Fixture 2025 Fixture Discussion

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I'm also not turned on by it, but it's also the biggest timeslot in the NFL these days, so maybe it actually will work?
The NFL can't play Saturday games or Friday night games because of college and high school football which inherently limits them to Sundays anyway, plus Monday and Thursday nights. It's more a reflection of how big the NFL is - their regular season games outrate the finals games of MLB and NBA.
 
The NFL can't play Saturday games or Friday night games because of college and high school football which inherently limits them to Sundays anyway, plus Monday and Thursday nights.

I must admit it feels a bit ancient to me compared to how the AFL and NRL work here, but they still have like 10 games that start at 1pm every Sunday. More out of necessity than tradition I guess.

It's more a reflection of how big the NFL is - their regular season games outrate the finals games of MLB and NBA.

10+ million supporters per team... You could probably schedule matches at 2am on a Wednesday and still get a full house.
 
I must admit it feels a bit ancient to me compared to how the AFL and NRL work here, but they still have like 10 games that start at 1pm every Sunday. More out of necessity than tradition I guess.



10+ million supporters per team... You could probably schedule matches at 2am on a Wednesday and still get a full house.
It's much more exciting IMO - for finals it makes sense to have games separated, however in the regular season having 5+ games on at the same time is ideal particularly when there's 16~ games each week
 
I am happy for another Sunday night game or two during the season.
The only home game would again be Sunday 4th May 2025 with a 7.10pm start being the day before Labor Day PH.
We played the Suns and i think that will be the likely matchup again. Crowd 30,285.
I doubt they pick an Easter Sunday game over Easter Thursday v Pies.

Away games on Sunday night we may get. If we do i think it will only be one of the two available spots before a PH.
Cities of Sydney, Adelaide & Melbourne Sunday 8th June. Kings Birthday PH Monday.
City of Perth Sunday 1st June. WA day PH

The AFL may test the waters and play 2 Melbourne teams on a Sunday night with no PH on that Monday.

On a side note, the Lions played 8 Sunday games in 2024 compared to 2 Sunday games in 2023 both being away.
 
I’m philosophically opposed to any timeslot that makes it difficult/impractical/impossible for kids to attend games.
Yeah, so much of the sustainable growth in footy comes from families going to the footy together and then continuing that tradition with the next generation. Family friendly time slots (I'd include the old 7.10pm start on a Sat night) might not be the greatest revenue generating games but it's how you grow your base. Thursday night footy might be awesome for sponsors but you wouldn't want any more than 1 or 2 (unless they were all in school holidays).

Our club is still operating in a growth market. Vic clubs are trying to squeeze more profits from largely mature markets so they want every game to be revenue maximising. We should always have one eye on growth when we're planning and a focus on expanding our fan base in the long term is integral.
 
Yeah, so much of the sustainable growth in footy comes from families going to the footy together and then continuing that tradition with the next generation. Family friendly time slots (I'd include the old 7.10pm start on a Sat night) might not be the greatest revenue generating games but it's how you grow your base. Thursday night footy might be awesome for sponsors but you wouldn't want any more than 1 or 2 (unless they were all in school holidays).

Our club is still operating in a growth market. Vic clubs are trying to squeeze more profits from largely mature markets so they want every game to be revenue maximising. We should always have one eye on growth when we're planning and a focus on expanding our fan base in the long term is integral.
I think the AFL do take into account children into their fixturing. It is probably not in their main top four criteria though.
Also, they usually have a children go free month later in the year.
The fixture is a difficult mathematical exercise.

Below the day and night Gabba games over the last 2 years. Thats all i bothered to look at.
I only did the home games as SEQ is where the AFL want to grow the game as you pointed out.
I will use the standard after 6.00pm as a night game. Then i will do a before 7.00pm one.

Season 2024 after 6.00 pm classed as a night game.
3 day games and 8 night games

Season 2024 after 7.00 pm classed as a night game.
5 day games or reasonably family friendly timeslot, and 6 night games

Season 2023 after 6.00pm classed as a night game
5 day games and 6 night games

Season 2023 after 7.00pm classed as a night game
6 day games or reasonably family friendly timeslot, and 5 night games

It may just be our perception of there is too many night games or too many day games.
My daughter (32) hates day games and thinks there are too many of them each year. Thats her perception.
Your seating at the ground can also influence you perception if you are looking into the sun for 3-4 hours.
Other people may love sitting out in the sun for 3-4 hours.

For the record i much prefer night games.
 
