AFL Fixture 2023: Full analysis, highlights and rating of every club’s draw

The 2023 fixture has something for everyone. From a brand new round and an extra bye to the clubs handed a nightmare draw and a dream run, here’s everything you need to know.

The footy fixture has long dictated winter nuptial plans for Australian couples and the 2023 edition has something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

Something old? There’s the return of a 7.40pm bounce on a Friday night, albeit (and annoyingly) for round 1 only, Essendon’s first trip down the highway (excluding Covid) in 30 years and Western Bulldogs returning to Darwin for the first time since 2013.

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Something new? A King’s Birthday eve clash between Carlton and Essendon at 7.15pm on Sunday, which falls in the middle of four split rounds – up from the usual three.

Something borrowed? South Australia‘s “Gather Round” – borrowed from the NRL’s “Magic Round” concept of playing all games in one city – that is likely to see Todd Goldstein, who has aged like a bottle of merlot, celebrate his 300th game against the Brisbane Lions in the Adelaide Hills wine region.

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And something blue? Well, the Blockbuster Blues are everywhere. With seven Thursday and Friday games and double-ups against the GWS Giants, West Coast, St Kilda and Gold Coast it is hard to know who would be happier — Carlton coach Michael Voss or chief executive Brian Cook.

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Check out our comprehensive club-by-club analysis below and rate how you see them.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

The caveat here is that there are always surprises. For example, the five clubs drawn to play Collingwood twice in 2022 — Adelaide, Gold Coast, Essendon and Carlton — were probably licking their lips 12 months ago. But they combined for 0-10 as the Pies soared.

However most would agree that a Hawthorn list littered with youngsters who weren't alive when Jeff Kennett was last premier will struggle.

Broadcasters have taken notice, with the rebuilding Hawks bumped from prime time — outside of their traditional Easter Monday game.

North Melbourne and West Coast, too, appear unlikely to spike hard while Greater Western Sydney lost 16 games this year and then Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper to Richmond.

No club plays three of those four stragglers twice. So contender Melbourne might’ve lucked out, with 16 premiership points up for grabs in double-ups against the Kangas and Hawks.

But an encore Collingwood fairytale suddenly looks less likely. The Magpies meet Geelong and Brisbane twice, as well as a rising Port Adelaide and Essendon, knowing anything can happen on Anzac Day. That’s as tough as a $2 steak.

WHY THE DOUBLE-UPS MATTER

The 2022 fixture might’ve been the document that ended Brett Ratten’s coaching career.

At 8-3 St Kilda re-signed Ratten. But in the next 11 matches the Saints faced Sydney and Brisbane twice and also had their return games against Geelong and Fremantle.

They went 0-6 in those games, with four out of their five 2022 “double-ups” winning finals.

Geelong, conversely, cashed in with dual games against percentage-boosters North Melbourne and West Coast as well as a falling Port Adelaide.

Not that the Cats needed it, but they had the red carpet rolled out to September as they rotated players to help them peak with a premiership.

SATURDAY NIGHTZZZ

Are these matches really worthy of Channel 7’s showpiece Saturday night match?

Western Bulldogs-St Kilda in round 2, St Kilda-Essendon in round 3, Melbourne-North Melbourne (yes, really) in round 7, GWS-Dogs in round 8, Brisbane-Essendon in round 9, Gold Coast-Dogs in Darwin in round 11 and Fremantle-Essendon in round 15.

How many neutral supporters are cancelling their plans to consume those games? Perhaps the premium matches reserved to start the rounds on Thursday and Fridays has hurt this slot.

Expect to see a lot of Patrick Cripps and his Blues on the big stage next season. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images via AFL Photos

BUD LIGHT?

Lance Franklin‘s 350th match deserves more fanfare than a 1.45pm Saturday contest against Fremantle or North Melbourne. But they shape as Buddy’s milestone opponents unless he misses two matches in the first half of the season. That would bring a prime time special at the SCG into focus, with the Swans next two matches against Carlton (Friday night) and St Kilda (Thursday night) either side of the round 12 bye.

OTHER MILESTONES

Perhaps the greatest 200 individual games played in Western Bulldogs history is on track to be celebrated when captain Marcus Bontempelli runs out against Hawthorn in round 7, two weeks after Tom Liberatore reaches the same milestone in Gather Round. Steele Sidebottom will play No. 300 against North Melbourne in round 11 if he stays fit while for Richmond champion Trent Cotchin that magical number could be as early as a trip west to face Fremantle in round 13.

EVEN BREAKS

Port Adelaide’s six six-day breaks — which often come at the expense of a training session — in eight rounds appears to be the toughest physical run. The Tigers also have six six-day breaks in the first 15 rounds while Western Bulldogs (two plus a five-day break), Fremantle and West Coast (both three) have less demanding schedules. The Dockers and Dogs each play 10 games on Saturday, aiding their routine. But overall the AFL has done a stunning job equalising the turnarounds.

Fixture Difficulty Rating (a number between 1-10): Easy (1-3), Medium (4-7), Hard (8-10)

Originally published as AFL Fixture 2023: Full analysis, highlights and rating of every club’s draw