Round 1 2025 Fixture Predictions and what is your club's fixture wish list for the season?

[JPetro83]

Forget "Opening Round", What is your Round 1 prediction, who will play who and where?

Thurs: Richmond v Carlton - MCG

Friday: Hawthorn v Essendon - MCG

Saturday: Bulldogs vs Port- Marvel
Saturday(T): Adelaide vs St Kilda - Adelaide Oval
Saturday: Brisbane vs Sydney - GABBA (Channel 7 game)
Saturday: Melbourne v Geelong- MCG

Sunday: Gold Coast v Fremantle - Cararra
Sunday: Collingwood vs GWS - MCG
Sunday: West Coast v North Melbourne - Optus

I am hoping in 2025 the crows can avoid Kardinia park for once, avoid Ballarat. Would be nice to get at least 2 games at the MCG as i think we only got 1 there this year? we dont deserve much as we finished bottom 4 but hoping we can get a kickstart early on by playing teams that finished around us.. i do not want a 0-4 or 1-3 start to the year.

 

[Colonial]

No chance Giants play Suns round 1 in Sydney. Especially when the next week, probably, we will be locked out for 5 weeks for the Easter show.

 

[NetworkNerd]

Hawks v Port.. that's fine
Being at Marvel... Not with the AFL wanting to maximise attendance figures

 

[JPetro83]

No chance Giants play Suns round 1 in Sydney. Especially when the next week, probably, we will be locked out for 5 weeks for the Easter show.

Canberra?

 

[JPetro83]

Hawks v Port.. that's fine
Being at Marvel... Not with the AFL wanting to maximise attendance figures

Im just going on "blockbuster" .. prime time slot after the finals this year etc

 

[CarterS]

Brisbane will be away if they are at home in opening round you'd think.

 

[Colonial]

Canberra?

If Engie is available round 1 gets played there, if we get a home game for round 1.
Canberra gets two games during Easter then a game later in the season.

 

[falcons2]

I think Hawthorn and Essendon have asked to be a regular round 1 fixture.

Anyway round 1
Richmond Carlton
Hawthorn Essendon
Bulldogs GWS
Sydney Collingwood
Brisbane Geelong
St Kilda Fremantle
West Coast Port
Adelaide Melbourne
North Goldcoast
The 9 home teams were the 9 away teams to start 2024.
If opening round happens, then it's St Kilda Collingwood & Sydney Fremantle

 

[timokane]

Collingwood to play home at the MCG first up been a while since we kicked things off there and likely to play say Dogs Hawks or say Crows if interstater then GWS would be juicy.
But feel like tho the AFL will mkae us play Sydney at the SCG Saturday night.
Mines v Dogs on a Saturday twilight game MCG.

 

[JPetro83]

Collingwood to play home at the MCG first up been a while since we kicked things off there and likely to play say Dogs Hawks or say Crows if interstater then GWS would be juicy.
But feel like tho the AFL will mkae us play Sydney at the SCG Saturday night.
Mines v Dogs on a Saturday twilight game MCG.

Didnt you play Sydney Round 1 this year?

 

[Libbaaaa]

We'll get the Cats twice so wouldn't be surprised with a night game at Marvel against them.

 

[JPetro83]

I don't know why the AFL doesn't revert back to the system we had years ago in the 90s/early 2000s..
where from rounds 1-9 ) now prob rounds 1-10 you play sides you will double up on that season.. so the team you play in round 1 you will then play again in round 17 or 18. i know things have changed now cos of opening round, gather round and bye rounds but i think its ridiculous that you dont play a team for the first time until late in the year or you lay a side twice in 6 weeks. The bye rounds suck at the best of times and are a mess.. cant we just go back to round 12 being a split round? 4 games one week, 5 the next?

 

[Mr north man]

Home game Round 1 vs Gold Coast on Saturday at 4:45pm with a double up in QLD around 14+15 Lions at Gabba in a Twilight Saturday then the Suns in the same time slot the following week.
Good time to get out of cold Victoria

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I doubt we bother putting in a wish list, waste of time if you aren't a power club.
Just hope to avoid too many back-to-back travelling games.

 

[JayJ20]

I think we have a yearly fixture vs Hawthorn in round 1.

 

[Clark G]

We'll get the Cats twice so wouldn't be surprised with a night game at Marvel against them.

Bailey Smith reunion on the mind?

 

[Canberra Pear]

My wishlist is for a "big four" Victorian team at Manuka.

Of the 34 times the Giants have hosted them, we've only got the single game at Manuka (and that was back in 2016).

 

[The King!]

Piss opening round off, just have a round one.

I also think play every team round 1 then and don't split or do any gimmicky shit.

If they had to do some opening round type thing, at least just do round 1 over two weeks.


Fixture wise MCG games please 4 ideally and spread through the year .

 

[Fadge]

Collingwood's dream fixture would be to play the following teams twice:
Carlton (get them.out of the way early so as to avoid the risk of dead rubbers)
Richmond
Melbourne
Port Adelaide

8 guaranteed wins.

Make it happen AFL...

