Essendon will face Geelong and Greater Western Sydney in the 2021 AFL Community Series, after the fixture for the three-week pre-season competition was revealed on Thursday.

The Bombers and Cats will open the series at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday, February 18, in what has become a traditional pre-season contest between the two clubs as part of the Powercor Country Festival.

After the week two bye, Essendon will head to Canberra to meet the Giants at Manuka Oval on Friday, March 5.

Both games will be broadcast live on Fox Footy.

The AFL Community Series will see a total of 18 matches played at 18 different venues across the country.

All clubs will have a minimum seven-day break between games, with each match reflecting the rules and game length in place for the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

Ticketing arrangements for the 2021 AFL Community Series will be advised in due course.

2021 AFL COMMUNITY SERIES:

Geelong v Essendon
7:10pm AEDT, Thursday, February 18
GMHBA Stadium
Live on Fox Footy

GWS v Essendon
7:40pm AEDT, Friday, March 5
Manuka Oval
Live on Fox Footy