The AFL has released the 2025 AFL Fixture, and fans are eager to see how their team will fare in the upcoming season. The fixture announcement builds on from the exciting Gather Round fixture announcement earlier this week. With the schedule now finalized, fans can plan their trips to the footy and start marking their calendars.
The 2025 fixture presents a range of opportunities and challenges for each team. Some clubs have been handed favorable draws, while others will have to overcome a tough road to reach the finals. We'll delve into the details and see which teams have the easiest and hardest fixtures in 2025.
Fixture Difficulty Analysis: A Team-by-Team Breakdown
To analyze the fixture difficulty, we'll consider a few factors, including:
- Double-up opponents: Which teams will each club play twice in 2025?
- Rest periods: How many five-day breaks and nine-day breaks does each team have?
- Home and away games: Which teams will have a favorable home game advantage, especially in the latter stages of the season?
We'll use these criteria to determine the fixture difficulty and grade each team's schedule. Let's dive into the details.
Melbourne
Melbourne will hope to harness its 2025 AFL fixture to supercharge its attack on a return to the top eight. Dees members and supporters can now mark their calendars, with the fixture locked in for the first 15 matches of next year. Dates and times from Round 16 onwards are floating until later in the season. Melbourne will open its campaign with a battle against GWS on Sunday 16 March, marking the first of seven home matches on the hallowed turf in the front half of the season.
Also on the agenda are dual encounters against six sides, with home and away games against North Melbourne, Gold Coast, West Coast, Hawthorn, St Kilda and Collingwood. Melbourne CEO Gary Pert welcomed the draw, with opportunity aplenty for the Demon faithful to enjoy the footy this coming season. “A strong MCG fixture is always the highest priority for us, so we’re pleased to have 12 games at our spiritual home in 2025,” Pert said. “We will host a strong schedule of blockbuster matches, including the annual ANZAC Day Eve game against Richmond and King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood, as well as contests against Hawthorn, Sydney and Carlton.” “This is also a very family friend fixture, with 10 of the confirmed matches – seven of which are in Victoria – to be played in an afternoon timeslot. We hope to see many of our junior Dees filling the stands at home and away.” “This is a great draw for our members and supporters, and we look forward to welcoming the Demon faithful back for an exciting 2025 AFL season.”
The Demons will prepare for a return excursion down the highway, heading to GMHBA Stadium to take on the Cats in Round 4, while they will make the trip to Marvel Stadium on three occasions; they are on hosting duties against West Coast in Round 21. The interstate itinerary, featuring less travel than 2024, includes three trips to Adelaide, two visits to Queensland to take on the Lions and the SUNS, and singular fixtures in Alice Springs and Perth.
Nine of the first 15 rounds will be broadcast on free-to-air TV. The club’s showcase ANZAC Day Eve and King’s Birthday games have been locked in for Thursday night and Monday afternoon timeslots respectively. Sir Doug Nicholls Round, where the club will once again take on the name Narrm, will be held across Round 10 and 11, against Brisbane and Sydney. Club memberships for Melbourne’s 2025 AFL campaign are now on sale. Be sure to sign up or renew your membership today.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 2nd-easiest
Grade: A-
Adelaide Crows
After an objectively tough fixture in 2024, Adelaide and their fans can look forward to one next year that sets them up to play in September – in other words, there aren’t any excuses this time around. From rounds one through to 15, the Crows will have one five-day break, five six-day breaks, three week-long breaks, three eight-day breaks and a singular nine-day break. The biggest change in rest periods will come through Gather Round, where Matthew Nicks’ side will have just five days off before their Thursday night fixture with Geelong; but it will be followed by a nine-day break. Adelaide will play North Melbourne and West Coast twice, which on face value should be a positive. Cross-town rivals Port Adelaide look set to be the hardest side they’ll double up with, with Collingwood and Hawthorn not far behind.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 4th-easiest
Grade: A-
Carlton
There’s no doubt that Carlton is smack-bang in the middle of the premiership window, so 2025 is the year they’ll want to pounce on what is an incredibly favourable fixture. They’ve drawn a good straw in the form of double-ups and will clash with North Melbourne and West Coast twice – much like Adelaide. The club’s first month of fixtures are all in prime time — on either a Thursday or Friday night — and they’ve been given not one, but two nine-day breaks (plus the bye) in their first 15 rounds. The cherry on top? No five-day breaks in the first half of their season!