 

[Hawkk]

Some snippets for next year

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...s-story/e0456309095d32115ee2fad4ac4f6811?amp#

• Essendon and Carlton want an extra MCG game each (Dons to split 5/6 and Blues 6/5).
• Hawthorn and Essendon to play in Round 1 again (third year in a row and fourth time in five years)
• Hawthorn, North and the Dogs to play VFL/AFL centenary fixtures
• Cats to play Hawks in Easter Monday at the MCG

Regarding the 1925 celebration games, why not replay the first round like they did in 1996…

In which case:

Hawthorn v Richmond at the MCG
North Melbourne v Geelong at Marvel
W Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions at Marvel

 

[parano1a]

Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne have both requested home games at the MCG as part of their 100 year celebrations.

 

[Dan26]

I'd like to see the 4 Qld and NSW clubs continue to host 4 matches in the first round, but have it as part of a suite of 9 games, not just 4, so it's just a regular round, albeit with 4 of the 9 games in the Northern States. No crossovers between any of the 9 games.

Wednesday
Brisbane vs Geelong (Gabba) 7:40pm

Thursday
Richmond vs Carlton (MCG) 7:40

Friday
GWS vs Collingwood (Engie Stadium) 7:40

Saturday
Port Adelaide vs Fremantle (AO) 1:10pm
Gold Coast vs St.Kilda (Cararra) 4:40pm
Sydney vs Melbourne (SCG) 7:10pm

Sunday
Nth.Melb vs West.Bulldogs (Marvel) 1:10pm
West Coast vs Adelaide (OS) 4:40PM.....(2:40 in Perth)
Hawthorn vs Essendon (MCG) 7:10pm.... Labor day eve prior to Public holiday in Victoria

 

[JPetro83]

Some snippets for next year

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...s-story/e0456309095d32115ee2fad4ac4f6811?amp#

• Essendon and Carlton want an extra MCG game each (Dons to split 5/6 and Blues 6/5).
• Hawthorn and Essendon to play in Round 1 again (third year in a row and fourth time in five years)
• Hawthorn, North and the Dogs to play VFL/AFL centenary fixtures
• Cats to play Hawks in Easter Monday at the MCG

Regarding the 1925 celebration games, why not replay the first round like they did in 1996…

In which case:

Hawthorn v Richmond at the MCG
North Melbourne v Geelong at Marvel
W Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions at Marvel

View attachment 2136719

I'd like to see the 4 Qld and NSW clubs continue to host 4 matches in the first round, but have it as part of a suite of 9 games, not just 4, so it's just a regular round, albeit with 4 of the 9 games in the Northern States. No crossovers between any of the 9 games.

Wednesday
Brisbane vs Geelong (Gabba) 7:40pm

Thursday
Richmond vs Carlton (MCG) 7:40

Friday
GWS vs Collingwood (Engie Stadium) 7:40

Saturday
Port Adelaide vs Fremantle (AO) 1:10pm
Gold Coast vs St.Kilda (Cararra) 4:40pm
Sydney vs Melbourne (SCG) 7:10pm

Sunday
Nth.Melb vs West.Bulldogs (Marvel) 1:10pm
West Coast vs Adelaide (OS) 4:40PM.....(2:40 in Perth)
Hawthorn vs Essendon (MCG) 7:10pm.... Labor day eve prior to Public holiday in Victoria

Adelaide are due to play home in round 1.. we started the season away last year and ended the season away.

 

[Dan26]

Adelaide are due to play home in round 1.. we started the season away last year and ended the season away.

Wednesday
Brisbane vs Geelong (Gabba) 7:40pm

Thursday
Richmond vs Carlton (MCG) 7:40

Friday
GWS vs Collingwood (Engie Stadium) 7:40

Saturday
Adelaide vs Fremantle (AO) 1:10pm
Gold Coast vs St.Kilda (Cararra) 4:40pm
Sydney vs Melbourne (SCG) 7:10pm

Sunday
Nth.Melb vs West.Bulldogs (Marvel) 1:10pm
West Coast vs Port Adelaide (OS) 4:40PM.....(2:40 in Perth)
Hawthorn vs Essendon (MCG) 7:10pm.... Labor day eve prior to Public holiday in Victoria

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I'd like to see the 4 Qld and NSW clubs continue to host 4 matches in the first round, but have it as part of a suite of 9 games, not just 4, so it's just a regular round, albeit with 4 of the 9 games in the Northern States. No crossovers between any of the 9 games.

Wednesday
Brisbane vs Geelong (Gabba) 7:40pm

Thursday
Richmond vs Carlton (MCG) 7:40

Friday
GWS vs Collingwood (Engie Stadium) 7:40

Saturday
Port Adelaide vs Fremantle (AO) 1:10pm
Gold Coast vs St.Kilda (Cararra) 4:40pm
Sydney vs Melbourne (SCG) 7:10pm

Sunday
Nth.Melb vs West.Bulldogs (Marvel) 1:10pm
West Coast vs Adelaide (OS) 4:40PM.....(2:40 in Perth)
Hawthorn vs Essendon (MCG) 7:10pm.... Labor day eve prior to Public holiday in Victoria

Not a fan of the 4 NSQ/Qld games personally. It likely means back-to-back travel at some other point of the season. Which is generally best avoided, particularly for Qld and WA sides who generally travel further each trip (I guess the exception being between SEQ and Sydney).
And Thursday is bad enough, Wednesday can **** right off.