The AFL 2025 Fixture

[No. 31 1,299]

17 hours ago, DeeZone said:

Well No.31 that is why we warmed to you in the first place you obviously associate with our colours and wish you had been born into a demon family Or have strong links to Ronald Dale Barassi .😁

Cheers, I very much associate with the Navy Blue in the Demons colours 😁 RDB helped set up a the Blues to be a force again in football in the late 1960s and it was the start of an era that saw 8 Flags in less than 3 decades [reverent bowing emoticon] 😎

[Demonsone 2,043]

Consolation is no interstate trips in the last 7 rounds

[Diamond_Jim 12,624]

For those interested in the mechanics of putting together the AFL fixture today's Age gives some insight.

They use a third party computer product supplied by US Sports software coy, Fastbreak.

The program then builds in various rules.. stadium availabity,  breaks between matches etc etc

Then most important are the "priority rules". These are designed as follows:

There are over 400 rules or constraints in the system. That’s everything from what venues aren’t available, so we’ll have a venue block, through to the standard rules – we have rules around a five-day break, each club has to have 11 home, 11 away games, so on and so forth,” Bowler said.

They essentially get preloaded into the system, and then we adjust the priority of those rules from there.”

The priority of those rules has been to maximise attendances and broadcast ratings in the first year of a $4.5 billion deal with Seven and Foxtel, and culminated this week in the release of the 2025 schedule, which, as always, left some clubs and fans happier than others

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-big-fix-revealing-the-secret-formula-that-goes-into-making-the-most-read-list-in-australian-sport-20241115-p5kqtz.html

[spirit of norm smith 16,558]

It’s not a draw or a fixture… it’s a collusion of AFL scheduling.   The AI would have 250 lines of predetermined code by the AFL. All the must have games and blockbusters and manipulation.  That’s it’s, let’s call it the “AFL MANIPULATION “ 
 

[spirit of norm smith 16,558]

Fox Footy Analysis - ambivalence… 

From a rest point-of-view, there isn’t a plethora to be concerned about at Melbourne, with one five-day break and one nine-day break in the first half of their season. Match-up wise however, they look to have struck gold if 2024 results are anything to go by. They’ll play all of North Melbourne, Gold Coast, St Kilda and West Coast twice, who they will back themselves in to give a good run for their money each outing. The main downside of note? The Demons intriguingly play three away games in a row, with a bye in between to break them up. As a result, they won’t play in Melbourne between Rounds 14 and 17. The Demons look winners from the fixture release, but how much will that time outside of Victoria run them down?

Fixture difficulty (based on double-ups): 2nd-easiest

Grade: A-

Edited November 16 by spirit of norm smith
F them

[spirit of norm smith 16,558]

Bizarre … why wouldn’t the Dees play in Alice Springs for Doug Nicholls round  

Another AFL [censored] up

ROUND 10 (Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round)

Sunday May 18

Brisbane Lions v Narrm/Melbourne, The Gabba (3.20pm) 

ROUND 11 (Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round)

Sunday May 25

Narrm/Melbourne v Sydney Swans, MCG (3.20pm)

ROUND 12

Sunday June 1

Melbourne v St Kilda, TIO Traeger (3.20pm)

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 5,266]

On 14/11/2024 at 13:25, Lucifers Hero said:

Based on 2024

• 5th - Hawks (7th pre finals)
• 9th - Pies
• 12th - Saints
• 13th - GCS
• 16th - WCE
• 17th - North

In terms of groupings:

• 1 from top 6
• 2 from middle 6
• 3 from bottom 6

And had we made up that less than 1% to get into the middle 6, we would have had a Saints-type draw:

Based on 2024

• 4th - Cats
• 6th?5th? - Giants
• 7th - Dogs
• 10th - Dockers
• 13th - Saints
• 18th - Tigers

In terms of groupings:

• 2 from top 6
• 2 from middle 6
• 2 from bottom 6

[whatwhat say what 22,888]

23 hours ago, Fat Tony said:

Are Saturday night games on free to air next year? I thought they were all on pay TV?

first 16 rounds or so

saturday is a black out for free to air; subs only

[titan_uranus 25,031]

It's always folly trying to predict difficulty based on the 6 double-up matches. Someone in 2025 is going to be like 2024's Hawthorn, or Collingwood/Melbourne. It's more important to look at travel and spacing/breaks between games, and on those fronts it looks like we've done alright.

So we lose two MCG games, one of which is taken off us as a home game and forced over to Marvel, but our travel is much better in 2025 - 7 games total, down from 8, but only 5 genuine away games with our NT game and a neutral Gather Round game. In 2024 we had 8 genuine interstate away games, so that's three fewer in 2025. I can't recall the last time, if ever, we only played 5 genuine away interstate games.

Notably there are no Saturday night home games in our fixture - wholly unsurprising after the crowd-size debacle of our mid-winter Saturday night MCG home games.

