Fixture 2025 draw any news or leaks? (Fixture released today)

[Obeanie1]

Yep honestly draws are draws who gives a flying best side always wins

The fittest team who is reasonably fresh coming into finals is normally the best team.

The fixture has a massive influence on fitness, rehab from injury and keeping players fresh.

 

[PhatBoy]

The fittest team who is reasonably fresh coming into finals is normally the best team.

The fixture has a massive influence on fitness, rehab from injury and keeping players fresh.

You have to go all the way back to 2024 to find a side winning the premiership with a handful of regulars out for the season either from early or latter stages courtesy of injuries, and 5 interstate trips in the last 8 weeks of the comp.

What made them the best team was that they were playing the best football, which is usually the case.

 

[StackedHunch]

They’re also getting teams like Hawthorn, GWS and the Western Bulldogs on neutral grounds… teams they’re likely to lose to in genuine away games.

Tbh, as much as the AFL have given Port a leg up against us with Gather Round, we're far stronger at York Park against most teams, and, though the AFL's hype has dudded Hawthorn fans with no game at the MCG, Port are a much better team in big games, and generally mediocre at smaller events.

 

[Randomizor]

Stop trying to make Carlton happen AFL. They’re not going to happen.

 

[Underarm]

Hawthorn shouldn't get the choice. If clubs want to take their home games to Bumfúck Idaho, all 18 clubs should share the load equally as to who fills the "away" slot in those fixtures. And if you get Essendon at York Park instead of at the MCG, well that's the bed you made for yourself.

So you'd be fine if gc played their derby in Darwin or cairns every so often?

You'd be happy playing North Melbourne in Bunbury?

 

[Grasshopper17]

So you'd be fine if gc played their derby in Darwin or cairns every so often?

You'd be happy playing North Melbourne in Bunbury?

Under the arrangement I've outlined it would happen far less regularly for my club than it happens currently.

Share the load. Regardless of where you are on the ladder.

 

[Saints4ever]

Hawthorn shouldn't get the choice. If clubs want to take their home games to Bumfúck Idaho, all 18 clubs should share the load equally as to who fills the "away" slot in those fixtures. And if you get Essendon at York Park instead of at the MCG, well that's the bed you made for yourself.

You do realise that low drawing clubs only sell their low drawing matches against low drawing clubs for a reason yeah?

It’s not to grow the game, it’s not about spreading the great game to different parts of the country.

It’s entirely putting dollars in the bank.

Now let’s say the Hawks play Collingwood in Launceston. That’s now a double kick in the guts to the hawks not only does it take a low drawing game away from Launceston that would make money it also loses them a shit load of money not playing at the mcg.

Make no mistakes clubs sell games to make money and for no other reason so why the hell would you sell a high drawing game.

 

[Hawkk]

Hawthorn shouldn't get the choice. If clubs want to take their home games to Bumfúck Idaho, all 18 clubs should share the load equally as to who fills the "away" slot in those fixtures. And if you get Essendon at York Park instead of at the MCG, well that's the bed you made for yourself.

I don’t think so bro -

That would be like the Hawthorn Football Club asking for the same level of distribution cough charity that Adelaide get from the AFL

 

[Elixuh]

Does the AFL award Carlton the flag before or immediately after Opening Round?

 

[Grasshopper17]

You do realise that low drawing clubs only sell their low drawing matches against low drawing clubs for a reason yeah?

It’s not to grow the game, it’s not about spreading the great game to different parts of the country.

It’s entirely putting dollars in the bank.

Now let’s say the Hawks play Collingwood in Launceston. That’s now a double kick in the guts to the hawks not only does it take a low drawing game away from Launceston that would make money it also loses them a shit load of money not playing at the mcg.

Make no mistakes clubs sell games to make money and for no other reason so why the hell would you sell a high drawing game.

sigh

OK Laura

 

[hawkman]

Does the AFL award Carlton the flag before or immediately after Opening Round?

I think they were awarded the minor premier on Thursday. The problem for Carlton is they have to win 3 finals to win the flag.

 

[BigBreakfast]

Forget the gambling houses then.

You list out the 18 teams from your most likely to least likely to win the flag. We can use that for all I care. Unless you have a massively inferior ability to estimate probabilities to the betting companies of course...

It’s November MR

I’m sure the betting foolishness won’t even jump on your very tiny bandwagon yet.

Relax and enjoy the (absence) of festivities

 

[BuffDog]

Going to be interesting to see what Hawthorn do once Tassie enter the comp. Do they stay in Launceston or will their additional home games be at Marvel or the MCG?

