Not quite a repeat of 2012's dream ride, but another good fixture for the Crows. They won't play any of their fellow 2012 top four teams twice, instead facing return match-ups against West Coast, Fremantle, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs. A trip to Perth in round 23 will provide a difficult lead-in to the finals. For the money crunchers, there are home games against strong-drawing Victorian clubs Essendon (season opener), Hawthorn and Geelong. The club also got its wish of more Saturday twilight clashes, with four.
Click here to view Adelaide's 2013 fixture
BRISBANE LIONS
In a word - opportunity. The young Lions won nine games in 2012, should improve again next season, and have been handed a fixture that sees them play none of this year's top four twice, with return clashes against Geelong, North Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and Gold Coast. The showpiece match from a commercial standpoint will be the home Friday night clash against Collingwood in round 10. However, that is the Lions' only appearance in the coveted Friday night slot for the year.
Click here to view the Brisbane Lions' 2013 fixture
CARLTON
Despite missing the finals this year, Carlton is still a prime time club in 2013, playing five Friday night and six Saturday night matches, plus standalone Thursday night and Monday night games. From a football perspective, it's a dream fixture, with the Blues playing only one 2012 finals team (Collingwood) twice. The other return clashes are against St Kilda, Richmond, Essendon and Port Adelaide. New coach Mick Malthouse will face his old team the Magpies for the first time in round two.
Click here to view Carlton's 2013 fixture
COLLINGWOOD
It's blockbuster central as usual for the League's highest-drawing club, with 14 matches at the MCG and seven Friday night games - the most of any club. The Pies leave Melbourne only once in the opening nine rounds. But Nathan Buckley's team will have to play 2012 grand finalists the Sydney Swans and Hawthorn twice, and finish the season with a tricky four-game stretch against the Swans, Hawks, West Coast and North Melbourne.
Click here to view Collingwood's 2013 fixture
ESSENDON
Essendon will clock up more hours in the sky than most Victorian clubs, thanks to two trips to Perth. Their number of short breaks is also at the high end. But there is plenty to like about the fixture, too. The Bombers play Collingwood, West Coast, Carlton, Richmond and Greater Western Sydney twice, meaning return match-ups with only two of last season's top eight. They have five Friday night and five Saturday night matches.
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FREMANTLE
A strong start from a commercial viewpoint, with a Saturday night derby against West Coast to open the season, and two home Friday night matches in the month that follows. In between, though, is a dreaded trip to Launceston to face Hawthorn. Ross Lyon's men face only two 2012 finalists twice: the Eagles and Adelaide. They should have a comfortable run into the finals, with matches against Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne, Port Adelaide and St Kilda in the last month.
Click here to view Fremantle's 2013 fixture
GEELONG
Tricky start, tasty run home. Geelong faces three straight six-day breaks between the first four rounds, with all matches against good opposition. And the Cats don't have a match at Simonds Stadium until round 10, due to the ground's redevelopment. But the pay-off is that the Cats get to play seven of their last 13 games at their hometown fortress, including the last two. For the first time, three matches at the ground will be played under lights. Return matches are against the Sydney Swans, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide. There are six interstate trips.
Click here to view Geelong's 2013 fixture
GOLD COAST
As expected, Gold Coast has been given a helpful fixture as its young list continues to develop. It plays St Kilda, the Brisbane Lions, Port Adelaide, Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney twice, meaning no double-ups against 2012 finalists. Only two six-day breaks is also a big boost. The Suns will become the Saturday specialists next year, with five Saturday afternoon games, five Saturday twilight, and eight Saturday night. They should pull good crowds for the home matches against Collingwood and Carlton in rounds 17 and 18, and will attempt to continue their domination of Richmond in Cairns.
Click here to view Gold Coast's 2013 fixture
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
The Giants have a slightly more difficult run than fellow newcomer Gold Coast, if only because their budding rivalry with cross-town team the Sydney Swans means they have to face the 2012 premiers twice. Other return match-ups are against the Suns, Essendon, Port Adelaide and Melbourne. They'll hope for good crowds for home matches at Skoda Stadium against Geelong, Richmond and Essendon. The away clash with the Swans has been scheduled for the SCG, rather than the more neutral ANZ Stadium.
