2025 Draw - hoping for MUCH softer

[Dangarman]

The AFL has some clear priorities when building the fixture: maximising eyeballs, both at venue and on television, and making an inherently unfair fixture as fair as possible.

Read this, and missed the last clause...

 

[Scorpus]

"Opening round was a great success"

Yeah... okay...

 

[Scorpus]

We play Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Gold Coast, West Coast and North Melbourne twice

 

[1990crow]

Because we are shit

Not shit enough to get a double up against Richmond apparently

 

[Scorpus]

 

[I Lost My Keays]

There’s no excuses for the first six weeks, We’ve been drawn a nice hand

 

[jenny61_99]

Three games at the G!

 

[Scorpus]

Home games:

St Kilda
Geelong
GWS
Carlton
Brisbane
Melbourne

Away games

Essendon (MCG)
Fremantle (Optus)
Sydney (SCG)
Richmond (MCG)
Western Bulldogs (Ballarat)

Both

North Melbourne (away at Marvel)
Port Adelaide
West Coast (away at Optus)
Gold Coast (away in Gold Coast)
Collingwood (away at MCG)
Hawthorn (away in Tasmania)

 

[Dangarman]

Essendon at the 'G. Is that a typo or a 30 year first?

At least we don't burn a home game against Richmond.

No NT games.

That will make on two out of the last 13 years we've played GWS away. (which is disappointing for a Canberra based fan).

 

[Scorpus]

The opening and closing to our fixture is very favorable.

St Kilda -> Essendon -> North -> Gold Coast is four non-finalists in a row

Closing is West Coast -> Collingwood (home) -> North Melbourne

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

Whoever predicted the regional road trip is spot on

Five out of the last six seasons playing a game in Ballarat

Five years in a row playing in Tasmania

There's only 10 games a year at those venues, so in the last 5 years we've played in nearly 20% of them

can't for our games in geelong and darwin

 

[Scorpus]

But the middle of our fixture...

GWS -> Fremantle (away) -> Carlton -> Port Adelaide -> Collingwood (away) -> West Coast -> Sydney (away) -> Brisbane -> Hawthorn (Tas)

That's a big stretch of teams vying for finals

 

[I Lost My Keays]

The middle of the season is brutal. But i want to see where we stand against those teams

 

[SugarShane]

1 official home night game confirmed. What a stitch up.

 

[Cromulant]

"Opening round was a great success"

Yeah... okay...

I think it was on TV, and thats what matters to the execs these days.

 

[Coopers]

We ****ed the AFL over by being shit after requesting prime slots.

Wouldn't be surprised to cop the regional punishment tour

So a normal season then

 

[Dangarman]

My daughter in Perth is expecting her first baby early April. I think I might have to pay her a visit, probably around the end of April, I'm thinking. Maybe Anzac Day.

 

[Scorpus]

(From the first 16 rounds)

Thursday night: Geelong (home)
Friday night: Fremantle (away), Brisbane (home), Hawthorn (Tas)
Saturday early arvo: Essendon (away), Gold Coast (away), Collingwood (away)
Saturday twilight: GWS (home), Carlton (home)
Saturday night: Port Adelaide (home), Sydney (away)
Sunday early arvo: St Kilda (home), West Coast (home)
Sunday mid-arvo: North Melbourne (home)
Sunday twilight/night: zero

Prime time at night: six matches, three at home
Twilight: two matches, both at home
Afternoon: six matches, three at home

 

[GameofSloanes]

1 official home night game confirmed. What a stitch up.

We had heaps of night games this year and were shit. Get what you deserve

 

[Crow-eater]

No Geelong trip. Will wonders never cease?

 

[GameofSloanes]

The middle of the season is brutal. But i want to see where we stand against those teams

Got to play all those teams at some point

 

[StickerMan]

There’s no excuses for the first six weeks, We’ve been drawn a nice hand

Or for the last six, for that matter

 

[Scorpus]

Looks to be a favorable draw in terms of difficulty of double ups, where we play them and when

And we escape with an average draw so far in terms of timeslots. I was expecting more scheduled in the Sunday graveyard but to get six night games in the first 14 rounds as a bottom 4 team is quite decent IMO

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Still haven't played the Dogs in Melbourne since 2016.

 

[DJ75]

Home games:

St Kilda
Geelong
GWS
Carlton
Brisbane
Melbourne

Away games

Essendon (MCG)
Fremantle (Optus)
Sydney (SCG)
Richmond (MCG)
Western Bulldogs (Ballarat)

Both

North Melbourne (away at Marvel)
Port Adelaide
West Coast (away at Optus)
Gold Coast (away in Gold Coast)
Collingwood (away at MCG)
Hawthorn (away in Tasmania)

Some good and some bad here.

In terms of double ups, Port, Hawthorn and Collingwood should all be top 6. That's tough.
West Coast won't be much better. North will improve a little. Gold Coast won't be easy beats.

Playing Richmond away is a good result. Should get an away win at the MCG. Better playing them away than at home.

Getting shunted back to Ballarat and Tassie is a bit shit. I guess the AFL looking after us lasted for one year.
Avoiding Geelong at Geelong is a huge and unexpected bonus. 3 games at MCG is a great result. Hopefully we can finally get past Collingwood, or beat Hawthorn (less likely I'd say).

On the whole it's a pretty reasonable draw. Could have been nicer with the double ups, but no excuses to not make finals.