The 2025 AFL fixture has been released. So, to whet your appetite for the upcoming season, we've picked out the five must-watch games from the opening month of action.
5. Hawthorn vs. GWS - Round 3, UTAS, Saturday, March 29, 7:35pm (AEDT)
There might not be too many circling this game on their fixture, but maybe you should be. Hawthorn vs. GWS has become a sneaky rivalry in recent years, the two sides playing out the tightest games of any teams since the beginning of 2023.
The Giants have won three of the last four against the Hawks by margins of 2, 2, and 13 points. Hawthorn's lone win, in Round 14 this year, was by just six points.
Given both sides are likely to be vying for not just the top eight this year but really the coveted double chance of a top four finish, it adds extra spice and importance to this clash. The other little wrinkle to this match up is the ultra rare Saturday night standalone game in Tasmania.
4. Collingwood vs. Carlton - Round 4, MCG, Thursday, April 3, 7:30pm (AEDT)
Two traditional rivals ... at the MCG ... on a Thursday night ... what's not to love about this match up!?
Both the Magpies and Blues endured underwhelming campaigns in 2024. Carlton finished the year with seven losses from its final nine games (including that diabolical elimination final performance against the Lions), while Collingwood, the reigning premier, missed finals altogether.
These two sides have played out some tight tussles in recent times, making this early season meeting even more mouthwatering. Collingwood won both 2024 encounters by a cumulative margin of nine points. In fact, you have to go back to 2015 to find a game between these two teams that ended in a margin greater than 28 points.
3. Sydney vs. Hawthorn - Opening Round, SCG, Saturday, March 7, 7:40pm (AEDT)
So many questions. So many storylines. Hopefully, so many answers in the latest instalment of the Lance Franklin cup.
How the Swans recover (if at all) after a second demoralising Grand Final loss in three years is sure to be one of the major areas of focus for fans and media pundits alike in season 2025. We likely won't have a definitive answer after this opening game, but I'm betting we'll have a decent idea of how the club's offseason fared.
And then there's the Hawks; a brash young side expertly coached by Sam Mitchell. Hawthorn surprised many en route to a semifinal last year and it could very easily be the beginning of something substantial. They've bolstered their defence -- heck, it might now be the best in the competition -- and have shortened to $8 (also known as the equal-second favourite) in premiership betting. Is this side for real? Beat the Swans in their opener at the SCG and you'd have to think they most certainly are!
2. Sydney vs. Brisbane - Round 1, SCG, Saturday, March 15, 4:15pm (AEDT)
If Sydney's aforementioned season opener against the Hawks isn't the biggest on their current fixture, then this one, against a Lions side that just humiliated them for the premiership cup, eight days later, simply has to be.
There will be no flag on the line this time around, but for Sydney's morale and belief, this game is a must win. Can John Longmire's side bury their Grand Final demons and prove to the AFL world they remain a premiership contender in 2025? And for the Lions, can they show an ability to move seamlessly into the post-Joe Daniher era?
By many estimations, Sydney and Brisbane were the two best teams of 2024. So, how can you not be excited for this one!?
1. Brisbane vs. Geelong - Opening Round, Gabba, Thursday, March 6, 6:50pm (AEDT)
This year's Brisbane-Geelong preliminary final might well have been the game of the season. Two sides in top form duking it out for a place in the Big Dance. Had the Cats found a way to hold on, perhaps they go on to lift the premiership cup... So many 'what ifs'.
We don't have to wait long for this epic rematch and props to the AFL for rewarding the premier with the first game of the following season, though I'm sure the Lions would have fancied a slightly easier task than taking on the Cats! Still, it's one we'll all be tuning in for.
In recent times this fixture has produced some tight contests. The Lions won that famous preliminary final by 10 points, while the Cats got the job done by 11 points in a low scoring scrap at the Gabba in 2023. The year before, Brisbane won it in Geelong by 10 points (sense a theme), not 12 months on from the Zac Bailey-Mark Blicavs goal square controversy. Fingers crossed it's tight once again.