With the current season approaching its business end, focus now turns to building the 2019 AFL premiership season fixture.
What we know for sure is that Carlton and Richmond will again kick off the season, but with the Blues guaranteed to win the wooden spoon while the Tigers appear likely to defend their premiership, the scene could be set for an embarrassingly one-sided clash to start the season.
With one round of the ongoing season left, the Blues appear all but set to record their worst season ever, while, at the other end of the ladder, the Tigers are preparing to warm up for their premiership defence.
It will be the fifth year in a row the two sides have met to start the season, while it will be the eleventh time in twelve seasons the pair have met in the opening round (the exception being 2014, when they clashed in Round 2).
2019 should be the Adelaide Crows’ turn to open the season at the Adelaide Oval and they could do so with a huge clash against Collingwood in the first Friday night match of the premiership season.
The last time these two sides met, the Pies romped their way to a 48-point win on Black Friday, with Nathan Buckley’s men using that win as a springboard towards returning to the finals for the first time since 2013.
As for the Crows, the loss was one of many which will see them miss the finals for the first time since 2014, marking a huge fall from grace after they had finished on top of the ladder, and reached the Grand Final, last year.
Therefore, Don Pyke’s men would be hoping to put the disappointment of this season behind them and start afresh in 2019, and hosting Collingwood on the Friday night stage in what should be a huge crowd of more than 50,000 would be the perfect way to start the season in the City of Churches.
The first match on Saturday afternoon would see Melbourne tackle St Kilda at the MCG, with expectations expected to be high for both clubs in 2019.
After twelve years without finals, the Dees will play in September for the first time since 2006, but may have to settle for an elimination final depending on how Round 23 pans out.
They’ll also have Jake Lever back after he missed the second half of the ongoing season, his first at Melbourne after crossing from the Adelaide Crows last year, with a serious knee injury.
His return, and hopefully injury-free pre-seasons for the likes of co-captain Jack Viney and full forward Jesse Hogan, will make the Dees a side that no one will want to face in 2019.
(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Saints would be hoping that an upset win, like the one they had in Round 15 last year, could be the start of a season of resurgence after they took a clear step backwards in 2018, winning just four matches so far.
Later, Jeremy Cameron could return to the scene of the crime when he and the GWS Giants face the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in the twilight game.
In one of the most sickening incidents in recent times, Cameron knocked out Lions fullback Harris Andrews with a stray elbow in round 14, leaving Match Review Officer Michael Christian with no choice but to send him straight to the AFL judiciary where he later copped a five-match suspension.
Lions enforcer Mitch Robinson, who missed the match due to injury, made clear his feelings on Twitter about an hour after the incident:
It was Cameron’s second major indiscretion against the Lions, after he had broken Rhys Mathieson’s jaw during a pre-season match in 2016, for which he was also sent straight to the judiciary and suspended for four matches.
Given his history against the club, it’s fair to say that he will be public enemy number one when the Giants step foot onto the Gabba, where they have won their past four matches after they’d lost their first two matches there by a combined total of more than 150 points.
They would face an improving Brisbane Lions side which, despite their lowly ladder position, have excited many with their style of play under coach Chris Fagan, whose contact has been extended to the end of the 2021 season.
This would set the fuse for what should be an explosive first-up clash between the Lions and the Giants, who would again be expected to be up there among the premiership contenders in 2019 given they can keep their injury list, which has weighed down on the club in recent years, as low as possible.
That being said, they won’t have centre half-forward Jonathan Patton back until at least the final few rounds, after he suffered yet another serious knee injury early last month.
Saturday night would see two blockbuster matches – the Sydney Swans up against North Melbourne at the SCG and the Geelong Cats hosting the West Coast Eagles at Kardinia Park.
The two clashes between the Swans and Roos this season were evenly split, with the Roos taking a two-point victory at the SCG in Round 7 before the Swans returned serve with a seven-point win at Etihad Stadium ten weeks later, thanks to a match-winning goal from defender Aliir Aliir.