Click here to view GWS' 2013 fixture
HAWTHORN
Hawthorn will again have to negotiate a difficult fixture if it's to achieve success. The Hawks face all seven fellow 2012 finalists in the first seven rounds, with a six-day break before a trip to Perth to play West Coast in round two. They play Geelong, the Eagles, the Sydney Swans, Collingwood and North Melbourne twice - all finalists this year. The Hawks also have only six home games at the MCG, with their seventh Melbourne home game against West Coast at Etihad Stadium. They have five highly valued Friday night games, all in the second half of the season, and some big-drawing home matches.
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MELBOURNE
The fixture will offer Mark Neeld's re-shaped team a golden chance to climb the ladder, if it's good enough. The Demons play the Brisbane Lions, Greater Western Sydney, Gold Coast, Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs twice, and leave the MCG only twice in the opening 14 rounds. They play 14 games on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, but won't appear at all on Friday night. The Demons have only three six-day breaks but, due to their home game in Darwin, six interstate trips.
Click here to view Melbourne's 2013 fixture
NORTH MELBOURNE
Making the finals in 2012 has made North Melbourne's 2013 fixture more difficult. Rather than being handed return matches against bottom 10 teams, the Roos face Hawthorn, Adelaide, Collingwood and Geelong twice. Unrelated to this year's ladder position, they also have the equal-highest number of six-day breaks. While success has come at a price on the football front, it has also meant the Roos have got their wish for more Friday night football. They'll appear three times in the biggest timeslot next season, two of them home matches.
Click here to view North Melbourne's 2013 fixture
PORT ADELAIDE
Like Gold Coast, Port Adelaide will be Saturday specialists in 2013, with 14 games on Saturday afternoon, twilight or night, and none on Friday night. The Power have some winnable games in the opening month, with clashes against Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast around a Showdown with Adelaide. Ken Hinkley's team faces the Crows, Suns, Giants, Geelong and Carlton twice. The round 23 game against the Blues will be the last home and away game ever at AAMI Stadium.
Click here to view Port Adelaide's 2013 fixture
RICHMOND
Richmond's fixture won't harm its chances of finally returning to the finals, given it plays only one 2012 finalist (Fremantle) twice. Other return match-ups are against the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, Carlton and Essendon. In a sign of their expected emergence, the Tigers have seven big night time clashes, including Easter Thursday against Carlton, two Friday night games, and a Monday night away game against West Coast on 'WA Day'. They have a good run home, with four of their last five matches at the MCG and the other away to the Giants.
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ST KILDA
St Kilda will travel far and wide in 2013, with seven matches outside Victoria, including a home match in New Zealand. The Saints have a comfortable enough fixture though, with two games against Richmond, Carlton, the Sydney Swans, Gold Coast and Fremantle. There are six short breaks, including back-to-back between rounds seven and nine. The Saints will feature in three Friday night games, and eight twilight games (four Saturday, four Sunday).
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SYDNEY SWANS
The Swans are almost certain to kick off their premiership defence with two wins, facing Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast in the opening fortnight. It gets harder from there, though, as they'll have to face Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn twice. Unlike their Grand Final opponent the Hawks, however, the Swans will get two return matches against non-finalists from 2012, including the Giants. They have a high number of six-day breaks (seven), including back-to-back between rounds three and five. The defending champs will get primetime exposure in three Friday night clashes, and will play in the first ever home and away season game in New Zealand, against St Kilda.
Click here to view the Sydney Swans' 2013 fixture
WEST COAST
A well-balanced fixture for the Eagles, with no back-to-back travel, and only three of five return clashes against 2012 finalists. The Eagles do have eight six-day breaks though, the equal-most alongside North Melbourne. That high number is in large part due to the Monday night 'WA Day' clash with Richmond in round 10, and Thursday night against Essendon in round 14 - both requested home games. Other home games to look forward to are the round 16 Derby against Fremantle, and visits from Hawthorn and Adelaide.
Click here to view West Coast's 2013 fixture
WESTERN BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs play four of their first five matches at Etihad Stadium, and five of their last six, among a total of 14 appearances at the Docklands ground. They have only four night games, with none on Friday night. Their biggest home games will be against Geelong, Richmond and Essendon. The Dogs face two 2012 finalists - Adelaide and West Coast - twice, with other return bouts against the Brisbane Lions, Richmond and Melbourne. They have only five six-day breaks, but seven games outside Victoria (including a home game in Darwin).
Click here to view the Western Bulldogs' 2013 fixture
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
