Preview 2013 AFL fixture released

[MightyHawks]

Starting off with 4 games in 19 days, all against likely top 8 teams, including both of last year's G/Finalists, each on a different day of the week, and culminating in a weekday trip to Sydney.
That has nothing whatever to do with playing at KP later in the season.
What it has to do with is either sheer incompetence, or out and out bastardry.

The AFL work hard to give the Swans advantages... it's one of the keys to the fixture

I'm expecting our first 4 matches to be:
R1 Geelong MCG Monday
R2 Adelaide/West Coast Interstate Sunday
R3 Collingwood MCG Saturday
R4 Adelaide/West Coast Interstate Saturday

I'm sure we'll play the Crows or Eagles interstate in round 2 so they get 15-16 days off and don't have to leave their home state while we travel on a 6 day break.

 

[FredLeDeux]

The AFL work hard to give the Swans advantages... it's one of the keys to the fixture

I'm expecting our first 4 matches to be:
R1 Geelong MCG Monday
R2 Adelaide/West Coast Interstate Sunday
R3 Collingwood MCG Saturday
R4 Adelaide/West Coast Interstate Saturday

I'm sure we'll play the Crows or Eagles interstate in round 2 so they get 15-16 days off and don't have to leave their home state while we travel on a 6 day break.

Those 2 matches against the Adelaide/West Coast combine will test you.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Not thrilled about the consecutive 6 day breaks to start the year but this could be a positive. Scott and the club will know it is an absolute must to have the players fit and firing for the START of the year like 11. Unlike last year where we kept hearing 'players are being prepared to peak for finals' crap which resulted in us looking tired and sluggish until the Bombers game and falling back to bad habits v Freo when it counted.

 

[MightyHawks]

Those 2 matches against the Adelaide/West Coast combine will test you.

Yes they will. Hopefully it'll be played somewhere on the Nullabor in the dark

 

[FredLeDeux]

Yes they will. Hopefully it'll be played somewhere on the Nullabor in the dark

That could make them think twice. I certainly wouldn't want to play Lewis or Guerra in the dark.

 

[Belisarius]

Cannot see the Pies or Essendon or Carlton getting four 6 day break geames in a row.

Reckon we do not count that much in the AFL's eyes.

I will see how many interstate games the Pies get as well.

Yes the fixture is supposed to be lopsided - but our fixture seems to indicate that Geelong can fill the holes and make the fixture work best for other clubs and the AFL. Its not lopsided its simply completely inequitable from what I have heard so far.

 

[Whiskers]

It should even itself out (hopefully) towards end of year. Better to have short breaks early than late.
Every club will get a tough patch somewhere (hopefully) There is no conspiracy against us......hopefully

 

[Kayaz]

It should even itself out (hopefully) towards end of year. Better to have short breaks early than late.
Every club will get a tough patch somewhere (hopefully) There is no conspiracy against us......hopefully

(hopefully) thats right

 

[Moggy]

One thing that seems certain, is that we will find out where we are as a team/list in the first month or so.

Assuming that some rotation will be necessary, then our depth will get tested right out of the blocks.
Which will provide a great opportunity for our up-and-comers to stake an early claim to a place in the best 22.

 

[Varcoe2Chapman]

I'm not too stressed about first 4 rounds.
We have a great record vs Hawks, and Blues. North shouldn't be an issue and Swans should be our first loss.

Relax, eh.

 

[proboy]

It i what it is. Can see us being 3-1, worst case 2-2.

 

[Nick23]

http://www.afl.com.au/Fixtures/2013NABCup/tabid/15297/Default.aspx

So we are playing in Perth the first week of the NAB Cup, hopefully that means we only play there once during the regular season and finally play a WA team at KP (wishful thinking anyway)

 

[Pal22]

http://www.afl.com.au/Fixtures/2013NABCup/tabid/15297/Default.aspx

So we are playing in Perth the first week of the NAB Cup, hopefully that means we only play there once during the regular season and finally play a WA team at KP (wishful thinking anyway)

In the past the AFL have had a policy that any teams who play in Perth during the NAB Cup don't travel there twice in the Home and Away season - although knowing the AFL they schedule us there twice anyway

Looking back at last year - the teams who played NAB Cup games in Perth and other WA places (Port Adelaide, Essendon, St Kilda, Richmond and Hawthorn) only played over there once during the Home and Away season

 

[Moggy]

In the past the AFL have had a policy that any teams who play in Perth during the NAB Cup don't travel there twice in the Home and Away season - although knowing the AFL they schedule us there twice anyway

Looking back at last year - the teams who played NAB Cup games in Perth and other WA places (Port Adelaide, Essendon, St Kilda, Richmond and Hawthorn) only played over there once during the Home and Away season

Getting one of our WA trips out of the way in the NAB Cup would be a definite win for us - assuming this custom is maintained...

 

[SJ]

In no way shape or form is this any form of encouragement to contribute to said discussion, but you'd think Hawthorn was being sent to the gallows the way their supporters are reacting to their (yet-to-be-released) fixture.

 

[HappyChappy35]

In no way shape or form is this any form of encouragement to contribute to said discussion, but you'd think Hawthorn was being sent to the gallows the way their supporters are reacting to their (yet-to-be-released) fixture.

