AFL Fixture 2025: Recruits to face former sides in round 1, St Kilda granted MCG home game
Dan Houston will emerge from a five-game suspension to face his former club, while St Kilda have been granted another MCG home game. Plus plenty more fixture news.
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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.
SAINTS CONTINUE MCG PUSH
St Kilda will push its case for more MCG fixtures when it hosts Carlton in round 9 next year.
The Saints went on record earlier this year in wanting to play more matches at the MCG and have hosted single games there in the past two seasons.
The Blues dragged in monster crowds to the ‘G in 2024, averaging 79,129.8 fans across nine matches.
The round 9 clash is likely to be played on a Saturday night, with the full 2025 fixture to be released on Thursday.
St Kilda has hosted its MCG games in the early part of the fixture in the past two years – in round 2 this year against Collingwood and round 3 against Essendon in 2023.
The Collingwood game was Spud’s Game, in honour of the late Danny Frawley, and the Essendon clash was the club’s 150th anniversary celebration.
The Saints have been a Marvel Stadium tenant since the venue opened but have been sending in annual requests to the AFL to play more home games at the MCG.
“I think we have been open about the fact we would like to have more MCG home games, we would like to be a hybrid club playing some games at the MCG, particularly the bigger drawing games,” Saints president Andrew Bassat told Saints TV this week.
“We’re hoping to get at least one game this year, if not two games. Over time we’d like four. We’ll keep that request on there. It is going to be hard but we will keep pushing that year after year.”
St Kilda has been joined by Essendon and Carlton in wanting less Marvel Stadium home games and more at the MCG.
St Kilda landed one Thursday night game in the first 16 weeks of the season, hosting the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium in round 14.
The Saints will also unveil a new club crest next week, joining Adelaide and Gold Coast with new looks in 2025.
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Originally published as AFL Fixture 2025: Recruits to face former sides in round 1, St Kilda granted MCG home game
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