2025 AFL Fixture

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

We know we're gonna get screwed by the schedule.
My thoughts are F@%& the schedule. Let's win and win and earn and retain viewer interest in us over a long time.
Then the annual Vaseline job of the schedule release will continue.

[Axe Man]

Round 1 we play North at Marvel, Saturday March 15 (not 13th per the article which is a Thursday). Up against Caleb straight up.

AFL Fixture 2025: Recruits to face former sides in round 1, St Kilda granted MCG home game

New Collingwood star defender Dan Houston and North Melbourne recruit Caleb Daniel will face-off against their former teammates in Round 1 next season.

In a bumper start to Fox Footy’s ‘Super Saturday’ coverage in 2025, Houston and Daniel will face emotional encounters against their old sides in Melbourne on Saturday, March 13 to help launch Round 1.

Houston will make his return from a season-ending five-game suspension under lights at the MCG against Port Adelaide, while Daniel will attempt to make the Western Bulldogs pay for dumping him from the senior side in parts of 2024 at Marvel Stadium.

And the AFL has wasted no time locking in the grand final rematch with the reigning premier Brisbane Lions set to meet the Sydney Swans at the SCG in Round 1.

The grand final rematch has been slated for the 4.15pm twilight slot on Saturday which has become one of the most popular spots on the footy calendar following a surge in attendances last season.

Saturday nights have been considered the traditional prime time slot but that is changing with fans showing a preference for the Saturday twilight game following bumper crowds and television ratings in the later afternoon spot in 2024.

The grand final rematch will bring back tough memories for John Longmire’s men who were belted by the Lions following an awful start to the premiership decider last season.

The trio of Round 1 grudge matches promises to provide a tantalising start to the first regular round of the season with Saturday games to be shown live only on Fox Footy in the early part of the year.

Geelong Cats will also play their first home game of the new season at GMHBA Stadium against Fremantle, and new recruit Shai Bolton, on Saturday from 1.20pm in Round 1.

The Richmond rebuild will be on full show on Saturdays in Rounds 2 -3 with the Tigers slated to take on Adelaide away (Round 2) and St Kilda at Marvel Stadium (Round 3).

And St Kilda will have the chance to make a statement early taking on Adelaide away in Round 1, Geelong at Marvel Stadium on Saturday under lights in Round 2, followed by the Tigers in the twilight slot in Round 3.

The Collingwood – Carlton blockbuster has been given prime time rights on Thursday night in Round 4 at a packed-out MCG on April 3.

The Magpies are slated to play GWS Giants (Engie Stadium), Port Adelaide (MCG), Western Bulldogs (MCG), bye, Carlton (MCG), Sydney Swans (AO), Brisbane Lions (Gabba) and Essendon (MCG) over the first eight weeks.

Essendon will also start the season against Gold Coast (PFS) on Saturday in Opening Round, Hawthorn (MCG) on Friday night in Round 1 and Adelaide (MCG) on Saturday afternoon in Round 2.

Melbourne face North Melbourne on Sunday in Round 2 at Marvel Stadium and Gold Coast in Round 3 on Saturday at the MCG from 1.20pm.

The Hawks will also get a prime time Saturday night game in Round 3 against GWS Giants in Launceston after starting the season with back-to-back Friday night matches in Opening Round against Sydney Swans (SCG) and Round 1 against Essendon (MCG) followed by another marquee Thursday night match against Carlton in Round 2.

Saturday afternoon matches will be brought forward by 20 minutes as part of a new 1.20pm time slot next season.

The Herald Sun can reveal the AFL will on Thursday confirm games which previously began at 1.40pm will now kick off at 1.20pm on Saturdays in 2025.

The move will ensure there is less overlap between games for Saturday triple-headers which will be played live on Fox Footy.

In Round 1, Geelong and Fremantle will begin at 1.20pm, before Sydney Swans versus Brisbane from 4.15pm, and then the bounce for the pair of Saturday night games at 7.35pm.

The time change is expected to be popular among fans who expressed frustration that games overlapped during the day time.

[Axe Man]

Geelong as always getting their wish and playing us at their shit hole. We?ll probably get them twice yet again.

I hope so, I'm not going to all the way to Geelong on a Thursday night to boo Smith, I would like a more convenient opportunity.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Can’t wait to see how many of the new SundayNight prime time TV friendly games we get. So excited to see the fixedture tomorrow.

Well from a TV perspective it'll be better than Saturday games as they won't be on free to air anymore.

[azabob]

Ok can we merge both fixture threads?

[azabob]

Ok can we merge both fixture threads?

[Axe Man]

Ok can we merge both fixture threads?

Well the boss created this duplicate...

[Stevo]

Well the boss created this duplicate...

Nark

[azabob]

Well the boss created this duplicate...

Yep. So I guess it was nice knowing your thread?

[Axe Man]

Sunday nights set to be footy's new primetime frontier

THE AFL is banking on Sunday night football as its newest initiative for 2025, with next season's fixture set to include a host of games in football's fresh primetime slot.

It's understood the 2025 fixture, which is set to be released later on Thursday, will feature nine Sunday night fixtures in the opening 16 weeks of the campaign.

The initiative is born from the new TV rights deal, which kicks in next season, with Channel Seven set to broadcast a handful of the Sunday night games including a blockbuster Gather Round fixture between Port Adelaide and Hawthorn.

That game ? a repeat of last year's dramatic semi-final ? is due to begin at Adelaide Oval at 7.20pm AEST to cap the Gather Round extravaganza, with the first nine Sunday night fixtures all guaranteed to start at 6.10pm or later on the east coast.

West Coast and Fremantle will host five of the nine Sunday night games, though a number of eastern clubs will also get their fix of the new timeslot with the AFL seeking to take advantage of long weekends via the new fixture timings.

The Western Bulldogs will play Sydney at 7.20pm on Easter Sunday, while Carlton and Essendon will also face off at 7.15pm in their annual King's Birthday Eve clash.

The first QClash of the season between Brisbane and Gold Coast will also take place at 7.20pm on a Sunday evening that leads into Labour Day in Queensland.

Another quirk in the fixture will see a Marvel Stadium double-header in round 11, coinciding with Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Carlton will play Greater Western Sydney on the Saturday at 1.20pm AEST, before North Melbourne hosts Collingwood at the same venue at 7.35pm AEST later that evening.

The double-header is expected to feature a series of Sir Doug Nicholls Round activations throughout the Docklands precinct during the day.

"We are thrilled to be hosting back-to-back matches on Saturday in Sir Doug Nicholls Round next season," Marvel Stadium general manager Scott Fitzgerald said in a statement.

"We will look to activate throughout the Marvel Precinct and will work with all our stakeholders on delivering a great event for fans attending this special round."

[chef]

Is that our home game?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Since when do Carlton and essendon have an annual kings birthday eve match? Since last season? This crap is so contrived towards the big clubs.

[Happy Days]

Every year the AFL tries to pretend it’s really done something with the fixture. It’s horrible living in a sellers’ market.

[Axe Man]

Since when do Carlton amd essendon have an annual kings birthday eve match? Since last season? This crap is so contrived towards the big clubs.

Looks like it started in 2023. They played each other in that round in 2022 but it was on the Friday night. Both had byes in 2021.

So a long and storied tradition that has spanned generations.

[The Underdog]

Thank god we play at Sedat Park in 2025. Thought we might miss out.
Open with a home game against North and 2 games total at the G including our home game against Collingwood.
Darwin and Canberra on top of 1 x Perth, Brisbane and Sydney trips.
No Adelaide Oval?
Finish with 2 x Home games against the WA teams.