As the league revealed next year's fixture on Thursday at AFL House, McLachlan spoke about the timing of the 2017 grand final in answer to a question about the much-discussed change. The grand final is traditionally played on the afternoon of the last Saturday in September.

He said the AFL had not yet made a decision on the matter, so a change remained possible.

McLachlan also said clubs would be responsible for providing their fans with a much improved experience at Etihad Stadium in 2017.

The AFL recently agreed to buy Etihad Stadium for $200m, nine years earlier than expected, and will take over ownership next month.

It did so largely because operators of the venue were charging clubs a lot of money to play there, but the AFL is now putting the pressure on to ensure home teams make visiting the ground great for football fans.

McLachlan said if St Kilda is playing a home game, for example, that should be clear to all supporters arriving at the venue.

He wanted fans attending games at Etihad to be surprised by the extent to which staff went out of their way to be helpful, a veiled swipe at the current service providers at the AFL's second biggest stadium.

"You are entitled to a world-class service proposition, you want to feel like it's a St Kilda game," he said.

The AFL is hopeful 2017 will bring the biggest round one attendance ever, when big clubs Carlton and Richmond clash on Thursday evening, Collingwood play the Western Bulldogs on Friday night and Essendon meet Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday.

McLachlan confirmed that Channel 10 would not be taking up an offer to broadcast 11 matches next year, meaning they would be shown only on pay TV.

The season will feature more Thursday night matches, up from five in 2016 to eight.

Grand finalists the Western Bulldogs and Sydney will have the most Friday night matches, a coveted fixture spot, with eight and seven apiece.

Richmond, a team that fell out of the final eight in 2016, do not have any, although they are scheduled to play in Thursday night clashes in rounds one and two.

Expansion club GWS will get its first home ground Friday night blockbuster when it plays the Bulldogs in round six at Manuka Oval in Canberra,

McLachlan confirmed that Channel 10 would not be taking up an offer to broadcast 11 matches next year, meaning they would be shown only on pay TV.

McLachlan conceded a struggling Brisbane had faced a difficult fixture in 2016, but said the Lions will have a better run next year.

They play Gold Coast, Essendon, St Kilda and Richmond in the first four rounds of 2017 - all teams that failed to make the final-eight last year.

In 2016, Brisbane's first four games were against West Coast, North Melbourne, Geelong and the Suns.