Essendon will host Hawthorn to kick off the Bombers 2017 season in a blockbuster Round One opener at the MCG on Saturday night.
Bombers CEO Xavier Campbell said the Club was thrilled to be playing a home game in Round One for the first time in five years.
“We wanted to start the season with a big game and they don’t get much bigger than Hawthorn at the MCG,” Campbell said.
“It has been a long time since Essendon has played a home game in Round One so we made this fixture our highest priority request with the AFL.
“We are thrilled to be scheduled against one of our traditional Victorian rivals on a Saturday night in primetime at the home of football for our season opener.”
This will be just the third time since 2000 Essendon has hosted a Round One match.
The game has extra significance for the Bombers with the ten returning players set to Don the Sash for their comeback match.
“It’s going to be a massive crowd and an important night for our football club,” Campbell said.
“This really is another step in our comeback as a football club and an important milestone for our players and fans as we look to move on from the issues of the past.”
Thousands of Essendon fans marched to the MCG for the Club’s first home game in 2016 and that tradition is set to continue prior to the blockbuster against the Hawks.
“Our fans will be walking together to the MCG from Federation Square in what we hope will become a tradition ahead of our first home game of the season each year,”Campbell said.
“We really wanted this match to provide an opportunity for as many Essendon fans as possible to be at our first home game of the season.
“Our members and supporters have shown incredible loyalty and resilience in recent years and for the first time in a long time, we enter the season completely unencumbered which is very exciting for everyone.”
The full 2017 AFL fixture will be released on Thursday October 27.
Become part of our comeback story.
Cale Hooker kicked the match winning goal when Essendon and Hawthorn met in round two 2015.
