The Western Bulldogs were also handed four Friday night games, which mitigated the loss to some extent, but the AFL also gave Carlton, which finished 16th in 2017, four Friday night games in addition to their Thursday night season opener, a decision the AFL admitted carried some risk. The Blues will play Richmond, Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and Sydney in the key timeslots in the first 11 rounds. Melbourne were pleased with their fixture despite only receiving one Friday night game. They have no home games at Etihad, no back-to-back six-day breaks and no interstate trips in consecutive weeks - all viewed as major positives as they attempt to make finals for the first time since 2006. The Demons also open the season with a home game against Geelong, in which Gary Ablett will play his first game back in Cats colours, and will be the home team in the Queen's Birthday clash against Collingwood with their CEO Peter Jackson describing the fixture as "a good fixture from both a football and supporters' perspective". Jackson has long expressed the view that clubs need to earn the prime-time Friday night slot.

Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said he hoped next year's Good Friday game was successful but expressed disappointment at the decision. "The club's board, and its entire staff who worked so hard on the 2017 game, were disappointed to learn that the Bulldogs would not be involved in the game next year," Gordon said. "The board will seek a meeting with AFL commissioners to understand whether there was any shortcoming in the Bulldogs' 2017 support for or participation in the game, or any principle of competitive balance or fixturing, which provides an explanation for the AFL's decision." Four Friday night games will help the Bulldogs commercially next season but the marquee fixture at Etihad Stadium on Good Friday would be a jewel in the crown for the club, who will play two home games in Ballarat in 2018 as it seeks to establish a presence in the regional town. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said the AFL had not made a commitment to the Western Bulldogs or North Melbourne that they would play on Good Friday each season.

"I think it is fair to give other teams a crack at it and I think we will do that for a little while and then maybe in a couple of years [the AFL] may settle on two teams," McLachlan said. The Western Bulldogs open the year with four games against top eight teams in 2017 and play only two games at the MCG. Loading Although North Melbourne retained the Good Friday match, the game's Friday night football pioneers play no Friday night games in 2018 and just four night games as they attempt to lift themselves back into finals contention. Richmond have benefited from their premiership year, playing five games in the Friday night slot and three on a Thursday night with 11 of the Tigers' games in 2018 being played at night.