To be honest, don’t really care we head back down to that $h!t hole in round 4. We play that ground decently well across the Goodwin era. Lost a couple due to our choke and not necessarily Geelong playing great. 
 

Easy draw and here’s hoping the !nbred are in contention for the finals again and we knock them out in the last round. 

How do reserved seats work for Marvel home games? 

In regards to breaks before games, it is much better than last year!

Of the 14 games that are set in stone we have the following:

8 or more days - 3

7 days - 5

6 days - 4

5 days - 1

Our 5 day break is against the Tigers who also have a 5 day break.

PROS:

*Open the season at the MCG when we invariably win our round 1 game.

*3 Saturday afternoon games at the MCG which is 3 more than last year

*Do not play any of last year's top 5 twice.

*Play 3 of last year's bottom 6 twice.

*Avoid Freo at Optus and Dogs at Marvel which I consider very hard matchups.

*Do not leave VIC in the final 7 weeks.

*One less interstate trip

*Our home game at Marvel isn't against a Marvel tenant.

 

CONS:

*Not playing in Melbourne for 4 weeks. (I hope the club travels direct from Gold Coast to Adelaide and spends the week there)

*The two hardest assignments in the AFL at the GABBA and GMHBA.

*playing a home game at Marvel after successfully managing to play 10 home games at the G for the prior couple of years.

*lack of Prime time games but that would be a positive for those that prefer day games.

 

OBSERVATIONS:

*First game against GC at the MCG since 2018

*Haven't played GWS in Sydney since 2014.

*Haven't played Essendon twice in a year since 2005. 20th anniversary! 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2024Nov 14 by Bring-Back-Powell

No Surprises here. We have been taken off Prime Time, most of our games over the last 2 years have been a grind. Hard to watch. 
I turned a few off

So it is up to The Football Department to implement a style that is attacking in style. Backline and Forwardline

No doubt the off field problems have also played their part. 
But it’s all about winning, and the draw is not too bad on that score 

Four games from first 16 games that I will likely attend. Of the rest mostly likely tv . AFL will be happy. 

40 minutes ago, Garbo said:

Eagles at marvel late in the season hard to see 20k showing up for that, might be better if fan boycott so the afl stops with the stupidity 

They won't stop. They own Marvel and games will be played there. Richmond & Collingwood have had to play there in recent times.

58 minutes ago, drdrake said:

Our CFO has just re written the budget for 2025, you couldn't ask for a worse commercial draw.

Gws, suns, freo as home games mcg games to kick off the season.

nah, better to get them out of the way at the start of the year when optimism is high(er) and there's more likely to be 25-40k in attendance than 15-20k

the budgets on those visits from interstate clubs to the g would always be small anyway

the docklands home game is disgusting

our biggest crowd vs an interstate side was meth coke - 38k towards the end of the year; rare warm day in July, 1.10pm bounce, was unreal, also a rare unreal performance - at the g

and this is the year we host em at marvel?

meanwhile, afl have scheduled Carlton and Norf to host games there on the same day in May

dil looking to maximise the return and usage of his real estate assets

real 'return to work' vibes about that decision 😀

Edited November 14, 2024Nov 14 by whatwhat say what

Not a bad draw to get us back on contention.  Possibly setup for a fast start and assuming no sudden  massive improvement on the teams outside the 8 from this year we should de well. Fingers crossed. 

Get to watch the boys live just once in Perth this year...

 

Looking forward to the salty tears from Collingwood supporters when we knock them out of the finals in R24 next year (and cement top spot).

Here is a 'ready reckoner' for the season. 

Can't fault the draw.  Something for everyone: 

• Fans get day games.
• Very fair lot of teams played twice
• Roughly consistent days breaks which helps players with recovery then prep etc 
• Players don't leave Vic in the last two months
• 1/state games well spread. 
• A good break after Alice game
• The 3.20 Sunday games (plus Anzac Eve and KB) will be FTA (so sponsors should be ok).
• Anzac Eve and KB should make the financials ok. 
• Day games should also help financials with more fans to games

Hopefully, we get the full 14 day bye unlike the shortened 8/9 day break of recent years.

On the back of that we should make top 4.  If we don't make top 8 well ...

Edited November 14, 2024Nov 14 by Lucifers Hero

51 minutes ago, old dee said:

Four games from first 16 games that I will likely attend. Of the rest mostly likely tv . AFL will be happy. 

