[hugh]

2011 AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE coverage begins Friday, March 25 at 4:30 a.m. ET live on TSN2, with the Geelong Cats taking on the St. Kilda Saints Down Under. TSN2 will broadcast one live AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE game each week, including playoffs and the Grand Final.

TSN2 currently has 23 games scheduled with more to be added in the final weeks of the regular season and playoffs.

The AFL’s 2011 Premiership Season features 17 clubs going head-to-head during 24 rounds of regular season play. The eight highest-ranked teams advance to the Finals Series in September. The top two teams face off in the AFL GRAND FINAL – the Aussie Super Bowl – airing live on TSN2.

 

[hugh]

The 2011 AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE broadcast schedule is as follows:

Friday, March 25 – Round 1
- Geelong Cats vs. St. Kilda Saints at 4:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, April 2 – Round 2
- Sydney Swans vs. Essendon FC at 12 midnight ET

Saturday, April 9 – Round 3
- Geelong Cats vs. Port Adelaide FC at 12 midnight ET

Saturday, April 16 – Round 4
- Gold Coast Suns vs. Melbourne FC at 12 midnight ET

Thursday, April 21 – Round 5
- Brisbane Lions vs. St. Kilda Saints at 5:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, May 1 – Round 6
- Collingwood FC vs. Western Bulldogs at 2 a.m. ET

Saturday, May 7 – Round 7
- Melbourne FC vs. Adelaide Crows at 12 midnight ET

Friday, May 13 – Round 8
- Geelong Cats vs. Collingwood FC at 5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, May 21 – Round 9
- Sydney Swans vs. Hawthorn Hawks at 12 midnight ET

Saturday, May 28 – Round 10
- Collingwood FC vs. West Coast Eagles at 12 midnight ET

Saturday, June 4 – Round 11
- Collingwood FC vs. St. Kilda Saints at 5 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 11 – Round 12
- Geelong Cats vs. Hawthorn Hawks at 5 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 18 – Round 13
- St. Kilda Saints vs. Geelong Cats at 5 a.m. ET

Saturday, June 25 – Round 14
- Sydney Swans vs. Collingwood FC at 5 a.m. ET

Saturday, July 2 – Round 15
- Essendon FC vs. Geelong Cats at 5 a.m. ET

Sunday, July 10 – Round 16
- Western Bulldogs vs. Carlton FC at 2:30 a.m. ET

Friday, July 15 – Round 17
- Carlton FC vs. Collingwood FC at 12 midnight ET

Saturday, July 23 – Round 18
- Essendon FC vs. Carlton FC at 5 a.m. ET

Saturday, July 30 – Round 19
- Fremantle Dockers vs. Hawthorn Hawks at 5:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, August 6 – Round 20
- Port Adelaide FC vs. Collingwood FC at 5:30 a.m. ET

Friday, August 12 – Round 21
- St. Kilda Saints vs. Collingwood FC at 5:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, August 21 – Round 22
- Port Adelaide FC vs. Western Bulldogs at 1 a.m. ET

Saturday, August 27 – Round 23
- St. Kilda Saints vs. North Melbourne Kangaroos at 5 a.m. ET

 

[CenturyBreak]

17 teams?!?!

Ahhh... I forgot that the 'expansion' Gold Coast Suns begin Premiership play this season!

 

[mcpish]

Yeah I've managed to catch a couple pre-season games of the Gold Coast Suns.

Actually there are 18 teams now. There is also the new "West Sydney Giants" who are being coached by Kevin Sheedy (former Essendon coach). I just wish that TSN would air "The Footy Show" from Channel 9.

 

[CenturyBreak]

I thought West Sydney wasn't playing in the Premiership until next year!

 

[NB Josh]

They aren't. The AFL will use bye weeks for the first time in a while this season. Should make for an interesting season.

An odd number of teams just doesn't work in these type of one game a week leagues (didn't like it in NFL and most certainly CFL either). I'm glad they are getting it back to an even number for next year.

 

[Shootmaster_44]

This is good. Aussie Rules is one of my favorite sports. I just wish that TSN.ca would carry the games that ESPN3 is carrying in the US. Very few games go unaired in the US with ESPN3.

 

[mcpish]

broadband.tsn.ca sometimes carries additional games each week. I know they did last year. They carried 2 more games per week on broadband.tsn.ca
I don't know about this year.

 

[CenturyBreak]

Thanks for the info mcpish. What's your source for pre-season games?

 

[mcpish]

CenturyBreak: http://aus.sierules.com/

Another thing, the new AFL PlayStation3 game is coming out next month. It looks great, I'm going to import it. Luckily the PS3 is region-free for games so no problem there. Check out the video:

http://www.mightyape.com.au/product/PS3/AFL-Live/10338548/

 

[CG Jones]

A note for anyone following -- TSN2 has been switching their coverage at the last minute. Last weekend, for instance, they were scheduled to show the Geelong-Port Adelaide match on Sunday, but instead showed Collingwood-Carlton on Friday.

(Not a bad choice as far as entertaining games, but it was on two nights earlier with no advance warning!)

Last I checked, this weekend's game is still as listed, but keep an eye on your PVR just to be sure.

 

[NB Josh]

Yep. I'm a Blues fan and I didn't even know the game was on until Friday afternoon.

 

[Shootmaster_44]

A note for anyone following -- TSN2 has been switching their coverage at the last minute. Last weekend, for instance, they were scheduled to show the Geelong-Port Adelaide match on Sunday, but instead showed Collingwood-Carlton on Friday.

(Not a bad choice as far as entertaining games, but it was on two nights earlier with no advance warning!)

Last I checked, this weekend's game is still as listed, but keep an eye on your PVR just to be sure.

I did notice that Port Adelaide was dumped. But my on-screen guide didn't mention any AFL coverage last weekend. Really ticked me off since I am a Power fan. I was looking forward to seeing my boys play, even if they would get killed.

 

[CG Jones]

Recorded the Gold Coat-Melbourne FC match last night. Tried to watch it this morning, but by the second half the transmission was so garbled as to be unwatchable -- pixelation, audio breaks... just nasty. Gave up five minutes into the third.

Anyone else notice this? Same problem with the commercials, so it was either the fault of TSN2 or Shaw.

 

[Suit_N_Tie]

AFL Grand Final on TSN

For all you AFL fans out there, TSN is showing the Aussie Rules Football Grand Final on Saturday, October 1st at 11:00 am.