Brisbane can thank Port Adelaide for having seven days' break ahead of its AFL qualifying final against Collingwood.

The league announced Collingwood would host the two-time defending premier in the second qualifying final on Saturday night at the MCG.

Brisbane had grown increasingly concerned over the weekend it would play the Magpies on Friday night, with coach Leigh Matthews and chairman Graeme Downie saying it would be unfair if week one of the finals panned out that way.

Instead, Fremantle's first final in its nine-year history will open the finals on Friday night, with the Dockers hosting poor-travelling Essendon in a Subiaco elimination match.

Had Port lost to Adelaide in Showdown 14, the Crows would have finished fourth and the different rankings would have shifted the Collingwood-Brisbane game to Friday night.

But the Power scored its eight-straight win, beating the Crows by 16 points in a pulsating game, 14.10 (94) to 12.6 (78).

"Our executive team worked back from the grand final on all the likely scenarios that may play out in the finals and it was imperative that Port Adelaide be rewarded for its outstanding season," said AFL operations manager Andrew Demetriou.

"Equally, Collingwood and Brisbane, by playing on the Saturday night, were given a longer rest period than Fremantle and Essendon, due to their excellent form over the 22 rounds.

"The AFL considered five major factors in order of importance in determining the finals fixture - ladder position, travel load, round 22 fixture, maximizing attendances at all finals and remaining weeks of the finals fixture."

Had Brisbane been drawn to play here on Friday night, it would have meant only a six-day break between two interstate trips.

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