Sunday's no good for you OD?

Draw provides every chance for top 4 finish - happy days!

7 interstate and one to Geelong. 3 interstate in a row with a bye in between.

Seriously stupid figuring.

This is a great draw. We can’t have any complaints. If we had played a more attractive brand of footy and had bigger crowds we may have got more prime time slots. 
Only one 5 day break against Richmond who also have a 5 day break is a big win. If we play well before the bye then we will probably get more prime time games. 
Does anybody know if there will be Thursday night games after the bye? We play GC after that. I’m hoping we don’t have a Thursday night game then as it will shorten our bye as we play on the Sunday before the bye. 

2 minutes ago, Colm said:

This is a great draw. We can’t have any complaints. If we had played a more attractive brand of footy and had bigger crowds we may have got more prime time slots. 
Only one 5 day break against Richmond who also have a 5 day break is a big win. If we play well before the bye then we will probably get more prime time games. 
Does anybody know if there will be Thursday night games after the bye? We play GC after that. I’m hoping we don’t have a Thursday night game then as it will shorten our bye as we play on the Sunday before the bye. 

 Suns play the Sunday before hand so it would be Sat at the earliest Id think, unless its a Suns v Dees Fri night blockbuster

Three games in Adelaide. Must be some kind of first. And of course, Geelong, GC, Gabba, NT...plenty of frequent flyer points.

We're off the grudge match list

I would expect stronger crowds North GWS Freo and GC. 

I absolutely love the day games. 

On reflection, our exposure hasn't taken a huge hit - we will still have 11 free-to-air games in the first 14 rounds. That's versus 12 in the first 14 this season. Albeit with more Sunday 3:20pm games.

2025 AFL FIXTURE BRACKETS (Based on 2024 ladder & finals)

Top six: Brisbane Lions, Geelong, GWS Giants, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Sydney Swans

Middle six: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs

Bottom six: Adelaide Crows, Gold Coast Suns, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, West Coast Eagles

EVERY TEAM’S 2025 DOUBLE-UP OPPONENTS

Adelaide Crows: Collingwood, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, West Coast (2x top 6, 1x middle 6, 3x bottom 6)

Brisbane Lions: Collingwood, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Sydney, Western Bulldogs (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6)

Carlton: Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, West Coast Eagles (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6)

Collingwood: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Melbourne (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6)

Essendon: Carlton, Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, Richmond, Sydney Swans, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6)

Fremantle: Collingwood, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 3x middle 6, 1x bottom 6)

Geelong: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, GWS Giants, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6)

Gold Coast Suns: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Essendon, GWS Giants, Melbourne, Richmond (2x top 6, 1x middle 6, 3x bottom 6)

GWS Giants: Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, St Kilda, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6)

Hawthorn: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Melbourne, Port Adelaide (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6)

Melbourne: Collingwood, Gold Coast Suns, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, West Coast Eagles (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6)

North Melbourne: Adelaide Crows, Carlton, Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney Swans, Western Bulldogs (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6)

Port Adelaide: Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney Swans (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6)

Richmond: Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, North Melbourne, St Kilda, West Coast Eagles (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6)

St Kilda: Fremantle, Geelong, GWS Giants, Melbourne, Richmond, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6)

Sydney Swans: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, Fremantle, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6)

West Coast Eagles: Adelaide Crows, Carlton, Fremantle, GWS Giants, Melbourne, Richmond (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6)

Western Bulldogs: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, Fremantle, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, St Kilda (2x top 6, 3x middle 6, 1x bottom 6)

AFL 2025 FIXTURE DIFFICULTY (from easiest to hardest)

Based on the 2024 percentage of the teams they play twice in 2025

1 (Easiest). Richmond

2. Melbourne

3. Carlton

4. Adelaide Crows

5. Gold Coast Suns

6. West Coast Eagles

7. Western Bulldogs

8. Geelong

9. Sydney Swans

10. St Kilda

11. North Melbourne

12. GWS Giants

13. Fremantle

14. Essendon

15. Hawthorn

16. Collingwood

17. Port Adelaide

18 (Hardest). Brisbane Lions

Analysis (Melbourne Demons)

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-

12 mcg games is a bit yuk. 

Adelaide will play 13 at their home ground