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 3rd-easiest
Grade: A+
Geelong
It’s all about getting a good rest for Geelong in the first 15 rounds of their fixture; and they’ll be absolutely loving it. The Cats do need to bare one five-day break before July, but in return, they’ve managed to snag a nine-day break, 10-day break, and wait for it... an 11-day break! We’re not sure how they’ve managed to land such a strong amount of rest, but when you add in the fact they’ll get an extra home game at GMHBA Stadium next season – they’ve nailed it. The Cats will play Richmond and St Kilda twice in a win but will be tasked with double ups against the likes of Brisbane, GWS and Port Adelaide in tougher games.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 8th-easiest
Grade: A+
Brisbane Lions
Understandably, Brisbane has the toughest fixture based on the 2024 percentage of the teams it plays twice. The Lions double-up against three top-six sides from last season — Sydney, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs — two middle-six teams, and just one bottom-six side: Gold Coast. The Suns are expected to be risers next year too, meaning there’s minimal margin for error for the reigning premiers. The Lions do get two nine-day breaks throughout the first 15 rounds, but that is cancelled out by a pair of five-day spells. It is a difficult fixture — by design — but it isn’t anything this battle-hardened Chris Fagan-led brigade can’t handle.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): Hardest
Grade: C-
Richmond
Richmond has the easiest draw in 2025, which is to be expected given their 2024 season yielded the wooden spoon. The Tigers will need to travel out of Melbourne just three times in the first 15 rounds, heading to Adelaide twice (including Gather Round) and NSW to take on the Giants. Having said that, they do have two five-day breaks in the lead up to clashes against Melbourne and Essendon, although those are blockbuster clashes for ANZAC Day Eve and Dreamtime at the ‘G. The Tigers take on Geelong twice in 2025 but have been given favourable double ups against West Coast, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Essendon and the Suns. It’ll take some time for Adem Yze’s side to get back to the promised land, but with their incoming draft haul, keep an eye on the Tigers youthful brigade in 2025.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): Easiest
Grade: A
Collingwood
The Magpies double-up against three sides that didn’t make the finals last season in Adelaide, Melbourne and Fremantle — granted, though, the Dockers and Crows are expected to be big improvers — but they are scheduled to face the reigning premier Lions two times next year in what is the third-hardest fixture in terms of the 2024 percentage of their double-up opponents. But in an advantage: Collingwood is scheduled to play six of its final eight fixtures at the MCG. The Pies are also treated to a stretch between Round 10-17 where they only play at the MCG or Marvel Stadium — a stretch that also includes their second bye. There is, however, a five-day break in between a Round 8 home match and a Round 9 trip to Perth to play the Dockers.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 3rd-hardest
Grade: B-
Port Adelaide
The Power have been handed the competition’s second-toughest slate in terms of opposition 2024 percentage, doubling up against three top-six sides — Sydney, Geelong and Hawthorn — and just one bottom-six side in the Adelaide Crows, who will likely improve in 2025. In a positive, however, Port Adelaide is scheduled to play three consecutive fixtures at Adelaide Oval between Rounds 14 and 16, and four in five weeks at home between Rounds 14 and 18 — allowing for a run to September at the business end of the season.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 2nd-hardest
Grade: C-
Fremantle
Fremantle handily plays three middle-six finishers from last year in the Bulldogs, Collingwood and St Kilda, as well as its customary pair of Western Derbies. And like West Coast, the Dockers benefit from an added home game next season; scheduled to play North Melbourne at Optus Stadium in an ‘away’ match. After Fremantle’s Round 13 bye, it plays three consecutive games at Optus Stadium — including that Roos match — hosting 2024 bottom-10 finishers Essendon and St Kilda, representing a key opportunity to string some wins together in the middle of the year. The finals aspirants also get a nine-day break in between a Round 9 home match and a Round 10 trip to Sydney, and in another boost, the Dockers play on Thursday or Friday night in three consecutive weeks between Round 7 (Anzac Night) and 9.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 6th-hardest
Grade: B+
Sydney Swans
Given the Swans were grand finalists last year, they should be pretty pleased with the draw they’ve been dealt. The Swans will feature in Opening Round again next year, which means they have two byes in the first 15 rounds, but that is offset by half a dozen six-day breaks. John Longmire’s side will face Brisbane, GWS and Port Adelaide twice in 2025, but they’ve also been handed double ups with Fremantle, Essendon and North Melbourne. Expect the Swans to be around the mark once again in 2025 and really push towards a second flag under Longmire.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 9th-easiest
Grade: B-
Essendon
Put simply, Essendon’s fixture is as fascinating as it gets. They are arguably the face of prime time in 2025, for reasons somewhat unbeknownst given their recent form. But nonetheless, the Bombers will be planning on proving themselves on the big stage next year. And in an even more odd quirk in their fixture – the Bombers have two five-day breaks (one followed by a bye), a nine-day break and a monster 10-day break in the first 15 rounds. They’ll play Richmond twice in what fans would perceive as a positive but will on the contrary need to face Carlton and Sydney a second time also. An incredibly odd fixture to make of! Note: while the prime-time exposure is a commercial positive for the Bombers, this grade is weighted towards the difficulty of the 2025 fixture and its impact on the club’s prospective win-loss output.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 5th-hardest
Grade: B
Gold Coast Suns
Once again entering a new season in which they are tipped for improvement, the Suns are treated to a favourable fixture. They are scheduled to double-up against three bottom-six sides from last season in Richmond, Adelaide and Melbourne. But in saying that, the Crows nor Demons will be pushovers. They are, however, somewhat stunted by a five-day break between Rounds 9 and 10; two fixtures they play at TIO Stadium in Darwin — they went 2-0 at the venue this year. They then benefit from a 10-day break between that second Darwin fixture and a Round 11 trip to Marvel Stadium, and they play four of their final seven games at People First Stadium as they look to stage a maiden September charge.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 5th-easiest
Grade: B+
St Kilda
A tough start to the season for the Saints where they travel to Adelaide to face the Crows Round 1 and play five top eight sides from last season - including three top four teams - over their first seven games. That’s followed by meetings with Fremantle (Marvel Stadium) and Carlton (MCG) and they host Brisbane at Marvel Stadium too. They’re double up fixtures are against Fremantle, who’s expected to rise up the ladder, Geelong, GWS Giants, Melbourne, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs. The Saints crucially don’t have any five-day breaks in a big win, while they also play an ‘away’ game against Collingwood at Marvel Stadium (Round 15) and make the trip to Darwin to face Melbourne (Round 12). St Kilda finishes its season with three away games - albeit one at Marvel Stadium (Essendon) and another at the MCG (Richmond).
