The AFL will release the full fixture list for the 2018 season in Melbourne on Tuesday morning, but the league has already made some aspects of the schedule public.
* The AFL’s Chinese experiment will continue with Port Adelaide to take on Gold Coast at Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai on a Saturday afternoon in round nine.
* Carlton are set to play for points for the first time at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena in round four when they take on North Melbourne on Saturday night.
* Good Friday footy will continue but it is believed North Melbourne will take on St Kilda instead of the Western Bulldogs.
* West Coast have won the right to host the first home-and-away game at the new Perth Stadium – a Sunday twilight clash clash against Sydney in round one.
* Fremantle will have a bonus game at Perth Stadium after Gold Coast sold them a home game in round three while Metricon Stadium is used for the Commonwealth Games.
* Melbourne will play two home games in the Northern Territory – against Adelaide in Alice Springs in round 10 and Fremantle in Darwin in round 16.
* The full round one fixture for next year has already been released:
Thursday, March 22
Richmond v Carlton, MCG, 7.25pm AEDT
Friday, March 23
Essendon v Adelaide, Etihad Stadium, 7.50pm AEDT
Saturday, March 24
St Kilda v Brisbane Lions, Etihad Stadium, 3.35pm AEDT
Port Adelaide v Fremantle, Adelaide Oval, 4.05pm CDT
Gold Coast v North Melbourne, Cazaly’s Stadium, Cairns, 6.25pm AEST
Hawthorn v Collingwood, MCG, 7.25pm AEDT
Sunday, March 25
Greater Western Sydney v Western Bulldogs, Canberra, 1.10pm AEDT
Melbourne v Geelong, MCG, 3.20pm AEDT
Cat
Roar Guru
Fact is there is a lot more to schedule strength than just double up opponents. Fact is last years finishing position is often a poor indicator of the following years difficulty. Looks at the Bulldogs last year. Would have been graded the most difficult double up prior to the season starting, by the end they were a bottom six double up.
me too
Guest
it's based on fact, not supposition. of course we cannot know the form of teams next year, but we do know the form this year. if it was irrelevant the AFL would not argue the case for their supposed 6-6-6 system of 'fairness'.
Cat
Roar Guru
Happy enough with the Cats draw at first glance. No Etihad home games. YEAH! In fact only one Etihad game all year. Nine games in Geelong for the first time since 1999. Get to play double away games versus Hawthorn and Richmond. BOO! Both games against SA teams are at AO, meh.
Cat
Roar Guru
What we know now is that whatever predictions made about who has the 'toughest' draw now, will be thrown out of whack just a few weeks in when some unexpected team(s) surge and others falter. As usual, timing will matter too. Those who got to play Sydney in the first 6 weeks were far 'luckier' than those who played them later in the year. Two years ago teams that played North in the first half of the season when they went near undefeated were far unluckier than those who played them in the second half when they couldn't beat their way out of a wet paper bag.
me too
Guest
what we do know we near certainty is st kilda will get screwed. last year finished 9th - received 3rd hardest fixture. This year finished 10th - get 4th hardest. Here's the list by this years position and difficulty ratings (based on double up opponents position. 1. Richmond 2 2. Adelaide 1 3. Geelong 8 4. GWS 10 5. Sydney 3 6. West Coast = 4 7. Port Adelaide = 4 8. Essendon 11 9. Melbourne 7 10. St Kilda = 4 11. Bulldogs 13 12. Hawthorn 8 13. Collingwood = 14 14. Fremantle 12 15. North = 16 16. Carlton = 14 17. Gold Coast = 16 18. Brisbane = 16 Geelong gifted, GWS easier draw is balanced by three top six opponents, Essendon get one, plus two bottom six. St Kilda get two top six and one bottom six? Work that out? It's all about the revenue.