2025 AFL Fixture

[Sedat]

2 games for opening round? Hopefully this dumb concept ends.

Rugby League is a vastly inferior product compared to the AFEL but V'Landys run rings around City Hall when it comes to aggressively promoting his code. Pissy little Opening Round compared to NRL launching their season in Vegas is seriously embarrassing for the biggest sporting code in the country.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Thought this was a decent article which summarises, at least, most Victorian fan's thoughts. It has a range of arguments against opening round yet still misses a crucial one in that the byes later in the season are not even.

The sooner this experiment is put to bed the better.

https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/44005570/afl-2025-opening-round-experiment-needs-end-tropical-cyclone-alfred

[Eastdog]

2 games for opening round? Hopefully this dumb concept ends.

I am personally not a fan Opening Round or Gather Round and would much rather start the season after mid-March Round 1 with all teams playing per normal.

The season now just starts way too early when the weather is still quite warm and mild.

[Axe Man]

I am personally not a fan Opening Round or Gather Round and would much rather start the season after mid-March Round 1 with all teams playing per normal.

The season now just starts way too early when the weather is still quite warm and mild.

Opening round is stupid but what is your issue with Gather Round? It's great to attend and if you don't it's just an extra game, you aren't missing out on anything you had previously. The only flaw is the advantage the SA teams get.

Not sure that warm and mild weather is a factor when most games in Queensland are played in such conditions, not to mention WA and NT fixtures.

[Eastdog]

Opening round is stupid but what is your issue with Gather Round? It's great to attend and if you don't it's just an extra game, you aren't missing out on anything you had previously. The only flaw is the advantage the SA teams get.

Not sure that warm and mild weather is a factor when most games in Queensland are played in such conditions, not to mention WA and NT fixtures.

Yeah it’s just my opinion on it Axe so will agree to disagree on this one.

I would rather have a better tune up to the real stuff and have maybe 3 full pre season games if we don’t have a pre season comp than start the season early with Opening round and Gather round and get 2 more weeks back for the pre season.

The season should start around March 20 or so as it did for a long time.

[Bornadog]

Opening round is stupid but what is your issue with Gather Round? It's great to attend and if you don't it's just an extra game, you aren't missing out on anything you had previously. The only flaw is the advantage the SA teams get.

Not sure that warm and mild weather is a factor when most games in Queensland are played in such conditions, not to mention WA and NT fixtures.

Adelaide should play Port and then it would be fairer.

[Eastdog]

Adelaide should play Port and then it would be fairer.

Yep that would be much better doing the Showdown in Gather Round.

[Axe Man]

The AFL has gambled on Essendon and Gold Coast challenging for a finals berth this year after scheduling the clubs’ cyclone replacement match in the pre-finals bye slot.

The Bombers and Suns will play a stand-alone clash likely on a Thursday or Friday night - either August 28 or 29 - in a move that could keep the whole competition waiting for several days after round 24 for the final make-up of the top-eight.

As expected, Brisbane will host Geelong in round 3 in a twilight slot on Saturday, March 29 as a replacement for its postponed season-opener.

[Bornadog]

The AFL has gambled on Essendon and Gold Coast challenging for a finals berth this year after scheduling the clubs’ cyclone replacement match in the pre-finals bye slot.

The Bombers and Suns will play a stand-alone clash likely on a Thursday or Friday night - either August 28 or 29 - in a move that could keep the whole competition waiting for several days after round 24 for the final make-up of the top-eight.

As expected, Brisbane will host Geelong in round 3 in a twilight slot on Saturday, March 29 as a replacement for its postponed season-opener.

The whole season they will have one game up their sleeve

[Sedat]

The AFL has gambled on Essendon and Gold Coast challenging for a finals berth this year after scheduling the clubs’ cyclone replacement match in the pre-finals bye slot.

The Bombers and Suns will play a stand-alone clash likely on a Thursday or Friday night - either August 28 or 29 - in a move that could keep the whole competition waiting for several days after round 24 for the final make-up of the top-eight.

As expected, Brisbane will host Geelong in round 3 in a twilight slot on Saturday, March 29 as a replacement for its postponed season-opener.

Farken AFEL - more manufactured garbage

[Grantysghost]

Neither of those sides will be in the finals.

Classic shit show.

[azabob]

Rugby League is a vastly inferior product compared to the AFEL but V'Landys run rings around City Hall when it comes to aggressively promoting his code. Pissy little Opening Round compared to NRL launching their season in Vegas is seriously embarrassing for the biggest sporting code in the country.

V’Landy runs rings around AFEL and Victoria racing. Quite amusing actually.

[Bornadog]

V’Landy runs rings around AFEL and Victoria racing. Quite amusing actually.

Dillion is a nice guy but a light weight

[jazzadogs]

Neither of those sides will be in the finals.

Classic shit show.

But, can we imagine for a moment, that Essendon DO make the finals...miss out on a bye, which their opponent gets....maybe cop a 1 week injury to a key player against Gold Coast, which they would have recovered from with a bye....and get knocked out week one. Bliss.

[Bornadog]

But, can we imagine for a moment, that Essendon DO make the finals...miss out on a bye, which their opponent gets....maybe cop a 1 week injury to a key player against Gold Coast, which they would have recovered from with a bye....and get knocked out week one. Bliss.

The plan is both teams play twice in one week so they still get a finals bye.

[Axe Man]

Nope. Round 24 is 22-24 August. GCS v Essendon proposed for August 28 or 29. At the latest their final could be 6 or 7 September. They would get a decent break but certainly not a bye as such.

[Bornadog]

They are still slotted to play twice in a week, ie in round 24

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/bombers-suns-to-play-twice-in-round-24-as-opening-round-rescheduled-20250306-p5lhjg.html

[Axe Man]

Twice in a round and twice in a week are 2 different things. Obviously they aren't going to call it round 25. There is no way they can get a pre finals bye like the rest of the teams (should they make it).