Whose fixture was hardest? Cats, Dockers strike lucky as Pies get tough run

GEELONG and Fremantle capitalised on easier-than-expected fixtures this season, while Collingwood had a tougher run than anticipated.

After making a preliminary final last year, the Cats were set for a hard run of games in 2025, but instead ended up with the equal fifth-easiest draw, based on every club's double-ups.

Geelong, which will host Brisbane in a qualifying final after finishing second, met only two of this year's finalists twice, with double-up matches against Brisbane and Greater Western Sydney, losing all four.

The remainder of the Cats' double-ups came against St Kilda (who finished 12th), Port Adelaide (13th), Essendon (15th) and Richmond (17th).

Of the six clubs who had the easiest fixtures this year, only one other team – Carlton – played finals in 2024.

The Blues failed to capitalise on the softest run in 2025 as they finished 11th.

Like Geelong, they only played two finalists twice – Collingwood and Hawthorn – with their double-ups coming against Port, the Bombers, North Melbourne (16th) and West Coast (18th).

The Dockers, who finished sixth, had a strong record against fellow finals sides this year, but they played just one – the Magpies – twice.

At the other end of the scale, the Lions had a brutal run of fixtures on the back of their premiership success.

Chris Fagan's side ended up playing four finalists twice, and its other two double-ups came against the Western Bulldogs (ninth) and Sydney (10th).

Remarkably, it wasn't the Lions who ended up with the hardest fixture.

That belonged to last year's preliminary finalist Port Adelaide, which also had four double-ups against 2025 contenders, including meeting minor premier Adelaide twice.

After missing finals last year, the Pies were unlucky to end up with the third-hardest fixture, having also played four eventual finalists twice.  

West Coast's hopes of faring better this year weren't helped by a hard run of games as the Eagles faced three 2025 finalists twice, more than Geelong, Greater Western Sydney and Carlton, who all featured in September last year.  

* The expected degree of difficulty was calculated by adding the 2024 finishing positions of the teams a club plays twice. A low total score means a club has a tougher fixture; a high total score means an easier fixture.

* The actual degree of difficulty was calculated by adding the 2025 ladder positions of the teams a club played twice. A low total score means a club has a tougher fixture; a high total score means an easier fixture.