See who every team plays twice in season 2020
Essendon, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne have been handed very favourable fixtures for 2020 but preliminary finalists Collingwood are facing a tough start and even tougher double up games.
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Essendon and Western Bulldogs have been handed dream fixtures for 2020 but preliminary finalists Collingwood has one of the toughest draws.
The Bombers, who refused to trade Joe Daniher to Sydney during the trade period, will play bottom six teams the Swans, Adelaide and North Melbourne twice next year.
SEE WHO YOUR CLUB PLAYS TWICE IN 2020 BELOW
They will, however, play two of this year’s top-six teams twice — Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney.
Essendon will have the opportunity to get off to a winning start and generate momentum early in the year with matches against 2019 bottom eight sides Fremantle (home), Sydney (away) and Carlton in the first three rounds before hosting grand finalists GWS at Marvel Stadium.
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The Bombers face just two finalists from this season in the first seven rounds — GWS and Collingwood.
The Magpies on the other hand have been handed one of the toughest fixtures, with double up matches against the last two premiers and early flag favourites Richmond and West Coast as well as finalists Brisbane and Essendon.
Nathan Buckley’s team will also play 2018 preliminary finalists Melbourne twice, who are expected to rebound after a poor season.
The Magpies have a tough start to the season, with Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Hawthorn — who it has beaten just once since the 2011 preliminary final — and Brisbane (away) in the first month.
While Collingwood will play 14 games at the MCG, just five of those come against interstate clubs as it plays the likes of top teams Richmond, Geelong and Essendon at the venue.
Western Bulldogs have also been handed a dream fixture as the club prepares to surge up the ladder.
The Bulldogs were one of the in-form teams in the competition heading into the finals before crashing out against GWS but are expected to be one of the big improvers next year.
After adding bookends Josh Bruce and Alex Keath to bolster its attack and defence, the Bulldogs will play just one top six team from this year twice in 2020 — GWS.
THE DRAW: SEE THE FULL 2020 FIXTURE
Luke Beveridge’s team has been fixtured to play two bottom six teams from 2019 twice next year — Carlton and Fremantle, who has lost Bradley Hill and Ed Langdon — and will also play North Melbourne and Port Adelaide twice, two teams that had inconsistent seasons this year.
Melbourne could rebound from its poor season quickly, with a favourable fixture, playing just one top-six team from this year twice — Collingwood.
The Demons have two games against struggling Gold Coast in a major win, while it will also play non-finalists Fremantle, Adelaide and St Kilda twice.
The league uses a weighted rule to determine the double match-ups based on the final ladder positions of the previous season.
The rule works as follows:
WHO EVERY CLUB PLAYS TWICE IN 2020
ADELAIDE
Port Adelaide, Richmond, Essendon, St Kilda, Melbourne
BRISBANE
Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Geelong, North Melbourne
CARLTON
Richmond, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, Sydney, North Melbourne
COLLINGWOOD
Brisbane Lions, West Coast, Richmond, Essendon, Melbourne
ESSENDON
Adelaide, Collingwood, Sydney, GWS, North Melbourne
FREMANTLE
Gold Coast, West Coast, Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs
GEELONG
Hawthorn, GWS, West Coast, St Kilda, Brisbane Lions
GOLD COAST
Port Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane Lions, Melbourne, Fremantle
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
Essendon, Geelong, Western Bulldogs, Sydney, Richmond
HAWTHORN
Geelong, Brisbane Lions, Sydney, Port Adelaide, North Melbourne
MELBOURNE
Adelaide, Collingwood, Fremantle, St Kilda, Gold Coast
NORTH MELBOURNE
Brisbane, Carlton, Essendon, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs
PORT ADELAIDE
Adelaide, Hawthorn, West Coast, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast
RICHMOND
Adelaide, Carlton, Collingwood, GWS, West Coast
ST KILDA
Adelaide, Carlton, Fremantle, Geelong, Melbourne
SYDNEY
Carlton, Essendon, GWS, Hawthorn, Gold Coast
WEST COAST
Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Port Adelaide, Richmond
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Carlton, Fremantle, GWS, Port Adelaide, North Melbourne
Originally published as See who every team plays twice in season 2020