Nine weird quirks of 2018 AFL fixture

RICHMOND claims an early victory against Geelong, Gold Coast players look up what do for a week in Perth and an eye-popping Dogs v Blues nugget. Nine fixture quirks you might have missed.

PUTTING together the AFL fixture must be one hell of a job.

“Given the AFL competition comprises a 23 round season involving 18 clubs playing 22 matches, it is not possible to achieve complete equity,” the AFL says on its website.

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There will always be winners and losers — and weird things we can’t really explain.

Here are nine quirks of the 2018 fixture that caught our eye.

Spotted something unusual in your club’s draw that we missed? Leave a comment below.

DOWNLOAD THE 2018 FIXTURE PDF

See you at the G, Danger ... Patrick Dangerfield and Trent Cotchin will face off twice next season — both at Richmond’s home ground.

FIXTURE QUIRKS

1. PLEAS by some Richmond and media figures for last year’s home-and-away clash against Geelong to be relocated from the Cats’ home ground were unsuccessful — but they may not have fallen on deaf ears.

That game was played at the Cattery (Geelong won by 14 points in front of 32,266 fans) but next year the two clubs will play twice in the home-and-away season — both at the MCG, including a Geelong home game in Round 13.

This year’s qualifying final between the two clubs was played at the G, despite Geelong finishing higher on the ladder, in front of 95,028 spectators.

2. THE Cats’ consolation prize is a game against Carlton at Kardinia Park, now known as GMHBA Stadium. The Blues haven’t travelled down the highway since 1997.

3. GOLD Coast will spend a week in Perth early in the season, when the Suns are scheduled to play Fremantle and West Coast in Rounds 3 and 4.

The Fremantle game, on Saturday April 7, is actually a home game for Gold Coast but will be played at the new Perth stadium — the Dockers’ home — because Metricon Stadium is unavailable due to the Commonwealth Games.

The Suns have a week to see the sights of Perth — and have indicated they will stay out west — before facing the Eagles at the same venue seven days later.

Luke Hodge in his new colours. Picture: Mark Stewart

Memo Gold Coast players: Rottnest Island is just a 45-minute ferry ride from Fremantle. Picture: instagram.com/al_wildsight

4. MOST Hawthorn fans hoping to see Luke Hodge in the flesh will have to visit their travel agent.

The Hawks play Hodge’s new club Brisbane twice next year but neither game will be played in Victoria.

The teams face off at the Gabba in Round 9 — just their second match at the ground in the past decade — and the return meeting in Round 17 is at the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston.

5. THE Western Bulldogs will meet Carlton twice in a season for the first time since 2002. Remarkably, the last time that happened was Terry Wallace’s final game as coach.

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6. THE Dogs will play Richmond for the first and only time next season in Round 23. The clubs played just once this season, in Round 7, making it 37 weeks of AFL action between meetings. In between those dates, the Dogs play West Coast four times.

Carlton and the Western Bulldogs have met just 15 times in the past 15 years. Picture: Michael Klein

7. RICHMOND and Melbourne will meet on Anzac Eve on Tuesday, April 24. It will be the first time premiership points have been awarded on a Tuesday night since 1996, when Essendon and St Kilda completed a game halted by the lights going out at Waverley three days earlier.

The teams resumed the game in front of more than 17,000 fans with Essendon leading by 20 points. They ran out 22-point winners 45 minutes later.

8. COLLINGWOOD’S conditioning staff will be tested from Rounds 4-6. The Pies have a 12-day break leading into Anzac Day then just four days to prepare for a clash against Richmond.

9. THE Western Bulldogs will return to Ballarat for home games against Gold Coast (Round 7) and Port Adelaide (Round 19). The matches are part of a five-year partnership between the Dogs, the City of Ballarat and the State Government.