In the other match, the Eagles would be attempting to break their curse at the Cattery, where they haven’t won since they came from nine goals down to win by three points in their premiership season of 2006.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Since the start of 2016, only the Sydney Swans have been able to take the points from Kardinia Park, and so Adam Simpson would want to take a leaf out of John Longmire’s book if the Eagles are to start the season with a win on the road for just the third time since 2007.
Sunday would see Hawthorn host a Round 1 match at their secondary home ground, UTAS Stadium, for the first time since 2014 when they tackle a Port Adelaide side hellbent on redeeming themselves after a disappointing finish to the 2018 season.
Later that day, the first premiership match to be played at the rebadged Marvel Stadium would see Essendon host the Western Bulldogs, with the focus set to again be on Jake Stringer who not long ago was part of the latter club’s premiership win in 2016.
Fremantle would finish the round by hosting the Gold Coast Suns at Optus Stadium, with both clubs eager to bounce back after contrastingly disappointing 2018 seasons.
So, here is what I think round one next year should look like:
Thursday, March 21
Carlton vs Richmond at the MCG, 7:25pm (Seven)
Friday, March 22
Adelaide Crows vs Collingwood at the Adelaide Oval, 7:20pm (Seven)
Saturday, March 23
Melbourne vs St Kilda at the MCG, 1:45pm (Fox)
Brisbane Lions vs GWS Giants at the Gabba, 3:35pm (Fox)
Sydney Swans vs North Melbourne at the SCG, 7:25pm (Seven)
Geelong Cats vs West Coast Eagles at GMHBA Stadium, 7:25pm (Fox)
Sunday, March 24
Hawthorn vs Port Adelaide at UTAS Stadium, 1:10pm (Fox)
Essendon vs Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, 3:20pm (Seven)
Fremantle vs Gold Coast Suns at Optus Stadium, 4:10pm (Fox)
All times are local.
Tracy
Guest
Funny that you think 21, 541 is well attended. Only interstate would this be considered well attended. In Melbourne, that is failure.
Shona Byrne
Guest
When is the next fixture s for 2019 coming up ASAP
Anthony Nicholson
Guest
Anthony Nicholson is Correct
Anthony Nicholson
Guest
Essendon vs carlton 7:25 seven MCG West coast eagles vs Richmond 7:50 seven Ouptus stadium thursday Geelong cats vs westen bulldogs 1:45 fox gmhba stadium friday Collingwood vs Fremantle 2:10 fox MCG sataday Sydney vs gold coast suns 3:35 Fox SCG Saturday Hawthorne vs north Melbourne 7:25 sevenuni tas Saturday Gws giants vs Melbourne 1:10 fox spotless stadium sunday Adelaide crows vs Brisbane lions 3:20 Adelaide oval seven sunday Stkilda vs Port Adelaide 4:40 marvel stadium Fox sunday
Anthony Nicholson
Guest
No it should be like this Essendon vs West coast eagles 7:25 seven Geelong cats vs Sydney swans 7:50 seven Gws giants vs
Kevin
Guest
The thing is, the AFL Doesnt want three afl games clashing with each other simultaneously. But to be honest, the Sunday twilight game shohld be brought forward to 4:00.
Andrew
Guest
It should look like collingwood and Essendon vs each other and a close game with NO DRAWS
Avatar
Roar Guru
@IAP - that's because Spotless has a capacity of 24K whilst the Gabba has a capacity of 42,000. These days, the Lions struggle to get a crowd that is over 50% of the Gabba's capacity, but that should change in the coming years when their on-field results continue to improve.
Avatar
Roar Guru
In that case, I'd have the Giants playing Fremantle at Spotless in round two before the horses take over the ground. After that their next game at the ground won't be until at least round eight or nine; in the meantime they'll have to play two home games in Canberra and also face the Swans at the SCG.
Avatar
Roar Guru
The only way that would happen is if you have all the interstate derbies in the opening round, which I can't see happening. To date there has never been a Showdown in round one of any season, and I doubt that will change.
