The AFL has backed Essendon’s resurgence under Brad Scott to continue by handing the Bombers a blockbuster-laden fixture, while the drawing power of Carlton, Collingwood and Sydney is being leaned on to fight the Olympics.

The Bombers, Magpies, Swans and Melbourne were handed multiple Friday-night games in the league’s draw for rounds 16-23 released on Tuesday.

The league will again wait until August before it finalises the fixture for the final round of the season so it can capitalise on the excitement surrounding the composition of the top eight to maximise attendances and fan interest.

Carlton and Collingwood will face-off on a Saturday night – a rare timeslot for the two rivals – in round 21, when the league goes head-to-head with the Olympics. It will be only the second time the Blues and Magpies have squared off on a Saturday night; the first was in 2016 on the same night as the federal election.

Their clash could not be scheduled a day earlier because the Friday night was needed for one of three games slated at Marvel Stadium that weekend, so the AFL will instead have the two big clubs drawing attention to their sport instead of the action in Paris.

“We also think that Saturday-night slot gives it another chance to break another record from a crowd perspective,” AFL broadcast operations and scheduling head Josh Bowler said.

The reigning premiers also feature in prime time the following Friday night when they take on premiership favourites the Swans in Sydney, while Melbourne play under lights three times during the Olympics in significant games, against Greater Western Sydney, Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide. Those games are all being broadcast by Seven, who have lost the Olympics to Nine, the publisher of this masthead.

The Bombers play the first of their three games under the Friday night lights against the Pies in round 17 in a rematch of their Anzac Day draw, and also play Adelaide (round 19) and Sydney (round 23) in the marquee time slot.