Essendon will launch its 2018 season on the big stage, with the Club set to host Adelaide in a Friday night blockbuster at Etihad Stadium in Round One.
This will be the Bombers first Friday night home game since 2016 and will likely see the Club unveil its prized off-season recruits including premiership player and All Australian Jake Stringer, Adam Saad and Devon Smith.
“It is great to be back on Friday night in prime time on the big stage,” Chief Marketing Officer Justin Rodski said.
“This is a significant endorsement of where we are at as a club, we play an exciting brand of football, we have a huge membership base and there is no better way to launch our season than to play on a Friday night in the opening round in front of a huge crowd and massive free to air television audience.
“This fixture is further validation of the progress we’ve made and also a reflection of the unwavering support of our members over the last few years.”
Essendon posted a record membership figure in 2017 and more than one million people attended its matches.
This will be just the fourth time the Club has hosted a round one match since 2001.
The Bombers averaged crowds of more than 50,000 for their home games in 2017 and the match against last season’s Grand Finalist is set to be a sell-out.
“We want our fans to fill the stadium with red and black and make another bold statement about our standing as one of the biggest clubs in the country,” Rodski said.
“There is a great sense of optimism and excitement about the 2018 season and we are well on track towards passing 70,000 members in 2018.”
The full 2018 fixture is set to be released by the AFL on Tuesday October 31.
