COLLINGWOOD faces a brutal start to 2025, while Hawthorn is also staring at a tough opening after its fairytale late run to finish the 2024 season.
Despite missing the finals in 2024, the Magpies will be put to the test to begin the new season.
In their first six games, the 2023 premiers face sides who played finals this year.
After meeting Greater Western Sydney in Opening Round again, the Pies take on Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs at the MCG, and will meet Carlton, Sydney and Brisbane after their bye in round three.
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The average finishing position from last year of their first six opponents is 4.3, the toughest run of any team when the fixture is broken down into six-game blocks for each club.
After recovering from 0-5 to make a semi-final in 2024, the Hawks will also be tested to begin the new campaign.
Featuring in Opening Round for the first time, Hawthorn plays five finalists from this season in its first six games, taking on the Swans, Blues, Giants, Port and Geelong.
The only non-finalist it meets in that six-game run is rival Essendon in round one.
Gold Coast, on the other hand, has a dream start.
None of the Suns' first six opponents played finals in 2024, with clashes against all of the bottom five in their opening block.
After hosting the Bombers in Opening Round, Gold Coast faces West Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide, North Melbourne and Richmond, giving it an opportunity to make a flying start to the season with its opponents holding an average finishing position from last year of 15.2.
Having already fallen away in the second half of the past two seasons, the Bombers face a very tough run home in 2025.
Their last six games see them take on five 2024 finalists, with the Giants, Bulldogs, Swans, Cats and Blues awaiting them on the run home.
The degree of difficulty is calculated using the finishing positions from 2024.
See below for the average ladder positions of who your club is facing through four different blocks in 2025.
| Games 1-6 |
Games 7-12 |
Games 13-18 |
Games 19-23 |
|
| Adel | 10.3 | 8 | 9.8 | 10.2 |
| BL | 9.3 | 12.2 | 7 | 8 |
| Carl | 12.2 | 8.2 | 10 | 8.6 |
| Coll | 4.3 | 10.5 | 12.2 | 10.8 |
| Ess | 11.2 | 9 | 9.7 | 6.6 |
| Frem | 10.2 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 7 |
| Geel | 9.7 | 8 | 10 | 10.2 |
| GC | 15.2 | 6.3 | 9.7 | 7 |
| GWS | 12 | 8.2 | 8 | 10.2 |
| Haw | 5.5 | 11.8 | 10.7 | 9.4 |
| Melb | 10 | 9.2 | 10.8 | 10 |
| NM | 9.8 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 10.8 |
| PA | 9.7 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 10 |
| Rich | 7.8 | 11.5 | 9.2 | 11 |
| StK | 8.7 | 10.3 | 6.3 | 13 |
| Syd | 7.7 | 11 | 11.2 | 7.4 |
| WC | 8 | 11.5 | 10 | 9.6 |
| WB | 9.5 | 7 | 10.8 | 11.2 |