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 9th-hardest
Grade: C-
Western Bulldogs
After finishing sixth last home-and-away season, Luke Beveridge’s side have been given a middle-of-the-pack draw for 2025. The Bulldogs’ fixture is relatively balanced, with just three six-day breaks in the first 15 rounds of the season. They do have a five-day break leading into the match against Geelong the week before their bye, however. The Bulldogs will have to face reigning premiers and arch-rivals Brisbane and GWS twice in 2025, but get double-up fixtures against Essendon, Fremantle, North Melbourne and St Kilda. At their best, the Bulldogs can beat anyone, it’s just a question of whether or not they can put it all together for long enough and at the right time.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 7th-easiest
Grade: B
Hawthorn
Despite their promising surge up the ladder late this year, the Hawks receive an even split in terms of their 2025 double-ups; scheduled to play two top-six sides, two middle-six teams and two bottom-six clubs. In saying that, the reigning premier Lions are among the sides Hawthorn will play twice next year. The Hawks will receive two nine-day breaks between games in the first 16 weeks of the season, but they have also been handed a five-day break in between a Sunday MCG fixture in Round 9 and a Thursday night match in Darwin in Round 10. They will be prime-time kings in 2025. To just Round 16, Hawthorn has been given four Friday night slots — the most in the competition — and three Thursday night fixtures, as well as its traditional Easter Monday meeting with Geelong in Round 6, allowing for plenty of exposure as Sam Mitchell’s burgeoning side seeks a September return. The Hawks will play four matches at UTAS Stadium next year — their home-away-from-home and where they went 4-0 in 2024. Finally, on an interesting note, Round 24 will be the first time Hawthorn plays at the Gabba this decade.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 4th-hardest
Grade: B
North Melbourne
The biggest takeaway from North Melbourne’s fixture is their two ‘home’ games in Western Australia, which looks to pay major dividends both financially and in 2026 when they get given an additional two home fixtures — however, in terms of pure fixture difficulty, things just got harder. This is the Kangaroos’ way of planning for life after Tasmania when they join the competition in the coming years. They’ll play Richmond twice in 2025, as well as the Crows, Blues, Demons, Swans and Bulldogs – and they probably would’ve hoped for a second crack at West Coast after two great battles against them in 2024. Alastair Clarkson’s men will have one five-day break, and one 10-day break in the first 16 weeks of their season; in what is otherwise a very level fixture in terms of breaks.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 8th-hardest
Grade: C
GWS Giants
GWS have arguably the most consistent fixture of anyone to start off their season, playing exclusively on Saturday and Sunday until at least the start of July. While it’s excellent for the continuity of the side, perhaps the Giants’ commercial team won’t be as pleased? They’ll play West Coast twice, but beyond that they’ll be doubling up against the higher-ranked sides in 2025. There isn’t much else to see here in western Sydney... which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 7th-hardest
Grade: B+
West Coast Eagles
How quickly can the Eagles bounce under new coach Andrew McQualter? Given their struggles in recent times, the Eagles will play the majority of their footy on a Sunday at the start of their 2025 campaign. Highlights include their Good Friday clash with Essendon and the Western Derby and they have three six-day breaks in the first 15 rounds. The Eagles have the sixth-easiest draw in 2025, which can perhaps be considered a little bit stiff given their struggles. The Eagles will face the Giants, Dockers and Blues twice, but also get two fixtures against Melbourne, Adelaide and Richmond.
Fixture Difficulty (based on double-ups): 6th-easiest
Grade: B-
The 2025 AFL season is shaping up to be an exciting one. With a mix of favorable and challenging draws, each team will have its own unique journey to navigate. Fans can expect a thrilling season filled with competitive matches and plenty of drama. Stay tuned for all the action as the AFL season gets underway in 2025.
