CRAMMING 18 teams into a 10-round AFLW home and away season means fixture weighting becomes all-important.
Added to this, significant player movement throughout the off-season, including a one-off priority signing period to help establish the most recent expansion clubs, makes a fair fixture even harder to strike.
So, how does it all fall for the 2023 AFLW season?
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Brisbane, Melbourne, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Port Adelaide, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, St Kilda, Sydney
The first five weeks of Adelaide's season is a chance for the three-time premiers to set themselves up well, facing just one of last season's finalists in Richmond. Where it becomes tricky, however, is a four-week stretch between rounds six and nine where the Crows must play all of their fellow preliminary finalists of last season, as well as up-and-comers Western Bulldogs. As a result, the Crows simply must make the most of the opening half of their season and gather momentum heading into a difficult back half.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Adelaide, Melbourne, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Three (Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Sydney)
Who they don't play: Carlton, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney, West Coast, Western Bulldogs
Brisbane's biggest challenges come in the final three weeks of the season, where it faces the last two premiers – Adelaide and Melbourne – but get to do so at its home of Brighton Homes Arena. The Lions will also host Richmond and Collingwood at Springfield, making their trip to Tasmania to play North Melbourne their only away game against a recent finalist. The Lions have also drawn games against the three lower-ranked expansion sides of last season in Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney, so are reasonably well set up to threaten for another flag.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? One (North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Sydney, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Port Adelaide
Carlton is the only team who avoids each of the last three premiers – Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne – throughout the home and away season. In addition, the Blues will leave metro Melbourne only twice, albeit one of those interstate trips is to Western Australia. As a result, new coach Mathew Buck has been set up well to begin the Blues' resurgence. In the final three weeks, Carlton will play potential ladder neighbours GWS, Essendon and St Kilda, so the Blues' final placing may come down to those three games.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Two (Brisbane, Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? One (Sydney)
Who they don't play: Adelaide, Greater Western Sydney, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, West Coast, Western Bulldogs
The Pies are well set up to start their new era very well, welcoming back stars Brianna Davey and Brit Bonnici and opening the season against reigning premiers Melbourne. They then spend the next month in metro Melbourne facing four of last season's non-finalists in Fremantle, Gold Coast, St Kilda and Essendon. Outside of the Demons, they only play one more of the 'big four' – Brisbane in Springfield – and their only other trip outside of Melbourne is to face the winless Swans at Henson Park.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? One (Adelaide)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Hawthorn, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Brisbane, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Sydney, Western Bulldogs
After a strong first season, the Bombers have landed a reasonable draw, facing just one of last season's preliminary finalists in Adelaide. They will run a bit of a gauntlet through rounds five to seven where they will come up against Collingwood, Geelong, and Richmond – three recent finalists – but should be able to improve on their four-win debut season. They will host four games at their new, in AFLW terms anyway, home of Windy Hill, while their game in Warrnambool against the Cats appears here to stay.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Two (Melbourne, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Three (Hawthorn, Sydney, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs
The Lisa Webb-era at Fremantle begins with a tricky fixture, with genuinely winnable games littered amongst some real challenges. The Dockers are set to play five games outside of Western Australia, including a two-week stretch in Melbourne in rounds four and five. They will have to face heavyweights North Melbourne and Melbourne in the back half of the season, as well as challengers Collingwood, Richmond, and Geelong. A round one Western Derby against an improving West Coast may just set the tone for the Dockers' season.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Two (Melbourne, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Three (Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Sydney)
Who they don't play: Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, St Kilda, West Coast
After a breakout season last year, the Cats have earned a consistently challenging run through the home and away season, playing a season seven finalist every second week across the 10-round run. They will play Melbourne for the first time in their six seasons in the AFLW, fresh off the Demons' premiership win, while they will also come up against North Melbourne. To their advantage, however, is that both of those games will take place at their home of GMHBA Stadium.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Two (Adelaide, Brisbane)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Port Adelaide, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, St Kilda, Sydney
If the Suns are to improve once more this year, their opening fortnight against Carlton and West Coast is a genuine chance to post two early wins before a run of five weeks against last season's finalists. Only two of that run includes home games at Heritage Bank Stadium. They will enjoy back-to-back games at home just once over the 10 weeks, and even then, it includes travel to Mackay. It's a tough run for the Suns this year, but it's a chance to show just how much they have developed under Cam Joyce.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Adelaide, Melbourne, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Three (Port Adelaide, Sydney, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Brisbane, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs
The Giants are the only team who must front up to two back-to-back interstate trips throughout the season, albeit one includes a trip to their home-away-from-home in Canberra. Their home games are spread across three different venues this season, Manuka Oval, Blacktown International Sportspark and Henson Park. After a season opener against the winless Swans, GWS must face one of the toughest months of the year, Melbourne, Richmond, Adelaide and North Melbourne. After which things get a little more straightforward for the Giants from round six onward.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Two (Brisbane, Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Port Adelaide, Sydney)
