AFL Fixture 2025: Every club’s danger games, breaks between games
When the 2025 fixture arrived, most looked straight at the marquee games, but every club footy boss went for the day breaks between clashes. Which game is your team set up to fail in?
When the fixture lobbed in the emails at clubs in November, the marketing departments began searching for prime time and marquee slots.
The footy boss at each club would first have begun adding up the day breaks.
Teams are more aware than ever of the power of the break, with multiple six-day or a dreaded five-day break often having a detrimental impact on performance.
In the NBA, the term for a beat down team running aground because of the fixture is a ‘schedule loss’.
Those games can be circled on the calendar months out, when a team plays three games in four nights, or travels to multiple cities on an away swing.
Given the AFL fixture is still mostly relegated to a four-day window at the end of each week, the fixture isn’t as demanding as in basketball.
But with Thursday night games locked in for almost the entirety of the 2025 season and Sunday night games making a comeback, the breaks for teams are stretched more than ever.
Having gone through the breaks and travel plans for every side in the opening 15 rounds, these are the matches the footy boss at each club would be most concerned about.
ADELAIDE
Danger games: R5 v Geelong (five day break), R2 v Essendon (six days plus travel), R4 v Gold Coast (six days plus travel)
Perhaps it is some kind of payback that the Crows suffer a five-day break ahead of Gather Round, when the rest of the AFL flies in to South Australia.
Adelaide plays Geelong on Thursday to start that round, and the Cats don’t have it easy, playing off a six day break that includes travel.
Matthew Nicks’ team has four slots of six-day breaks plus travel.
The first two are of most worry, travelling to play Essendon when the Bombers have an eight-day lead-in in round 2, and meeting Gold Coast when the Suns have seven days off before round 4.
BRISBANE
Danger games: R11 v Hawthorn (six days plus travel), R12 v Essendon (five days)
Brisbane’s toughest two games come together in rounds 11 and 12.
First it is a trip to the MCG to face Hawthorn – an unhappy fixture for the Lions under Chris Fagan – off six days when the Hawks get a nine-day lead in.
That is directly backed up by a five-day break, thankfully back at the Gabba against Essendon, who will travel after six days off.
The Lions also play off five days before an Easter Thursday clash with Collingwood in round 6, but that is wedged between good time off and the Pies have just six days before that Gabba game.
The reigning premiers were hit with a difficult draw but at least they earned five breaks of eight days and a nine day rest.
CARLTON
Danger games: R8 v Adelaide (six days plus travel), R9 v St Kilda (six days)
Like breakfast in bed, the Blues secured two eight-day and two nine-day breaks in the opening seven rounds, a stretch that could wake up a top four season.
It gets a little trickier for Michael Voss’ team from there, with back-to-back six day swings, first on the road against the Crows (who have an eight day lead-in) and back at the MCG against St Kilda (seven).
The Blues are one of five sides to not have a five-day break.
COLLINGWOOD
Danger games: R2 v Western Bulldogs (six days), R9 v Fremantle (five days plus travel)
If Carlton got a nice calming wake up to 2025, Collingwood’s will be as subtle as a rubbish truck knocking over the bins outside your window.
The Pies face six finalists from this year all in a row to start the year and three of those games will come off six day breaks.
While the Bulldogs will have the same break before round 2, the Pies will hit the MCG that night off back-to-back six-day swings, a tough ask even if it is early season.
This gets even tougher by round 9, with Collingwood copping the tough five day and travel lead in, when the Pies go all the way to Perth to face Fremantle.
Just three other teams have the same short break plus a plane trip.
ESSENDON
Danger game: R15 v Fremantle (five days plus travel)
The Bombers have eight tight turnarounds but their rivals are in similar boats for most of them.
A round 3 game at home against Port Adelaide comes off five days, but the Power has the same break and travels.
A six-and-travel swing before round six follows West Coast having back-to-back sixes.
In round 8, the Bombers have six days off but the Roos have five, and round 12 is six days plus travel, but the Lions are coming off five days.
Even the nightmare five days and a trip to Perth in round 15 – which looms as the most threatening turnaround – comes with Fremantle playing off five days themselves.
Bombers fans should be happiest reading this list – seven teams face one of their toughest trips against Brad Scott’s side.
FREMANTLE
Danger game: R7 v Adelaide (six days)
The Dockers get off pretty well in terms of breaks, a great result for a team that has to travel so much.
A five-dayer in round 15 comes with Essendon travelling on the same break.
Even the Dockers’ danger game comes with Adelaide travelling and off a six-day turnaround.
But Fremantle will play that game after two half-dozen breaks, often a wear down for teams.
GEELONG
Danger games: R8 v Collingwood (six days), R10 v Western Bulldogs (five days)
The Cats better get an out-of-office email ready – they effectively have three byes this season, as the only club to enjoy an 11-day pause, alongside genuine byes in rounds 3 and 16, with a 10-day stop also coming before round 12.
For a side with plenty of age in its back pocket, that extra time will be invaluable.
And the Cats will need it, with seven six day breaks and a five on the books.
An MCG blockbuster in round 8 against the Magpies is the second of two six day breaks, with Collingwood enjoying two eight day lead-ins.
And while the Bulldogs also have five days off before round 11’s Thursday match – the Bailey Smith Battle – the Cats have a six-and-travel the week before.