There are 5 Mondays across Australia next year in places where afl is played which have public holidays. There are also some in early March when OR was held this year.

So they could do 5 rounds with Sunday night games. Otherwise give them all to Perth.
 

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There are 5 Mondays across Australia next year in places where afl is played which have public holidays. There are also some in early March when OR was held this year.

So they could do 5 rounds with Sunday night games. Otherwise give them all to Perth.
I assume you are counting Easter and the possible OR games being the 7-9th March period.

The usual starting time for round 1 is around the 18-23 March each year.
You are correct in that OR (round zero) was earlier in 2024 being over 7-9th March.
There are Monday PH on 3rd March in Perth, with Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne being the 10th

If OR is kept to the northern states again, they will be home games so won't be played on a Sunday evening 9th March
The AFL mentioned they were thinking of finishing off non-AFL dominate states OR (round zero) with 2 Melbourne teams.
If that's the case, then one game in Melbourne Sunday evening may happen.
However, by adding 2 Melbourne teams that is taking away their concept of the spotlight being on non-AFL dominant states
The AFL did eventually cop a lot of flak from the Melbourne media and clubs for this concept in 2024.

I wish they would ditch this OR (round zero) concept anyhow.
The AFL patted themselves on the back saying how successful it was but i don't think it made much difference
It shortens the preseason earlier by one week and it does further hinder the teams that play in the PF & GF the most.
Both GF teams lost their OR games in 2024.
And then you have the crazy situation of early bye rounds along with the 2 scheduled one's mid-season.
 
I don't like North selling a home game to Freo and WC.

Add on to the fact that the SA teams get a free home game for Gather Round.

That leaves QLD and NSW teams as the only ones with no bonus home games.

In terms of 2025 wishes:
  1. Last year we had 3 trips to SA and 2 trips to WA. It is mental to have away games against all those teams in one year. So for 2025 I would hope for 1 away trip each state maximum (not including Gather Round).
  2. Home games against Hawks and Port.
  3. As many Friday night games as possible.
 
I don't like North selling a home game to Freo and WC.

Add on to the fact that the SA teams get a free home game for Gather Round.

That leaves QLD and NSW teams as the only ones with no bonus home games.

In terms of 2025 wishes:
  1. Last year we had 3 trips to SA and 2 trips to WA. It is mental to have away games against all those teams in one year. So for 2025 I would hope for 1 away trip each state maximum (not including Gather Round).
  2. Home games against Hawks and Port.
  3. As many Friday night games as possible.
Also please no Tassie or Ballarat.
 
Or Canberra or Alice Springs.

Would be nice to avoid Geelong also but we are probably due 😔
Yeah I'm big on all teams should make the trip to Geelong so I accept we need to make the trip occasionally. I'm just sick of getting sent to extra out of Melbourne trips. I'm scared of a north game being sold to WA being us or something annoying that takes away the few games I can get to
 
Yeah I'm big on all teams should make the trip to Geelong so I accept we need to make the trip occasionally. I'm just sick of getting sent to extra out of Melbourne trips. I'm scared of a north game being sold to WA being us or something annoying that takes away the few games I can get to
Wouldn't North simply be "hosting" the WA teams over in WA?
 
Wouldn't North simply be "hosting" the WA teams over in WA?
Yep, North would be "hosting" both West Coast and Fremantle with 1 being played in Perth and another in Bunbury.

On an unrelated note, how North Melbourne has survived for so long in the competition astounds me given they are so small in a saturated market like Victoria is and that as a result having to take numerous home matches all around the country in the past 20-30 years just to survive.
 
Yep, North would be "hosting" both West Coast and Fremantle with 1 being played in Perth and another in Bunbury.

On an unrelated note, how North Melbourne has survived for so long in the competition astounds me given they are so small in a saturated market like Victoria is and that as a result having to take numerous home matches all around the country in the past 20-30 years just to survive.
They should have moved to the Gold Coast. At least the Kangaroos name could’ve worked easily on the Coast, beats the Suns. Still time enough for the two to merge.
 
Honestly need to cut the number of teams in Victoria in half.
Absolutely and say if the AFL was starting from scratch, there honestly would be no more than 6 teams in the whole of Victoria and that includes Geelong and you’d also expect another 1-2 regional teams.

I always thought the Gold Coast Kangaroos works on many levels. Name, colours (Suns are the third team with basically red, blue and yellow) and each having a support in two markets like the Lions and Swans enjoy.

Sadly though, the AFL view it as more teams = more games = more profit irrespective of the quality of the product.
 

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Fixture 2025 Fixture Discussion

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