IAP
Guest
21,000 is a good crowd but 16,000 is a bad crowd? What’s an ok crowd, 18,500?
mds1970
Roar Guru
With an early start and a late Easter next year, it may be possible to get a game at Spotless before the Royal Easter Show. If that happens, it would likely be against a low-drawing opponent so they can have the lower bowl of seating already taken out.
Jonesracing82
Guest
Rd 1 should be all Clubs playing in thier home states, so all Club members can attend & to have biggest build up possible to a blockbuster opening to the new season.
Avatar
Roar Guru
That is true, but just to point something out, in 2010 and 2011, the Crows didn't play Collingwood at home. So it is possible at the Pies might face the Crows in Adelaide again next year, and if they do have to face Power there, it'll be the first time since 2006 that the Pies have travelled to the City of Churches twice in the one season. Last time the Pies played the Crows in Adelaide in consecutive seasons was in 2005-07. Also it is not guaranteed that Collingwood will play Port in Adelaide next year. This year West Coast missed out on hosting the Pies for the second straight season, so anything could happen with the fixture.
Trevor
Guest
The first round is the most attended. There is no way that the AFL will go with 9 ganes if very little interest in round 1. Given the lack of two quality teams playing against each other and no significant rivalries that round would be the worst attended round 1 in decades.
Terrence McDonnell
Guest
Collingwood play in Adelaide once every season. Next year it will be against port adelaide not adelaide.
Avatar
Roar Guru
Here in Sydney there was a Sunday twilight Sydney Derby in 2016, but it was still well-attended with 21,541 fans turning up to Spotless Stadium. What helped was that the following Monday was the Queen's Birthday public holiday, but if it had been in a standard round (i.e. no public holiday fixtures), it would have been poorly attended, as the start of the working week is just around the corner. Earlier this year there was also a Sunday twilight QClash, in which the Suns beat the Lions by less than a kick at the Gabba, but it was just after the Queensland school holidays, which had been brought forward due to the Commonwealth Games, had concluded. Not surprisingly, it was poorly attended, with just over 16K attending. Some people will also be thinking what exactly is the point of the Sunday twilight games, knowing that it is typically the worst-attended timeslot of the round for obvious reasons (one being the short turnaround between full-time and the start of the working week). I think this is for television broadcasting purposes, as prior to 2007, on most Sundays you'd have the situation where three matches are being played all at once, except if one match was being played in Perth. I know for a fact that, between 2002 and 2006, Channel Nine had the rights to two of the Sunday matches, with the 1:10pm match being telecast live and the 2:10pm match being crammed into a two-hour broadcast window (with half-time being omitted) leading into the news. It therefore is impossible for the Sunday twilight timeslot to be abolished, sadly.
User
Roar Rookie
Sunday twilight is cr@p for fans and businesses, Saturday Arvo is the best, not just for members but for places like my local, as a family we would go and watch the game, stay on for dinner etc Sunday twilight you stay at home and those at the game just want to get home asap after final siren. The AFL needs to realise the strangle hold they have for all entertainment in winter months.
IAP
Guest
Great examples. It's ridiculous. Actually, the Dogs have a had pretty good run of it since they won the flag. They used to play the dreaded Sunday twilight game all the time, but they've had some good coverage in the last couple of years. I expect that to revert next year, which is probably fair enough given how they've gone this year. What about moving all the Sunday arvo WC games to Saturday arvo? I know it's good for the AFL to fill that slot because of the time difference, but Saturday arvo footy is great for the fans. They can just play another early game on Sunday and get rid of the god-awful Sunday twilight game all together.
User
Roar Rookie
Agree, the most equitable draw should be the objective, situations like wce playing gws 4 times over two seasons before they played north Melbourne, saints having 2 trips to Perth in 3 weeks while Collingwood don't come here till this round need to stop, I'm sure as a Bulldogs fan you would have a few examples of Inequity as well.