Similar for Essendon, I was under the impression we were lobbying for additional MCG home games. Carlton and St Kilda got extra but we didn’t - That might change once North take two home games back to Marvel.

 

[Saints4ever]

sigh

OK Laura

Nothing to do with Laura.
Clubs sell their home games for 1 reason and 1 reason only.
Notice how Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and Essendon don’t sell homes.
Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne wouldn’t sell their home games either in an ideal world but when they do sell them obviously it’s got to be against low drawing sides or what’s the point.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Nothing to do with Laura.
Clubs sell their home games for 1 reason and 1 reason only.
Notice how Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and Essendon don’t sell homes.
Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne wouldn’t sell their home games either in an ideal world but when they do sell them obviously it’s got to be against low drawing sides or what’s the point.

Everything to do with Laura. Under current arrangements low drawing sides will be low drawing sides forever. FOREVER.

Well, until they cease to exist I suppose.

This is the epitome of short term gain for long term pain. It's not the clubs' faults really I suppose; this is the rod the AFL's making for their back.

 

[Saints4ever]

Everything to do with Laura. Under current arrangements low drawing sides will be low drawing sides forever. FOREVER.

Well, until they cease to exist I suppose.

This is the epitome of short term gain for long term pain. It's not the clubs' faults really I suppose; this is the rod the AFL's making for their back.

You could put North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda in prime time every week and they would never have the support of Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon.

The fixture is extremely unfair and nowhere is their balance but clubs selling their home games is on them not the AFL and the club should have some say over what games they sell.

 

[Grasshopper17]

You could put North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda in prime time every week and they would never have the support of Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon.

I don't agree with that at all. It might take years, generations even, but give these clubs the right kind of exposure and I think we'd eventually see something closer to an equilibrium.

Which, ultimately, is a win for everyone. I'm sure there are Collingwood and Carlton fans out there (and probably even people within those clubs) that harbour at least a degree of resentment at having the revenue streams their club generates used to prop up clubs that don't.

 

[Crankyhawk]

On paper they have a prelim finalist, the side they barely beat in the semi, an arch rival they've beaten once in the last 6 times they've played and only twice since 2018, another arch rival where they've gone 50/50 through the past 4/5 years and two sides they should be beating twice

It's certainly not a difficult set but it's not the cakewalk many are predicting

That looks like you are talking about port but I thought the original question was around Carlton’s soft draw (getting both spud teams - Richmond and wce)

 

[Crankyhawk]

Hawthorn shouldn't get the choice. If clubs want to take their home games to Bumfúck Idaho, all 18 clubs should share the load equally as to who fills the "away" slot in those fixtures. And if you get Essendon at York Park instead of at the MCG, well that's the bed you made for yourself.

We barely get Essendon as a home game.

 

[Mat Mann]

Going to be interesting to see what Hawthorn do once Tassie enter the comp. Do they stay in Launceston or will their additional home games be at Marvel or the MCG?

Similar for Essendon, I was under the impression we were lobbying for additional MCG home games. Carlton and St Kilda got extra but we didn’t - That might change once North take two home games back to Marvel.

Yeah we get to host a game at the MCG but ultimately it's status quo, still 2 games a year same as most non-vic sides, and considering we have to play finals there it's an utter disgrace by the AFL, but tbf, they couldn't give a F about the small melb clubs they have screwed over for the last 20+ years with the docklands disaster.

Bassat is spot on with his comments re the AFL, we are supposed to shut up and take whatever we are given, which is another absolute shitshow of a fixture,
3 trips to SA in 5 weeks,
2 trips to Perth,
1 to NT and NSW,
1 Thursday game
2 Friday
2 Saturday Night
1 Sunday evening
and 6 Sunday slots

top 6 teams from 2024 in 1st nine rounds plus Crows and Freo

even if we do well out of this, we'd at best be going 50/50 and therefore not deemed good enough to get extra Prime time slots, so once again relegated to the fixture dregs

Everything to do with Laura. Under current arrangements low drawing sides will be low drawing sides forever. FOREVER.

Well, until they cease to exist I suppose.

This is the epitome of short term gain for long term pain. It's not the clubs' faults really I suppose; this is the rod the AFL's making for their back.

it's all of the AFL's making, we made more out of 1 game at the MCG vs Pies/Essendon/Carlton than we do for the rest of the year at Docklands. when we've had to write cheques to the venue because we keep getting Sunday slots vs interstate sides, ofc Clubs are going to find alternatives