After reviewing the 2015 fixtures lists of the first 12 alphabetically-ordered teams in the AFL in Part I and Part II of my series, let’s take a look at the remaining sides.
Today I’ll take a closer look at Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda, the Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles and Western Bulldogs.
SEE PART ONE OF THIS SERIES HERE
SEE PART TWO OF THIS SERIES HERE
Port Adelaide
Double-up against: Adelaide Crows, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs
Pros
* Blockbuster home games against the Geelong Cats, Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans
* Avoids Kardinia Park for the second year running
* Nine games on Channel Seven, and two Friday night matches
Cons
* Begins the season with a first-round trip to Perth to take on Fremantle, but it’s the only time they will travel west in the 2015 regular season.
* Won’t welcome any of the Queensland sides to the Adelaide Oval.
* First four games are against finalists from last year, topped off by being the away side in the first Showdown of the year in Round 5.
* Only one game at the MCG (against Carlton in Round 12).
Verdict
After a hugely successful 2014 season which ended with the Power falling just a kick short of the grand final, the club has been dealt a brutal opening to the season, in addition to having to make long trips to Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The club will welcome each of last year’s top four to the Oval, and will also feature in back-to-back Thursday night blockbusters against the Swans (at the SCG) and Collingwood (at home).
Given the rivalry against the latter team, the potential is there for a record-breaking crowd, which currently stands at 52,505; set when the Power thrashed Carlton by 103 points in Round 22 this year.
It’s set to be a big year at the Oval as the Power look to take that one step up forward in 2015.
Richmond
Double-up against: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, North Melbourne
Pros
* Fourteen games at the MCG, and only two at Etihad Stadium
* Seven Friday night matches, the most of any team
* Gets to play the Gold Coast Suns at the MCG for the first time.
* Blockbusters against traditional rivals Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon
Cons
* A tough seven-week stretch from Round 17 to 23, where they could face teams fighting for finals places ranging from Hawthorn to the Gold Coast Suns.
* No home games against any of the South Australian clubs.
Verdict
Richmond asked for, and got, a dream draw which sees them play fourteen games at the MCG and feature on the Friday night stage seven times, more than any other club.
After having to start this season on the Gold Coast, the Tigers will regain their traditional season-opening match against Carlton, and not only that, the two teams will also face off on a Friday night for the first time since 2006 in Round 15.
The Tigers will only have to travel interstate six times, and don’t have to play the Suns in Queensland for the first time. With such a profitable draw, a third straight finals series beckons.
St Kilda
Double-up against: Essendon, GWS Giants, Melbourne, West Coast Eagles, Western Bulldogs
Pros
* Plays each of last year’s top four teams at home
* Doubles up against Melbourne and the GWS Giants
* Plays Carlton in the annual New Zealand fixture
* Doesn’t travel to Perth until the final round
Cons
* Same as Richmond; no home games against any of the South Australian clubs
* Same as Port Adelaide; no home games against any of the Queensland clubs
* Only one Friday night match in 2015, and it’s an away game
Verdict
St Kilda couldn’t ask for a better start to the season as they, like Melbourne, will start the season with consecutive matches against the expansion clubs. Could this be what they need as they try to avoid finishing last for a second consecutive season?
The travel will be brutal. The Saints will travel outside of Melbourne eight times in total, including travelling to New Zealand for the Anzac Day match against Carlton, and will also have to travel to Adelaide and south-east Queensland twice each in return for nothing.
The Saints have, however, avoided the SCG and ANZ Stadium for the first time since 2005 and have also been spared the dreaded road trip to Geelong. That said, they don’t play the Cats and Swans until Rounds 21 and 22, respectively.
How will Alan Richardson’s men tackle their potentially difficult draw?
Sydney Swans
Double-up against: Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns, GWS Giants, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide
Pros
* Three blockbusters at ANZ Stadium including matches against Essendon, the Geelong Cats and Hawthorn
* Only club to face each of the expansion clubs (Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants) twice.
