THE AFL has announced that Gold Coast will play its first match of the 2011 season against Richmond at the Gabba in round two.

Chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan confirmed on Thursday that Gold Coast would have the bye in round one and play its first home game at the Gabba.

The club's home stadium is not scheduled for completion until May.

Gold Coast will play some home games at the Gabba and possibly one in Cairns while it waits for Carrara Stadium to be fully operational.

McLachlan also suggested that twilight Saturday football could become a regular fixture from 2012 onwards as the League looks at ways to accommodate the competition’s expansion from 16 to 18 teams.

The Gold Coast Suns will enter the league next season and will be followed by Greater Western Sydney 12 months later.

McLachlan says the late Saturday afternoon timeslot will be considered for permanent use with the League unsure about expanding the football calendar to four days a week.

“The most likely spot for the ninth game will be at five o’clock Saturday,” McLachlan told the Melbourne Press Club on Thursday.

In 2011, the season will be held over 24 weeks with each team to receive two byes.

McLachlan said it could be scheduled over either 22 or 23 weeks once both teams were introduced but would definitely not remain at 24 in 2012.

He also said feedback from supporters had indicated contentment with the current finals system with the league unlikely to make dramatic changes.

However, he floated the idea of a play-off scenario where the eighth, ninth and 10th side compete for the final spot in the top eight at the end of the home-and-away season.

“Home-and-away [season], people are ambivalent but [they say] don’t touch the finals series,” he said.

“What we might do is look at the structure where you have more people that are eligible for the top eight with a possible wild card [team].”