Fixture 2025 draw any news or leaks? (Fixture released today)

[theprospector]

so that Pies Sunday r0 on ch7
R1 Friday night Ch7
R2 Friday night ch7

even when they don't make finals still get absolutely gifted

Who do we play round 1?

 

[hawkman]

Who do we play round 1?

Dogs

 

[mikey127]

Dogs

That's round 2.

Tom Morris said Hawks v Ess Friday night round 1

 

[hawkman]

That's round 2.

Tom Morris said Hawks v Ess Friday night round 1

Sorry you are correct. Collingwood must be on Saturday in round 1

 

[Hawkk]

Will be interesting to see how the Hawks, Dogs and North celebrate the centenary in the AFL

Dogs are locked in for a round 2 ‘home’ Friday night game against Collingwood and I presume North will want to play Essendon at Marvel.

For Hawthorn, I would love to see Richmond in the first Saturday arvo or twilight of May. A team we have absolutely no rivalry against but the exact anniversary of the first VFL/AFL game at Glenferrie Oval

 

[manicmagpie]

I love the new fixture time of year, when fans retroactively decide what constitutes an advantage by looking at whatever Collingwood get.

We’ve already had someone complaining that Collingwood has been given the marquee fixture of GWS on a Sunday. But I’m confident this take will be beaten in the next couple of days.

 

[Whiskers]

I love the new fixture time of year, when fans retroactively decide what constitutes an advantage by looking at whatever Collingwood get.

We’ve already had someone complaining that Collingwood has been given the marquee fixture of GWS on a Sunday. But I’m confident this take will be beaten in the next couple of days.

Yeah you lose your away home game against us, but get it against the Dogs instead.
2 byes, the only non northern state team to get it.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Yeah you lose your away home game against us, but get it against the Dogs instead.
2 byes, the only non northern state team to get it.

you mean the only non northern state team to get 2 byes for the second year (pretty sure that cats, essendon, hawks will also get 2 byes this year)

 

[theprospector]

Will be interesting to see how the Hawks, Dogs and North celebrate the centenary in the AFL

Dogs are locked in for a round 2 ‘home’ Friday night game against Collingwood and I presume North will want to play Essendon at Marvel.

For Hawthorn, I would love to see Richmond in the first Saturday arvo or twilight of May. A team we have absolutely no rivalry against but the exact anniversary of the first VFL/AFL game at Glenferrie Oval

Hawks, Dogs and North will all want to play Collingwood for their centenary.

All their fans will then complain about it. Repeat for the next milestone match.

 

[Hawkk]

Hawks, Dogs and North will all want to play Collingwood for their centenary.

All their fans will then complain about it. Repeat for the next milestone match.

Hawthorn has requested that it does not want to play Collingwood in its centenary game. And why would they anyway? Despite 13 flags and 19 Grand Finals they’ve never played each other in a Grand Final

Hawthorn has far stronger rivalries with Essendon (one of the most bitter in the competition), Geelong and even North Melbourne, Sydney, West Coast, Melbourne and Carlton.

The only reason (I presume you are alluding too) is due to Collingwood’s drawing power. But Hawthorn games against Geelong, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond have all drawn 80,000 or thereabouts in recent years

 

[theprospector]

Hawthorn has requested that it does not want to play Collingwood in its centenary game. And why would they anyway? Despite 13 flags and 19 Grand Finals they’ve never played each other in a Grand Final

Hawthorn has far stronger rivalries with Essendon (one of the most bitter in the competition), Geelong and even North Melbourne, Sydney, West Coast, Melbourne and Carlton.

The only reason (I presume you are alluding too) is due to Collingwood’s drawing power. But Hawthorn games against Geelong, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond have all drawn 80,000 or thereabouts in recent years

Yep good points, I was wrong.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Essendon would have also made more sense for the Dogs as it links to the Champion of Victoria match when Footscray won and entered the competition.

Quite possibly we requested Collingwood because we knew one of the other two would likely request the Dons

Not a big deal in my view. If St Kilda can play a home mcg game then why can’t we do it on occasion.

We used to play interstate games at MCG that drew better than at Docklands (abiet at delayed telecast) during 2005-2006 era.

 

[theprospector]

I'm hearing Collingwood to play in Geelong in Round 9. Locking out maybe 70k fans to sit in a rural dump at pork barrell stadium. Bring it on.

