Fixture 2026 Fixture

[King Tenz]

Posted on the main board, looks like we avoid Tassie if true:

TASMANIAN AFL GAMES

Round 7 - Saturday, April 25 @ 12.15pm: Hawthorn v Gold Coast Suns (UTAS Stadium)

Round 11 - Thursday, May 21 @ 7.30pm: Hawthorn v Adelaide Crows (UTAS)

Round 14 - Sunday, June 14 @ 1.10pm: Richmond v Brisbane Lions (Ninja Stadium)

Round 17 - Sunday, July 5 @ time TBC: Hawthorn v Melbourne (UTAS)

Round 21 - Saturday, August 1 @ time TBC: Hawthorn v North Melbourne (UTAS)

 

[King Tenz]

You forgetting the last time we had a Derby after 2 away games?

I'll be blaming the footy club if that happens for flying back home after the first away game.

How hard is to stay over for a week for two games?

 

[Kapow!!!]

I'll be blaming the footy club if that happens for flying back home after the first away game.

How hard is to stay over for a week for two games?

Very it would seem, given that all evidence seems to suggest staying the extra week actually hinders performance rather than improves it

 

[eastfreo75]

For those complaining about Round 1 at Kardinia - just some perspective.

Last year, we bounced down at 10:15am Western Time, and just like every other time we have a stupid early morning kick off (as far as the team's body clock goes) we're caught cold. We're 7-8 goals down by half time, produce a remarkable third quarter comeback to within 2-3 goals (once we'd woken up) but ran out of legs in Q4.

Just 12 months before in Round 2 away to North, we had a 10:30am bouncedown (Western Time) at Marvel, we're 7 goals down midway through Q2. The only difference is that when we then go on to kick 10 unanswered goals through to 3/4 time, we discover we're only playing North and they don't have the quality to punch back.

Same again, Round 1 in 2021. At the MCG against the Demons. 10:30am (Western) bouncedown. We're 6 goals down early in 2nd Quarter before we kick our first goal.

Forget 5/6 day breaks. Forget playing in Tassie. Forget the number of flights or distance flown. The single worst factor in any Freo fixture is a pre-11am (Western) bouncedown - and we don't have a single one in the first 15 rounds announced yesterday.

Jet lag after internal flights is a thing that only West Aussies experience and it's the first thing I look for when the fixture is released.

Have you looked at West Coasts pre-11am record?

 

[King Tenz]

Yeah but how many of them are fake ones?

 

[Purple Suit]

Have you looked at West Coasts pre-11am record?

11 wins in 4 seasons, might be quicker to check what time those 11 games were.

 

[pK75]

Yeah but how many of them are fake ones?

By “fake ones” do you mean part of a double header where only WA has FTA and the rest of the country it’s the other way around?

 

[King Tenz]

By “fake ones” do you mean part of a double header where only WA has FTA and the rest of the country it’s the other way around?

Pretty much. Don't see much point to playing on a Friday if it's not being broadcast on FTA across the whole country.

 

[BarbieITFC]

For those complaining about Round 1 at Kardinia - just some perspective.

Last year, we bounced down at 10:15am Western Time, and just like every other time we have a stupid early morning kick off (as far as the team's body clock goes) we're caught cold. We're 7-8 goals down by half time, produce a remarkable third quarter comeback to within 2-3 goals (once we'd woken up) but ran out of legs in Q4.

Just 12 months before in Round 2 away to North, we had a 10:30am bouncedown (Western Time) at Marvel, we're 7 goals down midway through Q2. The only difference is that when we then go on to kick 10 unanswered goals through to 3/4 time, we discover we're only playing North and they don't have the quality to punch back.

Same again, Round 1 in 2021. At the MCG against the Demons. 10:30am (Western) bouncedown. We're 6 goals down early in 2nd Quarter before we kick our first goal.

Forget 5/6 day breaks. Forget playing in Tassie. Forget the number of flights or distance flown. The single worst factor in any Freo fixture is a pre-11am (Western) bouncedown - and we don't have a single one in the first 15 rounds announced yesterday.

Jet lag after internal flights is a thing that only West Aussies experience and it's the first thing I look for when the fixture is released.

Have you looked at West Coasts pre-11am record?

As noted by another poster, no point looking at their record post Covid season because it wouldn't be possible to single out jet lag as to why they will have been shit in first quarters.

Pre-Covid, they didn't have a pre-11am (western) bouncedown in 2018 or 2019 (which tells another story), so you have to go back to North in Rd 1 2017 for the last time they would have had a jet lag impacted game. They went on to win that game comfortably, but conceded the first three goals and were losing at quarter time.

 

[eastfreo75]

For those complaining about Round 1 at Kardinia - just some perspective.

Last year, we bounced down at 10:15am Western Time, and just like every other time we have a stupid early morning kick off (as far as the team's body clock goes) we're caught cold. We're 7-8 goals down by half time, produce a remarkable third quarter comeback to within 2-3 goals (once we'd woken up) but ran out of legs in Q4.

Just 12 months before in Round 2 away to North, we had a 10:30am bouncedown (Western Time) at Marvel, we're 7 goals down midway through Q2. The only difference is that when we then go on to kick 10 unanswered goals through to 3/4 time, we discover we're only playing North and they don't have the quality to punch back.

