THE AFL has officially extended the 2008 home-and-away season, to be played over 24 weeks and including two mid-season breaks in the hope the clubs will accommodate a state-of-origin-style match to celebrate the game's 150th anniversary.

In an unusually early start, the pre-season competition will begin on Friday, February 15, which will see a 29-week official preparation for the 2008 finals series.

AFL executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed late yesterday that the season proper would begin on Easter Thursday — March 20 — with a night game to be televised on the Seven Network and that two mid-year breaks roughly one-third and two-thirds through the season would eventuate as a result.

"There is the option of not playing any state-of-origin game at all unless we get the clubs' support," McLachlan said. "We need the clubs' support and we can't do it without their support but they have issues with playing their players in feature games and that's never going to change.

"Having said that, we want the opportunity to do something special in our 150th year. It might be state of origin, it might be Victoria versus The Rest and the other issue is we wanted to have Easter as part of the football calendar and Easter falls early next year."

McLachlan said he had been encouraged by the relatively moderate opposition to the revelation that the AFL was considering a Good Friday twilight clash next year.

After The Age revealed the league's Good Friday plans, several clubs contacted the AFL — including Richmond which has also asked to be considered for a Good Friday game against Carlton, with the Blues having already put forward a joint submission with Hawthorn.

The Tigers have also requested a stand-alone game at the MCG in late June or early July — the prospective date for the second mid-year break — to celebrate the club's centenary.

Richmond was hopeful of playing Carlton in that game and plans to wear its original guernsey as part of its centenary festivities.

While the AFL wants to push forward with a state-of-origin competition, the increasing opposition from clubs has put a dampener on the prospect of an ongoing return.

McLachlan said that 2008, which marks 150 years since Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College played the first recorded game of Australian rules football, would be celebrated in some fashion during the first mid-season break.