Kangaroos, Hawks take AFL games to Tassie 

The AFL has confirmed most of its fixture-list for round 20, with Tasmania to host two games amidst strict Covid-19 protocols and struggling Carlton handed a surprise return to prime time.

Essendon and Sydney were initially set to kick off the round on Friday night, but the prized slot will now see St Kilda and Carlton face off at Marvel Stadium.

The Bombers will now 'host' the Swans at the Gabba on Saturday night, while the Bulldogs will take on Adelaide in Ballarat earlier in the day.

Venues for Gold Coast's match against Melbourne on Saturday and the GWS-Port Adelaide game on Sunday are still to be determined.

Tasmania has been locked in for two games this round after both Hawthorn and North Melbourne were given permission to take games there.

Hawthorn will host Brisbane at UTAS Stadium in Launceston on Sunday at 2.10pm AEST.

A day earlier, the rejuvenated Kangaroos will take on premiership fancies Geelong at Blundstone Arena in Bellerive, with the game scheduled to start at 1.15pm.

Spectators will be required to wear masks at the game with a maximum of 10,000 seated fans allowed to attend.

The teams will take a chartered flight from Victoria to Tasmania on the day of the game and return straight after.

Players will also have to sign declarations affirming they have not visited any Tier 1 or Tier 2 exposure sites.

Collingwood's game against West Coast at the MCG has been brought forward to Saturday, while Fremantle and Richmond will finish the round with a high-stakes battle at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

GWS are hoping to be able to travel to Canberra for their crunch game against Port Adelaide.

The Giants have been on the road for more than a month amid their home city's coronavirus outbreak, initially relocating to Melbourne before moving to Queensland.

Coach Leon Cameron said GWS were optimistic they would be permitted to travel to Canberra, which the club considers a second home, for their round-20 clash but otherwise expected to remain in Queensland.

'We hope it's at Canberra,' he said.

'There's no doubt it's got its challenges, but we've been trying to get back there and play some games there, probably the last three or four weeks.

'But every time we sort of make that move something happens and it gets shut down and the AFL have to change it.

'But we'd love nothing better than to go to Canberra, play at our second home.'

The Giants should regain vice-captain Toby Greene for the game, who along with teammates Matt De Boer, Kieren Briggs and Jake Stein, is in isolation until Wednesday.