Pies handed a 'dream' draw

[DraftBalta]

PREMIER Richmond has dodged a nightmare fixture with only two double-up games next year against top-six teams — Adelaide and Geelong.

And Collingwood will be handed a dream draw in a major boost to coach Nathan Buckley’s bid to break the club’s five-year finals drought.

With the 2018 fixture to be released tomorrow, The Herald Sun can reveal the Magpies will play only two teams from this year’s top 12 twice — Richmond and Essendon — and have struck gold with double-ups against stragglers Carlton, Brisbane Lions and Fremantle.

The Pies’ soft run looms as the main talking point barring any last-minute tweaks before tomorrow’s AFL fixture release at league headquarters.

The details of the fixture were distributed to clubs late last week and have been seen by the Herald Sun. Clubs are not expecting any changes to the document.

This year Collingwood faced all four 2016 preliminary finalists in the first eight rounds in a nightmare start that almost cost Buckley his job.

Richmond and Essendon this year cashed in on similarly soft draws to bounce back into September action.

Collingwood finished 13th this year — the same position as Richmond in 2016.

Essendon is also a big winner. After the Bombers’ stunning trade period they will tomorrow learn they face only one top-six team twice — the Tigers.

In Round 1 the Bombers host Adelaide (Etihad Stadium), in Round 2 they take on Fremantle (Perth Stadium) and in Round 3 they meet Jake Stringer’s former club the Western Bulldogs.

Who your club plays twice in 2018

Collingwood: Richmond Essendon Fremantle, Carlton, Brisbane


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...w/news-story/79dd12ca02cafef38fe4b1237fd96c96

 

[Pie 4 Life]

For those without a subscription who are our double ups?

 

[SApies]

Post the article

 

[Soups]

For those without a subscription who are our double ups?

Freo, Carlton, Brisbane, Essendon and Richmond.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

Freo, Carlton, Brisbane, Essendon and Richmond.

Oh boy, yummy.

 

[DraftBalta]

Post the article

Done

 

[DinoSoar]

NEWSFLASH : We finished 13th FFS, why shouldn’t our draw reflect that? About time the AFL followed its own fixturing rules regarding ladder position, Pies have had the rough end of the pineapple for tge last 4 years.

 

[Moeydw]

Loving that the draw has gone in our favour for once!! 2018 will be the year the Magpies return back to September action!!

 

[The Royal Sampler]

We play better against the top sides anyway... we lost to the tankers this year, the Saints, the Bombers... whereas we got seriously close to the Giants, beat the Swans, beat the Cats, would have beaten the Crows if Langdon had known to kick to the boundary line...

Screw the draw, we just need to play better.

 

[Wooljay]

If we hadn't s**t the bed against some of the mediocre clubs this season, and in games where we held commanding leads, we probably would have made finals anyways.

Agree with TRS above, we just need to actually show up to play every game.

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Pies handed a dream draw.

 

[Maggie5]

Think I will wait to see the draw of others before proclaiming it is a dream draw.

 

[legendstatus]

It’s the media going for highlights again via Collingwood !
I would have thought the GF winner dodging a “nightmare” fixture would have been the main headline ? But I get it, they just fluked 2017.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[BEEG]

NEWSFLASH : We finished 13th FFS, why shouldn’t our draw reflect that? About time the AFL followed its own fixturing rules regarding ladder position, Pies have had the rough end of the pineapple for tge last 4 years.

Exactly we have had a tough draw for about 8 years

Pies always played Cats, Swans and Hawks twice in there prime

Pies played Essendon once the year they had all the players out.

It's about time we got looked after.

 

[Go Woods]

PREMIER Richmond has dodged a nightmare fixture with only two double-up games next year against top-six teams — Adelaide and Geelong.

And Collingwood will be handed a dream draw in a major boost to coach Nathan Buckley’s bid to break the club’s five-year finals drought.

With the 2018 fixture to be released tomorrow, The Herald Sun can reveal the Magpies will play only two teams from this year’s top 12 twice — Richmond and Essendon — and have struck gold with double-ups against stragglers Carlton, Brisbane Lions and Fremantle.

The Pies’ soft run looms as the main talking point barring any last-minute tweaks before tomorrow’s AFL fixture release at league headquarters.

The details of the fixture were distributed to clubs late last week and have been seen by the Herald Sun. Clubs are not expecting any changes to the document.

This year Collingwood faced all four 2016 preliminary finalists in the first eight rounds in a nightmare start that almost cost Buckley his job.

Richmond and Essendon this year cashed in on similarly soft draws to bounce back into September action.

Collingwood finished 13th this year — the same position as Richmond in 2016.

Essendon is also a big winner. After the Bombers’ stunning trade period they will tomorrow learn they face only one top-six team twice — the Tigers.

In Round 1 the Bombers host Adelaide (Etihad Stadium), in Round 2 they take on Fremantle (Perth Stadium) and in Round 3 they meet Jake Stringer’s former club the Western Bulldogs.

Who your club plays twice in 2018

Collingwood: Richmond Essendon Fremantle, Carlton, Brisbane


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...w/news-story/79dd12ca02cafef38fe4b1237fd96c96

This looks like our 'softest' draw in living memory....we better make it count.

 

[DraftBalta]

This looks like our 'softest' draw in living memory....we better make it count.

It's a year too early if the mail on Lynch is right

 

[unplugged]

Don't expect Richmond to be the best team by any means, but only we could get the reigning premiers twice in a "dream" draw!

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

would have beaten the Crows if Moore had bothered to approach the contest...

EFA

 

[CasuallyDressed]

We'll drop one to Carlton, always do.

 

[whiskeytown]

The draw is always #£%@! IMO.

Until the AFL changes the fixture to the 17-5 or 18- 4 model, where every team breaks off into groups of 6 based on ladder position after they've played each other once...

until that happens then everything from finals footy, top 4, late season crowd attendences, and coaches careers will continue to be at the mercy of the footy gods.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

This looks like our 'softest' draw in living memory....we better make it count.

Still remember 10 of our 26 games in 2010 being against the other top three teams from both the preceding year (2009) who then backed up by finishing top four in 2010.

And still we were told we had a dream draw by everyone else.

 

[Schraderbrau]

awesome result that the only top 8 teams we play twice are the two weakest.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

awesome result that the only top 8 teams we play twice are the two weakest.

We don’t get West Coast twice?

 

[magpies42]

There are no easy games anymore. There will be 14 teams legitimately contesting for finals. Last year it was GWS and Adelaide clearly better than the rest, then you had another 10 teams relatively even. Will be Much the same next season. The other thing is, we play better against the better sides anyway.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Even with a dream draw, we will still * it up under Buckley and end up 14th.

I've got no confidence in his coaching ability.