Winners and losers from Geelong league fixture, analysis on every club’s draw
Which clubs are facing an uphill battle in 2025, and who is well placed to contend? We have broken down every club’s 2025 draw.
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AFL Barwon has unveiled the 2025 fixture, and it is sure to have a say on how the 2025 Geelong league season plays out.
See how every side is affected here.
Bell Park
Games against 2024 top five: 6
Games against 2024 bottom three: 4
Plays twice: Newtown & Chillwell, North Shore, St Joseph’s, Colac, Geelong West, Grovedale, Leopold
Play once: Lara, South Barwon, St Albans, St Mary’s
Stand-alone games: Round 0 twilight v Colac at Central Reserve
After sneaking into the finals by a win, Bell Park is the only 2024 finalist to play against six top-five sides in 2025. However, making the finals will be tougher this time around with just four games against the bottom three – compared to six last season. Bell Park takes on four of the top six from last year in the last six rounds of the season, a run which will likely decide their finals fate.
Colac
Games against top five: 8
Games against bottom three: 5
Plays twice: North Shore, South Barwon, Bell Park, Geelong West, St Joseph’s, Lara, Grovedale
Play once: Leopold, Newtown & Chilwell, St Albans, St Mary’s
Stand-alone games: Round 0 twilight v Bell Park at Central Reserve
Round 3 twilight v South Barwon at Central Reserve
Colac was the unlucky side to miss out on finals despite boasting a percentage a tick under 150 – 36 more than fifth placed Bell Park. But the Tigers will like their chances of changing that with new co-coach Seb Ross. However, the Tigers have a nightmare start, coming up against four of last year’s top five in their first five matches – two of those twilight clashes. If they can pinch at least two wins in these clashes, their draw opens up considerably, with seven opportunities to secure wins against North Shore, Lara, St Albans and Grovedale across the season.
Geelong West
Games against top five: 8
Games against bottom three: 5
Plays twice: St Mary’s, St Albans, Newtown & Chillwell, South Barwon, Bell Park, Colac, North Shore
Plays once: Lara, Grovedale, Leopold, St Joseph’s
Stand-alone games: Round 1 v St Mary’s (twilight), Anthony Costa Oval
Round 9 v Grovedale (Sunday) at West Oval, Round 14 v North Shore (Sunday) at West Oval
The Giants dropped from 10 wins in 2023 to six last season and have lost some key players over the off-season. But they should benefit from an easier draw, having the chance to notch four wins against last year’s bottom-two St Albans and North Shore in 2025. Wins on the board early will be crucial with Colac (away), St Mary’s and St Joseph’s (away) to close out the season.
Grovedale
Games against top five: 8
Games against bottom three: 5
Plays twice: Lara, St Albans, St Mary’s, Newtown & Chillwell, Bell Park, Leopold, Colac
Play once: Geelong West, North Shore, South Barwon, St Joseph’s
Stand-alone games: Round 9 v Geelong West at West Oval
Grovedale won four games in the back-half of the season last year and has a good opportunity to continue that momentum to start 2025. The Tigers have winnable contests against Lara, St Albans and North Shore inside the first six rounds. However, they face St Mary’s, Leopold, Bell Park and Colac in four consecutive games to round out the season.
Lara
Games against top five: 7
Games against bottom four: 4
Plays twice: St Albans, Grovedale, St Mary’s, Colac, Leopold, Newtown & Chillwell, North Shore
Plays once: Bell Park, Geelong West, South Barwon, St Joseph’s
Stand-alone games: Round 11 v St Albans at Bisinella Oval
After finishing with three wins last year, Lara could be 2-0 to start the season under new coach Brett Henderson. The Cats open their season against St Albans before hosting Grovedale – two sides that Lara split the points with in 2024. They play St Albans, North Shore and Grovedale twice across the season and would hope to better their 2024 win-loss record.
Leopold
Games against top five: 8
Games against bottom three: 4
Plays twice: St Joseph’s, North Shore, St Mary’s, South Barwon, Lara, Grovedale, Bell Park
Play once: Newtown & Chilwell, Colac, Geelong West, St Albans
Stand-alone games: Round 1 v St Joseph’s at Stribling Reserve, Lorne (Easter Saturday), Round 11 v St Mary’s (Sunday) at Anthony Costa Oval
Leopold has showed over the last two years that it doesn’t need the best win-loss record to get it done in September. But the Lions will have to be at their brilliant best to make it three flags in a row, taking on all four of last year’s top five twice. Leopold has two big three week patches to bank important wins – Round 7-9 (Lara, Grovedale and St Albans) and Round 15-17 (Lara, Grovedale and North Shore).
