ST KILDA’s round 17 match against Port Adelaide has been changed to a night game.

The match, on Saturday July 20, was originally supposed to begin at 2.10pm but has been changed to 7.40pm as part of an AFL shift to accommodate soccer giant Manchester United.

The English powerhouse will be playing a friendly game at ANZ Stadium in Sydney that night and the Saints and Power have swapped time slots with the Greater Western Sydney v Essendon match that was supposed to be a night game at the nearby Skoda Stadium.

AFL General Manager Broadcasting, Scheduling and Legal Affairs Simon Lethlean said the change so that the two major Sydney sporting events would not be happening side by side.

“The AFL seeks to support major events where possible, and to avoid clashes with any AFL matches, and it’s in the best interests of all sports fans for these changes to be made for round 17 next season with as much notice as we can provide,” Lethlean said.

The Giants and Bombers will now begin at 2.10pm.