It’s a new-look Peter Jackson VFL fixture for the 2017 season, with the Footscray Bulldogs set to begin their premiership defence on Good Friday against the Box Hill Hawks at Victoria University Whitten Oval.
The historic match will be the first of four straight games at home to open the season, and will mark the unfurling of the 2016 VFL premiership flag.
It will be an Easter footy feast for Bulldogs fans, with the 12:00pm start allowing time to journey to Etihad Stadium to watch the Toyota AFL Premiership Season clash between the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne from 4:20pm.
The Bulldogs have drawn ten home games, including two curtain-raisers at Etihad Stadium, in round four against Richmond in May and Werribee in June*, while Steve Grace’s men will play under lights six times next season, four of them at VU Whitten Oval.
The Peter Jackson VFL Grand Final rematch will take place on Saturday, 17 June at 7:00pm at Casey Fields.
*Subject to change
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Time |
| Friday, 14 April | 1 | Box Hill Hawks (H) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 12:00pm |
| Saturday, 22 April | 2 | Werribee Tigers (A) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 5:00pm |
| Friday, 28 April | 3 | North Ballarat (H) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 7:00pm |
| Saturday, 6 May | 4 | Richmond (H) | Etihad Stadium | 3:00pm |
| Saturday, 13 May | 5 | Port Melbourne (A) | North Port Oval | 2:10pm |
| Saturday, 20 May | 6 | Geelong (H) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 2:10pm |
| Saturday, 27 May | 17* | Sandringham (H) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 7:00pm |
| 7 | BYE | |||
| Friday, 9 June | 8 | Essendon (H) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 7:00pm |
| Saturday, 17 June | 9 | Casey Scorpions | Casey Fields | 7:00pm |
| Saturday, 24 June | 10 | Werribee Tigers (H) | Etihad Stadium | 3:00pm |
| Sunday, 2 July | 11 | Collingwood (A) | Victoria Park | 11:45am |
| Sunday, 9 July | 12 | Sandringham (A) | Trevor Barker Oval | 2:00pm |
| Saturday, 15 July | 13 | Geelong (A) | Simonds Stadium | 7:00pm |
| Saturday, 22 July | 14 | Coburg Lions (H) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 1:00pm |
| Saturday, 29 July | 15 | Williamstown (A) | Burbank Oval | 2:00pm |
| Saturday, 5 August | 16 | Northern Blues (A) | IKON Park | 11:00am |
| Saturday, 19 August | 18 | Essendon (A) | Windy Hill | 12:00pm |
| Saturday, 26 August | 19 | Williamstown (H) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | 12:00pm |
