All six opening-round triple-headers in the AFL’s 2013 pre-season Cup will be played as twilight or night fixtures.
The AFL released the schedule on Wednesday, with the first round again featuring six triple-headers involving mini matches of 20-minute halves.
The games are spread over the last two weekends in February, with late kick-offs to avoid the worst of the summer heat.
All clubs will then play two full-scale matches, with the top two advancing to the NAB Cup final on March 15 or 16.
Collingwood, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs will take part in the first of the triple headers at Etihad Stadium on February 15.
“The shortened format enables clubs to use their senior players as they see fit for the opening to the season, as well as offering the flexibility to provide opportunities for new players and rookies that is such a key feature of the NAB Cup,” said AFL broadcasting and scheduling head Simon Lethlean.
“As we introduced for the 2012 competition, we have now fixtured each club’s matches for both rounds two and three of the NAB Cup, so clubs are aware of their travel schedule and can fully plan their preparation and training workload as they build up to the start of the premiership season.
“In rounds two and three, we will mix matches across both regional venues and our major AFL venues.”
Townsville, Wagga Wagga, Renmark, Alice Springs, Northam and Wangaratta are among the regional venues to have been allocated pre-season games.
Essendon will take on Richmond in Wangaratta on March 2.
The Bombers’ pre-season match against St Kilda in the Victorian city did not go ahead this year after their chartered flight was unable to land due to adverse weather conditions.