The fixture is not the only thing Hawthorn flogs overreact to.
Anyhow, who does everyone reckon we'll get twice next season? I recall the AFL recently saying top 8 sides will receive 3 finalists twice and 2 non-finalists twice next season. Think it will be:

Hawthorn (2x MCG)- guaranteed for obvious reasons
Sydney (1x SCG, 1x Kardinia)- we play them early in the season, and Cats/Swans games are usually good contests
North Melbourne (2x Etihad)- play them early in the season, and haven't played the Kangas twice for a while
Gold Coast (1x Kardinia, 1x Carrara)- Ablett factor
Richmond (1x MCG, 1x Kardinia)- purely a guess, and we haven't played them twice in a while

 

[footscore]

hearing news Carlton will have a dream fixture next season while St Kilda may also get another easy start to their season playing GWS, Port to name a few.

Can't help but go back to page 1 where others feared the worst.....we are going to get screwed!
I don't care all that much to be honest as it will make us battle hardened but we seen first hand how difficult it can be to make top 4 due to a tough back-end of the fixture.
Why Carlton will only play one top 8 side from this year is a little difficult to fathom, I'm sure we will be forced to play most of them twice as per usual.

 

[Partridge]

I'm not too stressed about first 4 rounds.
We have a great record vs Hawks, and Blues. North shouldn't be an issue and Swans should be our first loss.

Relax, eh.

North weren't going to be an issue this year either, except for the fact they comprehensively outplayed us from start to finish. Yet another home and away loss that apparently didn't matter.

At the same time, why be afraid of Sydney? Last time we played them we thrashed them by 7 goals. Respect them yes - be scared of them? No way.

 

[Partridge]

hearing news Carlton will have a dream fixture next season while St Kilda may also get another easy start to their season playing GWS, Port to name a few.

Can't help but go back to page 1 where others feared the worst.....we are going to get screwed!
I don't care all that much to be honest as it will make us battle hardened but we seen first hand how difficult it can be to make top 4 due to a tough back-end of the fixture.
Why Carlton will only play one top 8 side from this year is a little difficult to fathom, I'm sure we will be forced to play most of them twice as per usual.

Have to disagree there. We won most of our games at the end of the season. What hurt them was losing games they shouldn't have earlier in the season. The stupid mentality that has infected football that only games from August onwards "matter". They all do.

Draw doesn't faze me in the slightest. If they're good enough they can win. Simple as that.

 

[you pick one]

Have to disagree there. We won most of our games at the end of the season. What hurt them was losing games they shouldn't have earlier in the season. The stupid mentality that has infected football that only games from August onwards "matter". They all do.

Draw doesn't faze me in the slightest. If they're good enough they can win. Simple as that.

Your not suggesting the team the coach and the club weren't serious in the early matches,we only went down to Freo over there by a kick,sure the NM lose wasn't great but we came of a huge game against the Hawks the week before.
I thought our start was alright.

 

[footscore]

Have to disagree there. We won most of our games at the end of the season. What hurt them was losing games they shouldn't have earlier in the season. The stupid mentality that has infected football that only games from August onwards "matter". They all do.

Draw doesn't faze me in the slightest. If they're good enough they can win. Simple as that.

sorry Partridge, totally disagree with you as a tough finish to the season makes it harder to ensure wins in order to secure top 4.
If we had the 2nd half fixture of Sydney this season....we'd have finished top 4, simple as that.

I mean they faced GWS, Brisbane, Wet Toast, Saints, Suns, Carlton, Collingwood, Dogs, Hawthorn and ourselves.
4 teams inside the top 8 at that particular time while you look at our own run and it was against the Power, Suns, Collingwood, Essendon, Adelaide, Hawthorn, Wet Toast, St Kilda, Dogs and Swans.
6 top 8 teams.

 

[supahoops]

As said previously we'll mot likely be screwed but who really knows how the season will play out ? As far as playing top 8 sides twice, maybe better to twice play:

Collingwod rather than Carlton

Sydney rather than essendon

Adelaide rather than Richmond

Next season could be more even than the one just gone, simply put we need to get off to a flyer and come home with a wet sail. Easy.

 

[FredLeDeux]

As said previously we'll mot likely be screwed but who really knows how the season will play out ? As far as playing top 8 sides twice, maybe better to twice play:

Collingwod rather than Carlton

Sydney rather than essendon

Adelaide rather than Richmond

Next season could be more even than the one just gone, simply put we need to get off to a flyer and come home with a wet sail. Easy.

I would say "get off to a flyer," kill'em in the middle of the season "and come home with a wet sail".

 

[footscore]

I would say "get off to a flyer," kill'em in the middle of the season "and come home with a wet sail".

yep spot on and RD1 becomes a little more important than just the typical 4 points but if we did manage to start the season 3-0, even 4-0, we'd be tough to peg back

 

[Partridge]

Your not suggesting the team the coach and the club weren't serious in the early matches,we only went down to Freo over there by a kick,sure the NM lose wasn't great but we came of a huge game against the Hawks the week before.
I thought our start was alright.

They might as well, it seems most fans think that these days.

Irrespective of the margin against Fremantle, it was a terrible loss. Littered with extremely poor discipline from senior players. This by the way, was never corrected - at any stage - through the season. The North loss was equally as bad, and this was a powerhouse team that lost its only final by 96 points. They also lost 4 of their next 5 after that game too.

People can make all the excuses they want, but when Round 1 comes around you've got to be ready. This club managed to cope extremely well with the draw, interstate travel, 6 day breaks and all the other mythical reasons you can't win for 5 years straight. Not sure why we should start worrying about it now. It's something Hawthorn fans would do.