The AFL fixture list for 2015 has produced a number of pros and cons for each team.
Following my assessment of the first six alphabetical sides in Part I of this series, here are the next six – Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns, Greater Western Sydney Giants, Hawthorn, Melbourne and North Melbourne.
Geelong Cats
Double-up against: Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Sydney Swans
Pros
* Eight games at Simonds Stadium for the first time since 2009.
* Seventeen games on Channel Seven, the most of any club
* Three straight matches at Simonds Stadium between Rounds 2 and 4.
* Avoids Queensland altogether.
Cons
* Begins the season with a first-round, Easter Monday showdown against reigning premiers Hawthorn.
* Two trips to the Adelaide Oval on either side of a home game against Melbourne and the bye.
* No potentially percentage-boosting home game against GWS for the third year running.
* Only one night game at Simonds Stadium.
Verdict
Geelong will be pleased that they have earned eight games at Simonds Stadium for the first time since 2009, as well as double-ups against heavyweight clubs Hawthorn, Collingwood and the Sydney Swans.
The second match against the Swans will be the only time the Cats play a night match at Simonds Stadium, and injury permitting, will mark the first time Lance Franklin plays on the ground as an AFL player.
Among the negatives is that the club will have to travel to the Adelaide Oval twice within a month, and must play GWS away for a third consecutive year. They do, however, get to host Gary Ablett and his Gold Coast Suns in Round 3.
Gold Coast Suns
Double-up against: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, GWS Giants, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles
Pros
* All 11 of their home games on Saturday including blockbusters against Collingwood, Essendon and the Sydney Swans
* Start the season with winnable matches against Melbourne and St Kilda
* Host the first of the two QClashes against Brisbane in Round 5
Cons
* Only two games on Channel Seven (the least of any club), both away matches against the Geelong Cats and Hawthorn in Rounds 3 and 9 respectively.
* A six-day break between trips to Geelong and Canberra (to face the GWS Giants) in Rounds 3 and 4 respectively.
* No home games against Hawthorn or Richmond.
* Play St Kilda and Melbourne only once each.
* No Friday night matches.
Verdict
A fair draw for the Gold Coast Suns with all 11 of their home games being played on Saturday, in addition to trips to Cairns and Brisbane to play the Western Bulldogs and Lions respectively bringing that figure up to 13.
However, the club won’t have any of their home games covered by Channel Seven, and their only two meetings against the Geelong Cats and Hawthorn, both away, will be the only times they are seen on free-to-air in Melbourne.
The Suns should start next year 2-0 given they play Melbourne and St Kilda in the opening two rounds, but won’t get a return match against either side.
GWS Giants
Double-up against: Carlton, Gold Coast Suns, Melbourne, St Kilda, Sydney Swans
Pros
* Avoids Kardinia Park for the third straight year.
* Starts the season against the only two teams to finish below them on the ladder (Melbourne and St Kilda) in 2014. Also gets those two sides twice.
* Plays Hawthorn, St Kilda and Brisbane in Sydney for the first time.
* Also play big Victorian clubs Essendon and Carlton at home.
Cons
* Travels to Perth twice for the second consecutive year
* No Saturday night matches at home (only one for the season is against West Coast in Perth in Round 5) and no Friday night matches.
* Must wait until Round 21 to host the Sydney Derby in their own backyard with the first one scheduled for Round 3 at the SCG.
* Only three games on Channel Seven, and none until Round 17.
Verdict
After showing much improvement in 2014, the GWS Giants have been rewarded with some marquee matches, including none other than hosting reigning premiers Hawthorn at Spotless Stadium for the first time.
The Giants will not have to travel outside of Sydney or Canberra in consecutive weeks, but their two trips to Perth will immediately come the week following Saturday fixtures in Canberra (Rounds 4-5 and 17-18).
The club will also enjoy back-to-back home games in Sydney against the Swans and Carlton in the final three weeks before wrapping up their regular season against Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.
Hawthorn
Double-up against: Carlton, Essendon, Geelong Cats, Port Adelaide, Sydney Swans
Pros
* Play Essendon, Carlton and the Geelong Cats twice.
* Fifteen matches on Channel Seven, and four Friday night matches.
* Hosts the first of the two grand final rematches against the Sydney Swans at the MCG in Round 8.
* Avoids the Gabba for the seventh straight year.
Cons
* Two trips to Adelaide for the fourth time in five seasons. Must also travel to Sydney’s Olympic Park precinct twice.
* One home game at Etihad Stadium in Round 21 against Port Adelaide in a rematch of last year’s thrilling preliminary final.
* An early six-day break between their trips to Launceston and Adelaide in Rounds 3 and 4 respectively.
Verdict
As defending premiers, Hawthorn have been dealt a brutal draw which includes facing off against fellow finalists in four of the first five weeks of the season, two each on either side of their first game in Launceston against the Western Bulldogs in Round 3.
However, the club will enjoy blockbuster games at the MCG against big-drawing clubs Essendon, the Geelong Cats and Carlton, the latter taking place in the floated final round of the season, most likely on a Friday night.
The club will also be disappointed to have to play a home game at Etihad Stadium against Port Adelaide, whom the Hawks defeated in a nail-biting preliminary final in September. Other than that, another terrific draw for Hawthorn supporters who will hope that their team can emulate the Brisbane Lions’ class of 2001-2-3 in achieving a premiership three-peat.
Melbourne
Double-up against: Collingwood, Fremantle, GWS Giants, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs
Pros
* Seventeen games in Melbourne
* Only crosses the Murray River once (they play GWS in Canberra in Round 2).
* Excluding sold home games to the Northern Territory, only three interstate trips and none to Sydney or south-east Queensland.
* First Friday night match since Round 7, 2012 when they play Richmond on Anzac Day eve in Round 4.
* Start the season against both expansion clubs (Gold Coast and GWS).
Cons:
* Three games at Etihad Stadium, including a final round home fixture against GWS.
* Must travel down to Kardinia Park for their once-only engagement with Geelong
* The games against the teams they defeated in 2014 are all away
Verdict
Upon announcing the sacking of Mark Neeld midway through last year, Melbourne CEO Peter Jackson declared the club as being an impediment to the industry.
His comments may have worked wonders, with the Demons again spared trips to the SCG as well as south-east Queensland, while not having to fly to Perth until Round 22.
With 13 games at the MCG, Melbourne fans will have reason to be optimistic about their team’s chances in 2015, while their Northern Territory fans will once again be treated to games in Alice Springs and Darwin against Port Adelaide and West Coast respectively.
North Melbourne
Double-up against: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong Cats, Richmond
Pros
* Three games at Blundstone Arena in 2015, including against Richmond in Round 6
* Twelve matches on Channel Seven including their only meetings against both grand finalists, Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans, at Etihad Stadium on Saturday nights
* Three consecutive home games at Etihad Stadium to finish the regular season
Cons
* Must travel to Queensland twice on either side of home games against the Geelong Cats and Essendon at Etihad Stadium
* Only two Friday night matches, both against Essendon
Verdict
A disappointing outcome for North Melbourne supporters whose team reached the preliminary final after finishing sixth at the end of the minor premiership in 2014.
The big kicker is that the Roos have just two Friday night matches, both against Essendon – in fact, the two meetings between those two clubs will be the only Friday night action either side will taste in 2015.
This contrasts to Richmond playing seven matches, and Carlton and Collingwood getting six each in the AFL’s premium time slot. The Roos do, however, get seven Saturday night matches, four of them at home.
Part III will cover Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles and Western Bulldogs.
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