CARLTON has failed to capitalise on the easiest fixture of the year so far as the Blues face a brutal month, while Geelong should cruise through the back end of the season.

The under-fire Blues fell to a 6-9 win-loss record after last week's loss to Port Adelaide as the pressure mounts on coach Michael Voss.

>>SCROLL DOWN TO SEE YOUR CLUB'S UPCOMING RUN

And their position comes despite having the easiest run of games to date, with the average ladder position of their opponents so far sitting at 10.9.

Despite not leaving Victoria for its next four matches, Carlton has a difficult run of games ahead against Collingwood (first), Brisbane (second), Melbourne (14th) and Hawthorn (fifth).

The average ladder position of those four opponents is 5.5, the second hardest run for the upcoming month.

Gold Coast, who have had the third easiest fixture so far, are also facing a run of testing matches, with theirs rated as the most difficult over the next month.

After a trip to Marvel Stadium to face Essendon, Gold Coast meets the Magpies, Adelaide and the Lions.

The easiest next month falls to Geelong, while the Cats' final four-game block is also the second softest.

However, that dream run comes after the Cats have faced the toughest opening 16 rounds of any club, but they should be eyeing at least a top-four finish from here.

Coming off their bye, the Cats have no games left against current top-eight sides, with their hardest against Greater Western Sydney (ninth) in round 18.

Otherwise, they face Richmond twice, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Essendon, Port Adelaide and Sydney.

Each club's degree of difficulty is the average ladder position of its opponents. The lower the score, the harder the fixture is expected to be. Due to the uneven number of games played, the ladder for this analysis has been ordered by win percentage instead of premiership points

1.Collingwood, 2.Brisbane, 3.Adelaide, 4.Geelong, 5.Hawthorn, 6.Fremantle, 7.Gold Coast, 8.Western Bulldogs, 9.Greater Western Sydney, 10.Port Adelaide, 11.Essendon, 12.Carlton, 13.Sydney, 14.Melbourne, 15.St Kilda, 16.North Melbourne, 17.Richmond, 18.West Coast

R17: v Melbourne, Adelaide Oval
R18: v Western Bulldogs, Marvel Stadium
R19: v Gold Coast, Adelaide Oval
R20: v Port Adelaide, Adelaide Oval

Current ladder position: 3rd (10-5)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.7 (equal 10th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 9.8 (equal ninth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 10 (10th hardest) 

R17: v Port Adelaide, Gabba
R18: v Carlton, Marvel Stadium
R19: v Western Bulldogs, Gabba
R20: v Gold Coast, People First Stadium

Current ladder position: 2nd (10-1-4)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.7 (equal 10th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 9.3 (equal seventh hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 6.3 (third hardest)

R17: v Collingwood, MCG
R18: v Brisbane, Marvel Stadium
R19: v Melbourne, MCG
R20: v Hawthorn, MCG

Current ladder position: 12th (6-9)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 10.9 (18th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 5.5 (second hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 3
Upcoming interstate trips: 0
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 8.5 (seventh hardest)

R17: v Carlton, MCG
R18: v Gold Coast, People First Stadium
R19: v Fremantle, MCG
R20: v Richmond, MCG

Current ladder position: 1st (13-2)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.7 (equal 10th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 10.5 (equal 12th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 6 (second hardest)

R17: v Gold Coast, Marvel Stadium
R18: v Richmond, MCG
R19: v Greater Western Sydney, Marvel Stadium
R20: v Western Bulldogs, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 11th (6-8)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.2 (sixth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 10.3 (11th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 0
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 10.2 (11th hardest)

R17: v Sydney, SCG
R18: v Hawthorn, Optus Stadium
R19: v Collingwood, MCG
R20: v West Coast, Optus Stadium

Current ladder position: 6th (10-5)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 10.7 (17th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 9.3 (equal seventh hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 2
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 8 (equal fifth hardest) 

R17: v Richmond, GMHBA Stadium
R18: v Greater Western Sydney, Engie Stadium
R19: v St Kilda, GMHBA Stadium
R20: v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 4th (10-5)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 8.2 (hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 14.3 (18th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 0
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 12.8 (17th hardest) 

R17: v Essendon, Marvel Stadium
R18: v Collingwood, People First Stadium
R19: v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
R20: v Brisbane, People First Stadium

Current ladder position: 7th (9-5)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 10.3 (16th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 4.3 (hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 3 
Upcoming interstate trips: 2
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 11.8 (equal 15th hardest)

R17: v West Coast, Optus Stadium
R18: v Geelong, Engie Stadium
R19: v Essendon, Marvel Stadium
R20: v Sydney, Engie Stadium 

Current ladder position: 9th (9-6)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9 (fifth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 11.5 (equal 15th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 1
Upcoming interstate trips: 2
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 11.5 (14th hardest)

R17: v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
R18: v Fremantle, Optus Stadium
R19: v Port Adelaide, UTAS Stadium
R20: v Carlton, MCG

Current ladder position: 5th (10-5)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.7 (equal 10th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 10.8 (14th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 1
Upcoming interstate trips: 2
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 5 (hardest)

R17: v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
R18: v North Melbourne, MCG
R19: v Carlton, MCG
R20: v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 14th (5-10)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.4 (eighth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 11.5 (equal 15th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 1
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 8 (equal fifth hardest)

R17: v Western Bulldogs, Marvel Stadium
R18: v Melbourne, MCG
R19: v Sydney, SCG
R20: v Geelong, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 16th (4-1-10)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.3 (seventh hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 9.8 (equal ninth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 11 (13th hardest)

R17: v Brisbane, Gabba
R18: v West Coast, Adelaide Oval
R19: v Hawthorn, UTAS Stadium
R20: v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval

Current ladder position: 10th (7-8)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.8 (14th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 7 (third hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 3 
Upcoming interstate trips: 2
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 7.3 (fourth hardest)

R17: v Geelong, GMHBA Stadium
R18: v Essendon, MCG
R19: v West Coast, Optus Stadium
R20: v Collingwood, MCG

Current ladder position: 17th (3-12)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.9 (15th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 8.5 (fifth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 10.5 (12th hardest) 

R17: v Hawthorn, Marvel Stadium
R18: v Sydney, Marvel Stadium
R19: v Geelong, GMHBA Stadium
R20: v Melbourne, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 15th (5-10)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 8.3 (second hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 9 (sixth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2 
Upcoming interstate trips: 0
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 13.3 (18th hardest)

R17: v Fremantle, SCG
R18: v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
R19: v North Melbourne, SCG
R20: v Greater Western Sydney, Engie Stadium

Current ladder position: 13th (6-9)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 8.3 (third hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 11.5 (equal 15th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 1
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 8.8 (eighth hardest)

R17: v Greater Western Sydney, Optus Stadium
R18: v Port Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
R19: v Richmond, Optus Stadium
R20: v Fremantle, Optus Stadium

Current ladder position: 18th (1-14)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 8.9 (fourth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 10.5 (equal 12th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 1
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 9.5 (ninth hardest) 

R17: v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium
R18: v Adelaide, Marvel Stadium
R19: v Brisbane, Gabba
R20: v Essendon, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 8th (9-6)
Degree of difficulty OR-R16: 9.5 (ninth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R17-20: 8 (fourth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top eight: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 1
Degree of difficulty R21-24: 11.8 (equal 15th hardest)