GOLD COAST
Danger games: R9 v Western Bulldogs (six days plus travel)
The Suns have a pretty smooth slate, with just three breaks shorter than seven days.
A five day swing before round 10 should favour the Suns, who stay in Darwin will the Hawks travel to meet them off the same turnaround.
A week earlier Gold Coast meets the Bulldogs in Darwin, with the six day lead-in tricky for Damien Hardwick’s side, but it’s far from the toughest task on the schedule.
GWS GIANTS
Danger game: R6 v Adelaide (six days plus travel)
Most footy programs chop and change their training sessions each week, forced to adapt to playing on different days.
But not the Giants in 2025, with almost no variation.
Adam Kingsley’s side does not play on any day other than Saturday and Sunday, making breaks between games all very civilised.
The only real concern on the calendar is a six day swing before facing Adelaide in round 6, when the Crows have nine days to clean up the city following Gather Round.
HAWTHORN
Danger games: R10 v Gold Coast (five days plus travel), R13 v Western Bulldogs (six days)
Being welcomed back to prime time means the Hawks get thrown back and forth between Thursdays and Fridays for much of the fixture.
And they cop a rough turnaround in round 10, heading to Darwin on a five-day break after six the week before, dropping into the sticky top end to face the Suns.
A double of six day turnarounds before round 13’s clash with the Bulldogs – who have a bye the week before – may tire out the young Hawks.
MELBOURNE
Danger games: R4 v Geelong (six days), R14 v Port Adelaide (six days plus travel)
Melbourne has a pretty even draw, with a five day turnaround before the Anzac Eve match their shortest swing, but it is matched by opponent Richmond.
The Dees travel down to Geelong in round 4 off back-to-back six dayers, with the Cats playing that game off a bye.
And in round 14, Simon Goodwin’s side travels to face Port Adelaide off six days, when the Power have a turnaround of eight days.
NORTH MELBOURNE
Danger games: R8 v Essendon (five days)
The WA deal has drawn some criticism but you can’t argue with the cash the Roos will get to play in the west twice.
And the long stay also mitigated a short turnaround into the second match against Fremantle, with the first coming off a bye.
In terms of playing twice in the west, that is as good as you can do, plus of course, the money.
Alastair Clarkson’s team don’t have too many nightmares on the slate but will be desperate to acquit themselves well in their sole Thursday night game against Essendon in round 8.
The trouble there is North will hit that game off a five day turnaround.
PORT ADELAIDE
Danger game: R3 v Essendon (five days plus travel)
Keep the TV on Fox Footy Power fans, as a five week stretch of Super Saturday games in the middle of the year makes for a simple fixture.
Port Adelaide’s toughest assignment will come in round 3, when Ken Hinkley’s side travels to face Essendon on a Thursday night off a five-day break, but the Bombers will also have just five days to prepare for that Marvel Stadium clash.
The Power then have a nice 10-day stretch after the Bombers game to recover.
RICHMOND
Danger game: R11 v Essendon (five days)
The only club without a six day break on the books, the Tigers do suffer through two lots of five.
The first is a lead in to Anzac Eve but opponents Melbourne have the same task.
The second five dayer is tougher, leading into the first Friday Dreamtime Game in round 11, when the Bombers have an extra day up their sleeves.
Richmond has been largely touted as having the friendliest draw – despite not being able to play themselves – and the lack of short breaks backs that up.
ST KILDA
Danger game: R8 v Fremantle (six days)
St Kilda copped a tough start to the season but like a perfectly shaped travel pillow, the road schedule has been kind to Ross Lyon.
His team has is one of five to not have a five day swing, and the three six dayers on the calendar do not require travel.
The Saints do have to tackle back-to-back six day turnarounds before a round 8 game against Fremantle, but the Dockers do have the pleasure of flying across the country to Marvel Stadium for that game.
SYDNEY
Danger games: R5 v Collingwood (six days plus travel), R9 v Essendon (six days plus travel)
The Swans have come out well from a fixture that leaves them with three Friday night games, with no five day swings on the slate.
A couple of tough travel weeks are the most difficult.
The Pies are travelling as well to Gather Round of course, but the Swans have to do so off a six day break, when the Pies get eight.
And in round 9, Sydney meets Essendon after six days and travel, when the Dons have nine days off.
Sydney also has to back that Bombers game up with another six day turnaround.
WEST COAST
Danger game: R5 v Carlton (six days plus travel)
No surprise the Eagles remain banished from most of the prime slots next year, with just one Friday night game planned.
As has been custom, West Coast spends plenty of its time in the late Sunday slot.
The trickiest trip for the Eagles comes in Gather Round, when they travel to Adelaide to face Carlton off a six day break, with the Blues given a nine day lead-in.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Danger game: R5 v Brisbane Lions (six days plus travel), R7 v GWS (six plus travel)
The toughest turnaround for the Dogs comes in round 11, a five day swing before going to Geelong to face Bailey Smith.
But the Cats also have five days off before that game and come off a six-plus-travel fixture the week before.
Like many clubs, the Dogs cop a six and travel to Gather Round, with Brisbane coming off seven days for that game.
And a round 7 game in Canberra comes off six days when the Giants get seven.
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