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.

Essendon has been handed a favourable fixture for 2020.

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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Essendon has been handed a favourable fixture for 2020.

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.

Collingwood has a tough run. Picture: Michael Klein

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:

How AFL weighting rule works

	TOP 6	MIDDLE 6	BOTTOM 6
TOP 6	T6 v T6: Min two return meetings. Max three return meetings.	M6 v T6: Min one return meeting. Max two return meetings.	B6 v T6: Min 0 return meetings. Max one return meeting.
MIDDLE 6	T6 v M6: Min 1 return meeting. Max two return meetings.	M6 v M6: Min two return meetings. Max three return meetings.	B6 v M6: Min one return meeting. Max two return meetings.
BOTTOM 6	T6 v B6: Min 0 return meetings. Max one return meeting.	M6 v B6: Min one return meeting. Max two return meetings.	B6 v B6: Min two return meetings. Max three return meetings.

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