* Three Friday night matches at the SCG against Carlton, Richmond and Collingwood
Cons
* Two regular-season trips to Perth for only the third time (and first since 2004).
* Three of their first four games are against finalists from last year, including potentially difficult road trips to Adelaide (Port Adelaide) and Perth (Fremantle).
* Nearly a month without a game at the SCG between Rounds 10 and 12 (they play the Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne away, followed by a bye) inclusive.
* No home games on Sundays.
Verdict
After being humiliated by Hawthorn in the grand final, and then being slapped with a two-year trade ban for seemingly doing nothing wrong, the last thing the Swans need is a brutal draw as they look to redeem themselves in 2015.
The Swans might be the only club that receives the luxury of double-ups against the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants, but it won’t come very easy. Both clubs will be expected to improve this year and push for a berth in September.
Among the blockbusters Swans fans will enjoy at home are those against big-drawing Victorian clubs Essendon, Carlton, Collingwood and Richmond, while they will also host Hawthorn in the grand final rematch in Round 16 after first travelling down to the MCG to face them on their turf in Round 8.
Oh, not to mention the Swans will have to make the two long trips to Perth twice for their only meetings against Fremantle and West Coast three months apart.
West Coast Eagles
Double-up against: Adelaide Crows, Fremantle, Gold Coast Suns, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs
Pros
* Don’t have to travel out of Perth to play any of the 2014 finalists, though they will be away to Fremantle in Round 20, which shouldn’t mean much.
* An early-season Friday night showdown against Carlton and Chris Judd, likely to be his final game against his old club
* Hosts the first Western Derby of the season in Round 3
Cons
* Two trips to Queensland, as well as those to Darwin and Hobart for games against Melbourne and North Melbourne, respectively
* Only five matches on Channel Seven
* Only one match at the MCG (against Richmond in Round 12).
Verdict
West Coast Eagles fans will be pleased at the line-up of opponents the club will play at home in 2015. Powerhouses the Geelong Cats, Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans, as well as big-drawing Carlton and Essendon and Gary Ablett’s Gold Coast Suns are among those to visit Patersons Stadium during the year.
However, the Eagles will also be tested on the road, with two trips to south-east Queensland and Adelaide scheduled, as well as a potentially taxing trip to Darwin where Melbourne awaits, and Hobart, where North Melbourne will be expected to draw a huge crowd.
Two matches each against potential strugglers St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs should provide a platform, as well as the two home fixtures against the GWS Giants and Gold Coast Suns on either side of an away match against Port Adelaide.
In the end, a draw that all West Coast supporters can look forward to with great optimism.
Western Bulldogs
Double-up against: Brisbane Lions, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, West Coast Eagles
Pros
* Get to welcome Ryan Griffen and the GWS Giants to Etihad Stadium in Round 9
* Two shots at Melbourne and St Kilda
* Don’t travel to Perth until Round 21
Cons:
* A sole home game against the Gold Coast Suns in Cairns
* An early-season trip to Launceston when Hawthorn will unfurl its premiership flag in front of their Tasmanian supporters
* No Friday night matches
Verdict
A reasonable draw for the Western Bulldogs who will play 16 matches in Victoria (13 at Etihad Stadium) and only have to travel interstate six times, one of them for a neutral game against the Gold Coast Suns in Round 15.
While the game against the Suns in Cairns may be one of the cons, it did work this season when the Bulldogs won by 28 points the week after Suns captain Gary Ablett Jr suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
They will also get two shots each at Melbourne and St Kilda, hopefully laying the foundations for a climb up the ladder. They will also host the ultimate grudge match of the year when GWS and Ryan Griffen come to visit in Round 9.
Of last year’s finalists, the Bulldogs will only have to play Port Adelaide twice, but will travel away for matches against Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans. And they won’t have to make the long trip west until Round 21 either.
A manageable draw, but no Friday night matches in 2015 will spur the club to perform better in their bid to feature in the AFL’s premium time slot in 2016.
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