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THE VFL draw will be much more AFL-friendly next season, with fewer byes for clubs reducing complications for AFL clubs.
Carlton was one of a number of AFL clubs that complained to AFL Victoria about fixturing problems in the state league last season.
Clubs were forced to bring players back into AFL ranks after injury without time in the VFL.
It also meant that suspended players David Wojcinski from Geelong and Lachie Hansen from North Melbourne faced extended time on the sidelines because of byes running in between serving time.
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This season, however, the decision to have a stand-alone Essendon club in the competition - parting ways with Bendigo after a decade - is a blessing for the state league as it will return to an even number of teams, reducing the number of byes.
A reduced Foxtel Cup format - with Port Melbourne and Werribee the competing teams from the VFL - also makes the draw less complicated. Every club will have only one bye, down from four last season.
Bendigo will become the third VFL stand-alone club in the competition, joining Port Melbourne and Frankston.
The VFL is in the midst of an overhaul, with more AFL clubs certain to part ways with their partners at the end of this season.
The Western Bulldogs and Williamstown have already made plans, along with Richmond and Coburg, to field stand-alone clubs in 2014. There is speculation that more AFL clubs may join the stand-alone group.
Bendigo will play several Friday night fixtures at Queen Elizabeth Oval in Bendigo in an attempt to win support from locals. There is doubt surrounding the future of the club, with AFL Victoria giving the club two seasons to prove its viability.
Bendigo Gold skipper Ben Duscher said it would be a new-look team under new coach Austinn Jones after many players opted to try their luck at former partner Essendon next season.
"A lot of them [Bendigo players] have gone to Essendon purely because they're based in Essendon and a lot of the kids are uni students living up here so, just with travel, I think the majority will stay at Essendon because of the distance thing,'' Duscher said.
''But I definitely think that there would be players that would like the idea of a stand-alone club. You play in the side every week and you know where you're going to be every week, whereas the sides are so inconsistent when you have an alignment with an AFL side, which can be so frustrating at times.
"I think that might be tempting for some people for that reason.''
Geelong, Werribee and the Casey Scorpions will also host night games.
The VFL will also play in a state game against Western Australia on May 11.
VFL ROUND 1
Saturday, March 30
Port Melbourne v Werribee Tigers,
North Port Oval, 2pm
Sunday, March 31
Geelong v Williamstown,
Spring Creek Reserve, Torquay, 2pm
Friday, April 5
Bendigo Gold v Essendon,
Queen Elizabeth Oval, 6.30pm
Saturday, April 6
Collingwood v North Ballarat,
Victoria Park, 1pm
Werribee Tigers v Northern Blues,
Avalon Airport Oval, 7pm
Sunday, April 7
Casey Scorpions v Frankston,
Casey Fields, 2pm
Box Hill Hawks v Port Melbourne
Coburg v Sandringham, Mantello Holden Oval, 2pm.
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