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Blues, Suns to kick off AFL round-13 in NT

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The Northern Territory will host two AFL games in Sir Doug Nicholls Round, with Carlton's Friday night clash against Gold Coast getting round 13 underway.

Gold Coast Suns. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Carlton will play in Darwin for the first time in 15 years when they kick off round 13 of the AFL season on a Friday night against Gold Coast.

It will be the first of two games in the Northern Territory during the weekend of August 21-24, with the AFL on Thursday announcing the league's Sir Doug Nicholls round.

Carlton will play a home-and-away game in the Top End for just the second time after first visiting Darwin's TIO Stadium in 2005 when lost to the Western Bulldogs.

The AFL confirmed last month the Dreamtime game would take place in Darwin - the first time the Richmond-Essendon blockbuster, which normally attracts more than 80,000 people, has been played away from the MCG.

With COVID-19 cases under control in the NT, limited crowds will still be allowed to attend the Darwin double-header.

In other prominent games, premiership fancies West Coast will host last year's grand finalists GWS at Optus Stadium in the last of three matches on August 23.

That match will directly follow Brisbane's game against St Kilda at the Gabba, with both teams currently sitting inside the top four.

Round 13 brings about a return to a more traditional fixture format, with the AFL currently in the middle of staging 33 games across 20 days.

ROUND 13 (ALL TIMES AEST)

Friday, August 21

Gold Coast v Carlton, Darwin's TIO Stadium, 7.50 pm

Saturday, August 22

Western Bulldogs v Melbourne, Metricon Stadium, 1.45 pm

Port Adelaide v Hawthorn, Adelaide Oval, 4.35 pm

Essendon v Richmond, TIO Stadium, 7.40 pm

Fremantle v Sydney, Optus Stadium, 8.10 pm

Sunday, August 23

Adelaide v Geelong, Adelaide Oval, 1.05 pm

Brisbane Lions v St Kilda, Gabba, 3.35 pm

West Coast v GWS Giants, Optus Stadium, 6.10 pm

Monday, August 24

Collingwood v North Melbourne, Gabba, 7.10 pm