WHILE Collingwood and Richmond fans will have to stay away from the MCG on Thursday night as their clubs re-open the season with a blockbuster, there is one way they can have an influence at the stadium this week and get behind their team.

Across social media on Wednesday, two of the game’s biggest supporter bases are squaring off in a hashtag contest to win the right up to light up the venue’s exterior in either black and white or yellow and black on the eve of the game’s return. 

In a joint activation by the AFL and the MCG, Pies fans are getting behind the hashtag #GoPies, and Tiger fans the hashtag #GoTiges, in a 24-hour show of support through until 5pm AEST on Wednesday. The club with the most posts across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will see the ground lit in their colours for the night to earn the first lot of bragging rights. 

The concept is part of industry fan engagement efforts to build anticipation and excitement for round two after more than two months without games due to the COVID-19 shutdown.