Same again, Round 1 in 2021. At the MCG against the Demons. 10:30am (Western) bouncedown. We're 6 goals down early in 2nd Quarter before we kick our first goal.

Forget 5/6 day breaks. Forget playing in Tassie. Forget the number of flights or distance flown. The single worst factor in any Freo fixture is a pre-11am (Western) bouncedown - and we don't have a single one in the first 15 rounds announced yesterday.

Jet lag after internal flights is a thing that only West Aussies experience and it's the first thing I look for when the fixture is released.


As noted by another poster, no point looking at their record post Covid season because it wouldn't be possible to single out jet lag as to why they will have been shit in first quarters.

Pre-Covid, they didn't have a pre-11am (western) bouncedown in 2018 or 2019 (which tells another story), so you have to go back to North in Rd 1 2017 for the last time they would have had a jet lag impacted game. They went on to win that game comfortably, but conceded the first three goals and were losing at quarter time.

Thanks.

Seems like a real issue.

Do you think 1 hour or 2 hours would make a difference?

 

[Kapow!!!]

Pretty much. Don't see much point to playing on a Friday if it's not being broadcast on FTA across the whole country.

Yeah those Friday double ups really feel like they're there to give the illusion of certain teams getting more Friday night games without any of the benefits of the national syndication for the respective clubs. Basically so Victorian fans and AFL officials have a context removed strawman to point at for all equalisation and fairness based discussions.

Or, maybe I'm being a bit too cynical?

 

[BarbieITFC]

Thanks.

Seems like a real issue.

Do you think 1 hour or 2 hours would make a difference?

I don't have time to go back through the records, but I do think it's more to do with Daylight Savings - which only impacts the early rounds.

Having travelled interstate a fair bit with work over the years the jet lag was minimal when there is a 2-hour time difference east vs west, but during winter the 3-hour time difference can be brutal.

Let's day you travel Thursday early PM Perth time, by the time you get to your hotel in Melbourne/Sydney etc it's already 10-11pm local time but your body clock thinks it's 7pm. Many a night I've still been awake at 2am (local) knowing I have to be up in 4-5 hours. Our players can probably get a bit if a lie in on the Friday, but you really need 2-3 days to adjust.

It's a small thing, but I reckon it's enough for them to be a few % off peak when the game starts.

 

[Pivot Piece]

You guys know the club literally requests daytime away games so they can get back home at reasonable time the same night right?

 

[pK75]

You guys know the club literally requests daytime away games so they can get back home at reasonable time the same night right?

The 4:30-7:30 eastern states time games would be ideal, still get on a plane and be home before midnight WA time but 2:30pm WA time means body clock isnt too out of whack

 

[Lach72]

Decided that gather round can gtfo.

Have booked flights for the 1st May game and going over on the Thursday with the wife and coming back Sunday.
Used my Virgin points and got us both there and back for $178 bucks.

Can have a lot of fun in Melbourne using the 1600 we save by swerving gather round.

Should be able to get a show in on the Saturday night.

 

[Nothing]

Decided that gather round can gtfo.

Have booked flights for the 1st May game and going over on the Thursday with the wife and coming back Sunday.
Used my Virgin points and got us both there and back for $178 bucks.

Can have a lot of fun in Melbourne using the 1600 we save by swerving gather round.

Should be able to get a show in on the Saturday ninight.

You need to book flights the day they announce the weekend.

 

[Spirit Level]

Heading over for the Gabba game eeek

 

[Raz]

As opposed by not trying or actively trying to lose?

As opposed to fans making excuses for losses

 

[PrancingPony]

Having a national FTA game means nothing for WA teams considering we have our own FTA commentary team here now, every home game is a "FTA game"

 

[Raz]

Having a national FTA game means nothing for WA teams considering we have our own FTA commentary team here now, every home game is a "FTA game"

Home games are free to air ? Didn’t know that

Is that why we don’t sell the stadium out regularly ?

 

[Kapow!!!]

Having a national FTA game means nothing for WA teams considering we have our own FTA commentary team here now, every home game is a "FTA game"

I've never looked at national FTA games like that. It's about exposure to the eastern states, opening up valuable sponsorship opportunities, winning over a small minority of young fans who don't want to go for the home team, getting more influence in terms of TV deals and potentially favourable looks from AFL house. National FTA games are about a lot more than just WA fans access to games. They're important for the club itself as a business.

 

[King Tenz]

Having a national FTA game means nothing for WA teams considering we have our own FTA commentary team here now, every home game is a "FTA game"

Disagree.

National FTA games means more eyeballs on the team, the players, the sponsors. More eyeballs means more money coming in for the team and the players and should lead to more sponsors.

Do you think our best players are getting as much off the field as some of the big name players that play for big Victorian teams?

 

[mike91]

Having a national FTA game means nothing for WA teams considering we have our own FTA commentary team here now, every home game is a "FTA game"

Completely wrong mate. National free to air games, especially standalone games, like Friday nights are huge for clubs from a business perspective.

 

[Spirit Level]

Having a national FTA game means nothing for WA teams considering we have our own FTA commentary team here now, every home game is a "FTA game"

There's only a WA fta broadcast for some home games that are behind a paywall for the rest of the country.

If our games are on fta country wide we get that feed

 

[Raz]

Luckily I am overseas member so I get free watchafl app access to all games