1.20pm on a Saturday is going to suit plenty but also be inconvenient for plenty others. IMO, it's not perfect but it's better than Saturday night games. 3.20pm Sunday games are similar but they are at least on FTA which helps our exposure.

The lack of Thursday and Friday night games is unsurprising given they need to cram as much "Hok ball" down the public's throats whilst still satisfying Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon. But if we're doing OK mid-year we have four big games that can net us prime time fixturing in the remainder of the fixture: Carlton, the Dogs, Hawthorn and Collingwood all at the G.

Only 1 game outside of Victoria in the first 7, no genuine interstate away game until Round 8, plus no travel in the last 7 weeks, gives us a great chance to both start the year strong and finish strong. But the intensity of the 10-week block from Round 8 to 18, featuring 6 road trips, including three in four weeks around our bye, will put us under immense pressure. Let's hope the loading programme is spot on through that period...

[DubDee 26,105]

21 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Travel times 2025            
                

That is completely incorrect 

WC and Freo would be pushing 100 hrs

[58er 6,538]

15 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Fox Footy Analysis - ambivalence… 

From a rest point-of-view, there isn’t a plethora to be concerned about at Melbourne, with one five-day break and one nine-day break in the first half of their season. Match-up wise however, they look to have struck gold if 2024 results are anything to go by. They’ll play all of North Melbourne, Gold Coast, St Kilda and West Coast twice, who they will back themselves in to give a good run for their money each outing. The main downside of note? The Demons intriguingly play three away games in a row, with a bye in between to break them up. As a result, they won’t play in Melbourne between Rounds 14 and 17. The Demons look winners from the fixture release, but how much will that time outside of Victoria run them down?

Fixture difficulty (based on double-ups): 2nd-easiest

Grade: A-

We have been in the group with top of AFL performancea AWAY from home in the last 4 years. It has not been the reason ( except for some in 2024 like Freo and WC at Optus Freo at Alice and Dogs at Marvel) ) all grounds with great records since 2021. 

Will depend upon how we are  playing but we won’t fear this stretch of the draw. 

Not a  fantastic draw for the bean counters at first glance but no excuse for the 10,000 /12,000 weaklings  who reneged at night vs Port and GWS taking us back to the old days at the G with sub 20,000 crowds. They say 1,20 pm Sat is great and early Sunday also. Let hem do the talking plus the walking in 2025.

We have a raft of 3.20 Sunday free to air fixtures also so again no excuses day birds. 

I have a feeling our footy might be quite compelling to watch and we may get some broadway glimpses in the last few rounds vs the other top teams when the draw is completed after Round 15. 

A draw from the AFL which continues our good news since Brad Green hit the top position now JT needs to nail two top 10 recruits next week one to strengthen our midfield outside speed and skill and the other a KP star who can ensure our spine is good for the next decade or more.  

Smith/ Langford please and Tauru/Armstrong thank you would be a great Chrissy presents for our newly positioned Coaches to start work with Caleb and Kolt plus Harry Sharp set to speed across the G like Bluey A did in the glory years and Lingers has done for half a decade on the Warnie wing. 

PS Welcome back Clarry got to love the guy he’s forgotten his teenage tantrum of trying to run away and as usual it fails and home is a safer and better place. Let the nutritionists begin on his diet and the coaches/trainers his speed and defence expertise. Another Bluey Clarry ? and wouldn’t a Charlie look good as well. 

Go Dees. 

[ex52k2 238]

This has been asked before, so I am sorry if I missed the reply. Where does a MFC reserved seat get you at docklands?

Please dont say free on the top level. 

[old55 23,687]

20 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Only 1 game outside of Victoria in the first 7, no genuine interstate away game until Round 8, plus no travel in the last 7 weeks, gives us a great chance to both start the year strong and finish strong. But the intensity of the 10-week block from Round 8 to 18, featuring 6 road trips, including three in four weeks around our bye, will put us under immense pressure. Let's hope the loading programme is spot on through that period...

Loading too 😁

[dl4e 5,851]

Well I am not going to complain about the draw.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,266]

Round 1 vs GWS clashes with the Grand Prix, hopefully no Melbourne supporters are brain-dead enough to watch cars going in a circle really fast and actually turn up to our game.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,266]

Melbourne vs Freo is on Easter Saturday too, another crowd killer with people going away for long weekend.

[Sir Why You Little 37,118]

On 16/11/2024 at 08:51, Diamond_Jim said:

For those interested in the mechanics of putting together the AFL fixture today's Age gives some insight.

They use a third party computer product supplied by US Sports software coy, Fastbreak.

The program then builds in various rules.. stadium availabity,  breaks between matches etc etc

Then most important are the "priority rules". These are designed as follows:

There are over 400 rules or constraints in the system. That’s everything from what venues aren’t available, so we’ll have a venue block, through to the standard rules – we have rules around a five-day break, each club has to have 11 home, 11 away games, so on and so forth,” Bowler said.

