AFL: Collingwood will face 2024 finalists in seven of the first eight weeks of 2025 season

Collingwood’s 2024 fall from grace has hit the 2023 premiers hard, with an unforgiving opening to the 2025 season set to test the mettle of coach Craig McRae’s men.

As Carlton was handed what seems a dream draw next season, the Magpies have been dealt a harsh hand with match-ups against seven finalists from 2024 in their opening eight games.

Despite finishing outside the top eight in 2024, the Magpies also have to play reigning premiers the Brisbane Lions twice after an Opening Round clash with semi-finalists GWS that is followed by games against Port Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs, Carlton, Sydney the Lions and Geelong by round 8.

St Kilda, who also missed the finals in coach Ross Lyon’s second year of his second stint, has also been given a harsh hand that includes two trips to Perth.

The Saints will play three of the top-four finishers from 2024 in the first five rounds of 2025, and six finalists in the first nine weeks of the season, which could determine their finals fate before the halfway mark.

Carlton on the other hand could be poised to seriously challenge for the premiership, set to face only two finalists from 2024 – Hawthorn and Port Adelaide – twice, while getting double-up games against bottom-four sides West Coast and North Melbourne as well as perennial rivals Collingwood and Essendon.

Melbourne, having endured a horror off-season amid trade speculation over wantaway stars Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, has also been given a smooth run, possibly back to the finals.

The Demons play only one 2024 finalist twice, Hawthorn, and avoid two clashes against all top four teams.

After surging to an unexpected September appearance, and a finals victory in 2024, Hawthorn will feature prominently in prime time in 2025.

The Hawks play seven Thursday or Friday night games in the opening 16 rounds amid growing expectation for coach Sam Mitchell’s brigade of precocious young stars.

After trumpeting the inclusion of 23 Thursday night games, the AFL is also looking to make Sunday night a prime-time slot, with nine fixtures in the opening 16 weeks, including the Gather Round showdown between Port and Hawthorn and a King’s Birthday Eve blockbuster between the Bombers and Blues.

Essendon fans keen to see how Jake Stringer performs against his former team will have to wait until round 19 when the Bombers play GWS, while the annual the Dreamtime at the ‘G clash with Richmond will be played on a Friday night for the first time in round 11.

Confirmation North Melbourne will play two “home” games in Western Australia, against Fremantle and West Coast back-to-back, means the Kangaroos won’t have to travel to Perth again in 2025.

In 2025, all 18 teams will again play 23 games each; once against 11 teams and twice against six teams, with 11 games at home, 11 away and one at Gather Round.

The AFL uses a “weighted rule” to determine the double-ups, with clubs split into three groups of six based on their ladder position the previous year – first to sixth, seventh to 12th and 13th to 18th.

Each club is then allocated their double-up games based on these groups, with the goal for each club to play twice against two to three teams in the same group and twice against one to two teams in the other groups.

But that can be impacted by the need for blockbuster clashes like Anzac Day, Anzac Eve, King’s Birthday, Dreamtime at the ‘G, two showdowns in Adelaide, two derbies in Perth and two Q-clashes in Brisbane.