 

[blueiris]

It’s so easy, Hawks/Bombers already locked away for their now supposedly annual round 1 game, have the Swans play the Giants, Suns play the Lions and Cats/Pies. Done.

I don't see the Lions playing the Suns so early in the season but the Swans vs Lions and Suns Vs Giants looks right

 

[blueiris]

2024 Opening Round had GWS biggest non Derby crowd, GABBA and Suns also had a sellout.

So clearly the AFL and NSW/QLD teams like it from a commercial perspective.

Do the players and footy departments want it, not really.

Perhaps give the Saints a crack next year, get them an extra prime time game and the advantage of starting early.

Lions sold out the Gabba 8 out of 11 times last season do you really think opening round had anything to do with that?

 

[JPetro83]

23 Thursday night games in 2025? Not sure if it has been p;osted but Sam Edmund tweeted it.

 

[Underarm]

Lions sold out the Gabba 8 out of 11 times last season do you really think opening round had anything to do with that?

Less of an impact on Brisbane and Sydney as they're capped by their stadium size but absolutely for GC and GWS.

 

[JPetro83]

Gather Round leak/release, Opening round leak/release followed by round 1 leak and release. So hopefully today Round 1 leak.. tomorrow round 1 release then the full fixture tomorrow night?

 

[Cleavy]

23 Thursday night games in 2025? Not sure if it has been p;osted but Sam Edmund tweeted it.

Fixture exclusive: AFL gives itself over to Thursday night football

Thursday night footy is here to stay.

sen.com.au

It can also be revealed that Essendon will feature in the most Thursday night games in the first 16 weeks, playing four games on that week night.
Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions will each play three Thursday night games in the first 16 weeks.
In all, 15 of the 18 clubs will play Thursday night football at least once in the first 16 weeks of the season.
----------------------

 

[jdeezy]

Fixture exclusive: AFL gives itself over to Thursday night football

Thursday night footy is here to stay.

sen.com.au

It can also be revealed that Essendon will feature in the most Thursday night games in the first 16 weeks, playing four games on that week night.
Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions will each play three Thursday night games in the first 16 weeks.
In all, 15 of the 18 clubs will play Thursday night football at least once in the first 16 weeks of the season.
----------------------

I love Thursday Night games, happy they've expanded the slate. Since not everyone does the obvious answer is to give every team one each as a home game to spread it around, I guess they're kind of on the right track there but if course they're still leaning into their favourites.

 

[eth-dog]

Fixture exclusive: AFL gives itself over to Thursday night football

Thursday night footy is here to stay.

sen.com.au

It can also be revealed that Essendon will feature in the most Thursday night games in the first 16 weeks, playing four games on that week night.
Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions will each play three Thursday night games in the first 16 weeks.
In all, 15 of the 18 clubs will play Thursday night football at least once in the first 16 weeks of the season.
----------------------

Oh FFS. I thought we'd get a few Sunday games (only games I can get to).

 

[Billy ray]

I hope no suns home games on thursday night. Away is fine

 

[mcs095]

I'm hearing Collingwood to play in Geelong in Round 9. Locking out maybe 70k fans to sit in a rural dump at pork barrell stadium. Bring it on.

When did the MCG suddenly reach 110K?

 

[eth-dog]

I love Thursday Night games, happy they've expanded the slate. Since not everyone does the obvious answer is to give every team one each as a home game to spread it around but if course the AFL will pick and choose it's favourite clubs to feature instead.

I like them in certain situations. They should be used early (until end of first school holidays) and then later in the year (during the middle school holidays) and then not again after that.

 

[JasRulz63]

I can't believe Collingwood are involved in this garbage again.

I firmly believe opening round derailed our 2024 season and was the primary reason we didn't make finals. Finished 1 game out of finals, but lost the first 3 games. Even winning just 1 of those first 3 games would have got us into the top 8.

Yes, Brisbane won the Grand Final, but they also started 0.3, and what stopped our resurgence was the amount of injuries we had throughout the season. Brisbane were lucky to have a good run with minimal injuries.

Good run with minimal injuries? We came into the season with Ashcroft recovering from an ACL and then had five additional players do their ACLs during the season (four whom would've been earmarked as best 22 this year).

This article from before round 23 has Brisbane missing the third most games from their best 22 players.

I do agree it's rough on teams that went deep into finals the year prior. We'll see how Brisbane and Sydney start the year next year.