At a glance

Return opponents: Collingwood, GWS, Gold Coast, Melbourne, St Kilda, West Coast
Home games at MCG: Geelong (R2), Collingwood (R10), Essendon (R13), Gold Coast (R14), Melbourne (Round 22)
Home games at Marvel Stadium: St Kilda (R6), Brisbane Lions (R8), Western Bulldogs (R9), Port Adelaide (R18), West Coast (R19), GWS (R24)
Bye: Round 15
Time split: Thursday night (three), Friday night (three), Sunday afternoon (three), Saturday night (two), Friday twilight^ (1), Saturday twilight (1), Sunday night* (1)

^ denotes Good Friday game
* denotes King’s Birthday eve game

Something old

For the first time in five years, Carlton will host home games against both Collingwood and Essendon in the same season. Not since 2018 have the Blues hosted their old enemies and their arch rivals in the same campaign, but they’ll do so over the space of two home games in Rounds 10 and 13 respectively.

The Pies game will also have a dose of familiarity, with the Blues to play the Pies - and then the Swans - across the 2023 Indigenous Rounds. They’re the same opponents as 2022, although the Blues will now host the Pies and travel to face the Swans — roles were reversed last season.

Something new

Three firsts instantly stick out when looking at Carlton’s AFL fixture for season 2023. The opening example was confirmed prior to yesterday’s full fixture announcement, with the news on Friday morning that the Blues would open the first ever instalment of Gather Round in their clash with the Crows.

There’s also the Club’s first ever Good Friday game against North Melbourne, tying in the proximity of both teams to the Royal Children’s Hospital. Kicking off from 4:20pm, this’ll be the sixth instalment of this particular fixture, but the first time the Blues have taken part.

Then, there’s a home game against the Bombers to come on a Sunday night. But fear not: it comes the day before the King’s Birthday public holiday — could this be the start of something even bigger between these two great rivals?

Something borrowed

In a quirk of the fixture, it’s a case of back to the future for the Blues. 

There’s a throwback to yesteryear in Carlton’s fixture, with the Blues to take on 17 different opponents in their first 17 games of the season.

For the first time since 2007 (and the first time since the AFL’s expansion), the Blues will play every side in the competition before their return fixtures against West Coast, Collingwood, St Kilda, Melbourne, Gold Coast and GWS in the final six weeks.

Something Blue

Just about everyone can get a piece of the Navy Blue action in 2023.

The Blues once again have multiple games in Western Australia, travelling to take on West Coast in Round 7 before returning to take on Fremantle in Round 17. There’s also a double trip to New South Wales, with games against GWS and Sydney in Rounds 3 and 11 respectively.

The Round 5 Gather Round opener in South Australia has already been mentioned, while the Blues’ historical early trip to Metricon Stadium will now instead take place in the penultimate round of the season.

And just for good measure, the Blues will also play an extra game in Victoria compared to past seasons, given the season’s expansion to a 23-game, 24-round season.

The Blues will get have a sizeable increase to their Virgin Australia Velocity points early in the season, with three interstate trips inside the first seven. However, they’ll then have eight of nine games in Melbourne until the bye, as well as five straight games in their home city in the season’s home stretch.