Newtown & Chilwell
Games against top five: 8
Games against bottom three: 5
Plays twice: Bell Park, St Mary’s, Geelong West, Grovedale, St Albans, St Joseph’s, Lara
Play once: Colac, Leopold, North Shore, South Barwon
Stand-alone games: Round 0 v St Joseph’s, Elderslie Reserve
Newtown & Chillwell slumped from finals to eighth in the space of a season and will be a fascinating watch in 2025 with Geelong great Steve Johnson at the helm. The Eagles have both grand finalists just once next year and two games against Grovedale, Lara and St Albans – however, they did lose to the Supersaints last season. Their first month – Bell Park, St Mary’s, Geelong West, Leopold – will give a strong indication of how they’ll fair in 2025.
North Shore
Games against top five: 8
Games against bottom three: 4
Plays twice: Colac, Bell Park, Leopold, South Barwon, St Albans, Geelong West, Lara
Play once: Grovedale, Newtown & Chilwell, St Joseph’s, St Mary’s’
Stand-alone games: Round 8 v St Mary’s (Sunday) at Anthony Costa Oval, Round 14 v Geelong West (Sunday) at West Oval
North Shore plays against more 2024 finalists than any of the top three, and also takes on Colac twice. The Seagulls lost 14 games in a row to finish last season and appear unlikely to break that drought inside a brutal first month where Colac (away), Bell Park, (away), Leopold and South Barwon await. St Albans and Grovedale shape as winnable games in Round 5 and 6, and they have double-ups against the Supersaints and Lara across the season.
South Barwon
Games against top five: 7
Games against bottom three: 5
Plays twice: St Joseph’s, Colac, North Shore, Geelong West, Leopold, St Albans, St Mary’s
Play once: Bell Park, Grovedale, Lara, Newtown & Chilwell
Stand-alone games: Round 0 v Newtown & Chillwell at Elderslie Reserve, Round 2 v St Joseph’s at McDonald Reserve
South Barwon has suffered grand final heartbreak two years in a row, but has the opportunity to hit the ground running in 2025. The Swans have one 2024 finalist in their first five games before a grand final rematch against Leopold. South Barwon is the only top-five sides to play more than four games against the bottom-four, with four potential percentage-boosters against North Shore and St Albans.
St Albans
Games against top five: 7
Games against bottom three: 4
Plays twice: Lara, Geelong West, Grovedale, St Joseph’s, North Shore, Newtown & Chillwell, South Barwon
Play once: Bell Park, Colac, Leopold, St Mary’s
Stand-alone games: Round 11 v Lara at Bisinella Oval
The Supersaints finished the year with a win over Lara and have the chance to knock them off at home in their opening clash of 2025. Grovedale (away) and North Shore (home) shape as other winnable games in the opening five rounds. St Albans was vocal in its criticism of its nightmare draw last year and the Supersaints play Lara, Grovedale and North Shore twice next season.
St Joseph’s
Games against top five: 8
Games against bottom three: 4
Plays twice: Leopold, South Barwon, Bell Park, St Albans, Colac, St Mary’s, Newtown & Chillwell
Play once: Geelong West, Grovedale, Lara, North Shore
Stand-alone games: Round 0 v Newtown & Chillwell, Elderslie Reserve, Round 1 v Leopold at Stribling Reserve, Lorne
Round 6 v St Mary’s (Sunday), Anthony Costa Oval – Big Freeze game
St Joseph’s only lost two games last season – the second qualifying final and the preliminary final – and the Joeys come up against both of those sides in round one and two. Next season will be a much more daunting challenge to go undefeated, though. The minor premiers have a major litmus test in their first seven games, playing every other 2025 top-six side. They also play all other 2024 finalists twice next season.
St Mary’s
Games against top five: 7
Games against bottom three: 4
Plays twice: Geelong West, Newtown & Chillwell, Lara, Grovedale, Leopold, St Joseph’s, South Barwon
Play once: Bell Park, Colac, North Shore, St Albans
Stand-alone games: Round 1 v St Mary’s (twilight), Anthony Costa Oval, Round 6 v St Joseph’s (Sunday) at Anthony Costa Oval – Big Freeze game, Round 7 v North Shore (Sunday) at Anthony Costa Oval, Round 11 v Leopold (Sunday) at Anthony Costa Oval
The Saints have had a long list of departures over the off-season but they can start the 2025 season with a bang with clashes against Geelong West, Newtown & Chillwell, Lara and Grovedale in the first month. They also have a favourable run home with Bell Park and South Barwon the only 2024 finalists they will face in their last six matches. Their percentage may not reach the heights of 283 next year, though, with only one match against each of North Shore and St Albans.
Originally published as Winners and losers from Geelong league fixture, analysis on every club’s draw
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