scrapping the knockout format after Brisbane won in 2013.

Supporters do keep an unofficial ladder of the series however, with GWS Giants topping it in 2020.

Everton-City promises to be a feisty affair after Covid drama .
Looking back, Everton lost a lot when the decision was made by the Premier League on December 28 to postpone their home game against Manchester City due to a Covid-19 outbreak. They were second, three points off then-leaders Liverpool, boasting a relatively clean injury report card and with Merseyside in Tier 2 under the government's coronavirus tiers, Everton were ready to host 2,000 fans for the visit of City.