Who they don't play: Adelaide, Carlton, Collingwood, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne, West Coast
While the Hawks are set to face last season's grand finalists Melbourne and Brisbane in just a fortnight in rounds four and five, they will do so at their home base of Kinetic Stadium and season seven finalist Richmond will make the trip north to Cairns, so the Hawks will have those challenging games on their own terms. Amidst it all, a round three game against Fremantle and round seven against the Swans are more chances for Hawthorn to register its first win outside of Victoria.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Adelaide, Brisbane, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Hawthorn, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Carlton, Essendon, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda, Sydney
Unsurprisingly, the reigning premiers have the toughest run throughout the 2023 season including season seven finalists Collingwood, Western Bulldogs and Geelong in the first half of the season, and fellow 'big four' members Adelaide, North Melbourne, and Brisbane in the second half. The Demons will also travel more than most other Melbourne-based teams, with trips to Canberra, Western Australia, and Brisbane on the cards. It is a challenge not beyond the Demons, however, as the only sides to beat them since March 2021 are Brisbane and Adelaide.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? One (Port Adelaide)
Who they don't play: Collingwood, Essendon, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Richmond, Sydney, West Coast
The Kangaroos must establish themselves well early in the season if they are to still be in top-four conversations come the final three weeks. They will travel to Tasmania twice in the opening month of the season, a state in which they have never lost. An opening fortnight against St Kilda and Carlton could be a good foothold for North Melbourne before games against Geelong and Brisbane. A final three weeks against Melbourne, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs could prove to be make or break for the Roos.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Adelaide, Brisbane, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Three (Hawthorn, West Coast, Sydney)
Who they don't play: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, Melbourne, Richmond, Western Bulldogs
It's a baptism by fire for recent expansion side Port Adelaide, who must play Adelaide and Brisbane in the opening two weeks of the season. Expected to improve, a mid-season stretch against West Coast and Sydney is an opportunity to register back-to-back wins for the first time in club history, but they then must back it up against North Melbourne. Making it even more challenging for the Power, they will travel out of South Australia every second week from round three onward.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Two (Adelaide, Brisbane)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? One (Hawthorn)
Who they don't play: Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Sydney, West Coast, Western Bulldogs
Like Port Adelaide, Richmond has a difficult start to the season, with Brisbane and Adelaide in the first two rounds, including a round one trip to Springfield. After that, however, there is every chance we'll see the Tigers gather momentum across an undefeated streak, taking on GWS, Carlton, Fremantle, Gold Coast, Essendon, and Hawthorn in the following six weeks. A final fortnight against fellow contenders Geelong and Collingwood should prepare Richmond for an expected second finals berth.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Two (Brisbane, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Hawthorn, Port Adelaide)
Who they don't play: Adelaide, Geelong, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney, West Coast
St Kilda will once again do minimal travel, with a six-week stretch in metro Melbourne, their farthest trip out to Windy Hill to face Essendon in round two. The Saints will start the season with a significant challenge, however, heading to Tasmania to take on last season's preliminary finalist North Melbourne. A round eight trip to WA to play Fremantle will be their other out-of-state match, before returning home to play Brisbane the following week.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? One (Brisbane)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Three (Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Adelaide, Essendon, Gold Coast, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda
The Swans have an opportunity to get a foothold on their second season with consecutive games at North Sydney Oval over rounds one and two. But they must then head north to take on Brisbane in their biggest challenge of the season. From there, a run against West Coast, Carlton, Port Adelaide, and Hawthorn has Sydney well-placed to shake off the winless tag, albeit includes back-to-back trips out of NSW. Arguably, with that mid-season stretch, the Swans should do more than win one game given the strength of their off-season recruiting.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Adelaide, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Two (Port Adelaide, Sydney)
Who they don't play: Brisbane, Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda
After a stabilising off season, West Coast has the potential to get on a positive run over the opening six weeks of the season. The Eagles won't face a season seven finalist until they host premiers Melbourne in round eight, after which they will only come up against two more finalists in the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide in the final fortnight. For this reason, they simply must take advantage of their opening six-weeks, and should they win even half of those they will post their most successful season to date.
How many season seven preliminary finalists will they play? Three (Adelaide, Melbourne, North Melbourne)
How many season seven bottom four finishers will they play? Three (Hawthorn, Sydney, West Coast)
Who they don't play: Brisbane, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Port Adelaide, Richmond
A return to finals for the Western Bulldogs last season has resulted in a tougher run this year, but nothing that is out of the Dogs' reach. Their round one game against fellow elimination final losers Geelong will provide a good indication of where each side stands this year, before a round three game against Melbourne in the Hampson Hardeman cup throws up the biggest challenge. Life remains tricky, though, with both Adelaide and North Melbourne in their final month, albeit separated by games against bottom three sides Sydney and West Coast.
