Adelaide:
Play twice: Geelong, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, West Coast
Verdict: Adelaide have done well to receive double ups against bottom four teams Gold Coast and St Kilda. Champion data ranks Adelaide’s draft as the second easiest in the competition so the Crows should be looking to rebound from a disastrous 2018.
Brisbane:
Play twice: Gold Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs.
Verdict: Brisbane should appreciate the one finals side they meet twice in 2019 is Hawthorn, the one they beat twice in 2018. Lions could be one of the big improvers this year and this draw could help them rise up the ladder.
Carlton
Play twice: Gold Coast, Richmond, St Kilda, Sydney, Western Bulldogs
Verdict: Carlton will have to take the good and the bad with repeat games. They’d fancy their chances against 16th placed St Kilda and 17th placed Gold Coast but finalist Richmond and Sydney will be very tough to beat.
Collingwood
Play twice: Essendon, Melbourne, Richmond, West Coast, Western Bulldogs
Verdict: The Grand Finalists are gonna be tested in 2019. Doesn’t get any harder than playing Richmond, Melbourne and West Coast twice. Western Bulldogs and Essendon won’t be pushovers next year either.
Essendon
Play twice: Collingwood, Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne, Sydney
Verdict: Essendon were one of the big disappointments of 2018 and the AFL hasn’t made it any easier for them to make amends next year. Their repeat games come against three top 8 teams and no bottom 4 teams.
Fremantle
Play twice: Essendon, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, West Coast, Western Bulldogs
Verdict: With the hometown rivals the West Coast Eagles as the only finals team the Dockers will have to play twice they’ll have to be fancying their chances next year.
Geelong
Play twice: Adelaide, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Sydney, Western Bulldogs
Verdict: Not a bad outcome for the Cats. None of the sides that made it into this year’s prelims. Hawthorn versus Geelong times two should still be a joy for the fans.
Gold Coast
Play twice: Adelaide, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Greater Western Sydney, St Kilda
Verdict: Doubling up against the other three bottom four teams was the best the Suns could hope for and they got it. The repeat against Greater Western Sydney will mean the struggling franchise will get its sliding doors moment twice.
Greater Western Sydney
Play twice: Essendon, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Richmond, Sydney
Verdict: If GWS can put their injury woes behind them then they should be able to make the most of this draw and return to top four. Three of 2018’s finalists but Sydney and Hawthorn might both struggle to back up what they achieved this year.
Hawthorn
Play twice: Brisbane, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne, West Coast
Verdict: Looks tough for the Hawks. Their bottom six team is Brisbane who should be big improvers next year. Repeats against GWS and West Coast will really test Hawthorn’s mettle.
