Dreamtime at the G game makes historical shift to Friday night in 2025

Jackson Clark Published November 14, 2024 at 4.30pm (AWST)

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The annual Dreamtime at the G game has been moved to Friday night. (Image: Michelle Couling Photography)

The AFL's annual Dreamtime at the G game will next year move to a Friday night timeslot in a historical first for the blockbuster event.

The clash between Essendon and Richmond will shift from the traditional time on Saturday night to the prime-time position in a move that highlights the game's significance and opens the door to stronger community participation.

The change will amplify The Long Walk event, which will now kick off on Friday afternoon and allow for greater cultural celebration throughout Melbourne's busy CBD.

Essendon chief executive Craig Vozzo said that he was excited that his club has been given the opportunity to host the game at the new timeslot.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for the club to work alongside The Long Walk, Richmond and the AFL to further elevate how we celebrate this iconic game," Vozzo said.

"Friday night football attracts a big broadcast audience, and we look forward to the new iteration of The Long Walk on a Friday afternoon that will captivate the Melbourne CBD, engage the football community throughout Melbourne and fans across the country."

Richmond CEO Shane Dunne echoed those sentiments in a statement released on Thursday morning.

"Moving Dreamtime at the 'G to a Friday night opens the audience and gives us a chance to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their contribution to the game on an even greater level," he said.

"As a club, we are incredibly proud of what this game has become, and it's important that we continue to strive to enhance it.

Daniel Rioli and Alwyn Davey exchange cultural gifts before the Dreamtime at the G clash. (Image: AFL Photos)

"We feel that giving this premier occasion on the football calendar pride of place on a Friday night in Sir Doug Nicholls round certainly achieves that."

Next year's game will be the 30-year anniversary of the Peek Rule, which was introduced by the AFL in 1995 to fight racism in Australian sport.

The rule was established in response to Essendon champion Michael Long's experience with racial abuse during the 1995 ANZAC Day game and has inspired similar policies across the nation's sporting codes.

In the Dreamtime at the G's 20-game history, Richmond have won on 12 occasions while the Bombers have been victorious eight times.

The game will headline Sir Doug Nicholls Round, which again will take place over a two-week period across Round 10 and 11.

Sir Doug Nicholls Round will commence with a clash between the Gold Coast Suns and Hawthorn on Thursday, 15 May at TIO Stadium in Darwin.

The Northern Territory has been a region that has produced some of the AFL's best and most revered Indigenous stars, including Long, Michael McLean, Andrew McLeod and Cyril Rioli.

AFLNT chief executive Sam Gibson is excited about having top-tier footy return to the Top End.

"Following the success of the matches in 2024, which saw strong crowds and solid TV viewership, these matches continue to build the Northern Territory's strong connection to the national game."