They essentially get preloaded into the system, and then we adjust the priority of those rules from there.”

The priority of those rules has been to maximise attendances and broadcast ratings in the first year of a $4.5 billion deal with Seven and Foxtel, and culminated this week in the release of the 2025 schedule, which, as always, left some clubs and fans happier than others

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-big-fix-revealing-the-secret-formula-that-goes-into-making-the-most-read-list-in-australian-sport-20241115-p5kqtz.html

What an absolute crock of sh.t

The Filth get the same concessions every year 

Unbelievable that the League try and sell this as a random lottery. 
The AFL have taken control of Carlton’s endless supply of brown paper bags. 
Deals are done, favors are rewarded 

We have been demoted because of the previous 2 Seasons 

There is nothing random about it at all

[Diamond_Jim 12,624]

On 17/11/2024 at 16:41, Sir Why You Little said:

We have been demoted because of the previous 2 Seasons 

They admit this with the following:

The priority of those rules has been to maximise attendances and broadcast ratings in the first year of a $4.5 billion deal with Seven and Foxtel,

We failed on both counts.. we don't rate TV wise and our attendances don't punch through the 50k mark often enough

Let's hope we turn it around in 2025. I'm certainly hoping for some better forward connection and two wins against Collingwood.

 

Edited November 20 by Diamond_Jim

[roy11 3,877]

What interstate trips are people thinking of doing?

Round 5 - Gather Round - Essendon
Round 8 - West Coast 
Round 10 - Brisbane
Round 12  - St Kilda - Alice Springs
Round 15 - Port Adelaide
Round 16 - Gold Coast
Round 17 - Adelaide
 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,926]

28 minutes ago, roy11 said:

What interstate trips are people thinking of doing?

Round 5 - Gather Round - Essendon
Round 8 - West Coast 
Round 10 - Brisbane
Round 12  - St Kilda - Alice Springs
Round 15 - Port Adelaide
Round 16 - Gold Coast
Round 17 - Adelaide
 

Clearly Gather Round as you can realistically see 6-7 games on a weekend. Anyone who bags it hasn't attended it.

Might also head over for the Adelaide game as it's in the middle of school holidays.

As much as I love a GC footy trip, I don't want to go to the GC game as I don't want to be the one responsible for our first loss up there since the Neil Craig tenure!

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,926]

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

They admit this with the following:

The priority of those rules has been to maximise attendances and broadcast ratings in the first year of a $4.5 billion deal with Seven and Foxtel,

We failed on both counts.. we don't rate TV wise and our attendances don't punch through the 50k mark often enough

Let's hope we turn it around in 2025. I'm certainly hoping for some better forward connection and two wins against Collingwood.

 

AFL #14 in scoring is a sure way of being removed from prime time.

[rpfc 28,721]

When we deserted a good game plan and deliberately played ‘dump’ footy to the wings and pockets to protect sore mids in 2022 we deserved everything that has come our way.

Everything. 

The 6 and 6 finish to 2022 that culminated in that embarrassing straight sets. 

The straight jacket we were in with 70 odd I50s against Coll in THAT QF. 

The falling off a cliff last year and stilted attempt to get back to positive footy. 

The lower than expected crowds throughout that for various reasons, but the footy isn’t the draw.

And now the draw of irrelevance.

Its all deserved - and it can be traced back to the arrogance of 2022.

Off my soapbox now.

[roy11 3,877]

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Clearly Gather Round as you can realistically see 6-7 games on a weekend. Anyone who bags it hasn't attended it.

Might also head over for the Adelaide game as it's in the middle of school holidays.

As much as I love a GC footy trip, I don't want to go to the GC game as I don't want to be the one responsible for our first loss up there since the Neil Craig tenure!

I've done GC away previously, have some pals in Qld so usually combine as a trip.

Was hoping for another Tasmanian fixture but may head back to GC again.

Assume Gather round hotel and flights a little too hectic by now. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,926]

27 minutes ago, roy11 said:

Assume Gather round hotel and flights a little too hectic by now. 

Yep, it's something you need to commit to 9 months earlier.

Flights are now expensive but not "let's get a second mortgage to finance it" expensive.

Accommodation in Adelaide CBD is a joke . You need to book immediately when the dates come out mid year or even predict the dates (ie  - always mid week of Easter school holidays) and book before the announcement. 

Probably best to drive over and stay a night or 2 in the suburbs.

[Diamond_Jim 12,624]

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Accommodation in Adelaide CBD is a joke

Gather Round has potential but it needs to be strung out a little and the accomodation needs a think (cruise ships etc)

Having a game on Thursday is a good start but I can see a game on Wednesday and Monday in the future. Adelaide would be party town for nearly a week. Like the World Cup and the Olympics the daily sport is the glue but the surrounding party vibe is the cream