Champion data has ranked all 18 teams' fixtures for the 2020 season, with the Dockers, Swans, Demons and Crows leading the charge as the big winners from the release.
On the other side of things, West Coast and Hawthorn have the toughest fixtures, while Gold Coast and Carlton somehow find themselves amongst the six toughest draws despite finishing in the bottom three in 2019.
Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs have been granted the best fixtures of last seasons finals teams, being ranked 12th and 13th respectively.
Below are the full rankings according to Champion Data, ranking from 1 (easiest) to 18 (hardest):
1. Fremantle Dockers
The Dockers escape the two grand finalists in Richmond and GWS until rounds 22 and 23, and only play last seasons minor premiers, Geelong, once at Optus Stadium.
The Dockers also get handed two of the bottom four teams from 2019 in Gold Coast and Melbourne twice. With a new coach, this is potentially the best fixture they could have asked for.
2. Sydney Swans
The Swans get the likes of Gold Coast and Carlton twice during the season and only have to play two top eight teams twice from last season in GWS and Essendon. The Swans get a good run at it with their fixture and should make a push up the ladder.
3. Melbourne Demons
Melbourne has to travel interstate seven times in 2020, with only two of those coming against a top eight team from 2019. They also play 13 games at the MCG and play Gold Coast twice. Melbourne have a fixture that could see them rise back into the finals in a hurry.
4. Adelaide Crows
Adelaide play four of their first five games at Adelaide Oval and of their twelve games at Adelaide Oval, only four of them come against top eight teams from last season. With a new coach and a solid fixture throughout, expect a stronger push from Adelaide.
5. Port Adelaide Power
Port only have to play the Dogs and Eagles twice from last years top eight and escape the likes of Richmond and GWS until the second half of the season. They also play Gold Coast twice and their first three games of the season come against teams who did not make the finals.
6. Brisbane Lions
Brisbane plays Gold Coast twice and gets the likes of Richmond and GWS only once during the season. Of their first six games, only two come against a top eight team where in one they will play Collingwood at the GABBA. Brisbane look primed for another solid finish with this fixture.
7. Western Bulldogs
The Bulldogs play four of their first five games in Melbourne and finish the season with seven games in Melbourne. They also only travel interstate five times and only one of them is against a top eight team from last season in GWS and look primed for a big finals push.
8. Collingwood Magpies
Collingwood only travel interstate five times all season and despite a tough first month of the season, the fixture opens up for the Pies and you'd back them in to win their games in Melbourne more times than not.
9. St Kilda Saints
St Kilda plays seven of their first eight games at Marvel Stadium with the other being at GMHBA stadium against Geelong. The Saints also travel interstate six times and have a very open fixture that could potentially see them make a finals appearance after a strong off-season.
10. Geelong Cats
Geelong play eight of their last nine games in Victoria, with with five of those coming at GMHBA stadium. The Cats have a tough first month, but then see a mixture of tough and easy fixtures with the rest of their season and should still be in a solid spot to make finals.
11. North Melbourne Kangaroos
Four of North Melbourne's first six games are in Victoria, with one of those interstate trips a home game in Tasmania and four of those games against teams who finished in the bottom 10 last season.
Four of their final five games will also be against teams not in finals in 2019 and two of them will be in Tasmania where the club has a fantastic record. The Kangaroos could be the surprise packet.
12. Richmond Tigers
The Tigers travel interstate six times in 2020 and have a cruisy start to the season with six of their first seven games in Victoria and their only interstate trip a game against West Coast in Perth.
Only three of the Tigers' last five games will be at the MCG, a change from 2019's finish which saw them have their final seven games at the 'G. They will also face three top six teams twice - GWS, Collingwood, West Coast.
13. Carlton Blues
The Blues face a tough opening month, with their first three games coming against top eight teams from 2019 and a trip to the SCG also to face the Swans is never an easy task, meaning the Blues could potentially fall to 0-4 to start.
A double against the Tigers won't be easy and the Blues face a tough final six weeks of the season that could diminish all finals hopes. Not a pretty fixture for a team who finished in the bottom three.
14. GWS Giants
The Giants have the potential to snare up some easy wins to start the season with away clashes against Melbourne at the MCG, Essendon at Marvel Stadium and Sydney at the SCG all winnable, then they host Geelong at Giants Stadium and then have two games in Canberra against the Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast Suns.
GWS only have to face two top-six teams from last year twice (Richmond and Geelong), meaning theyโll have double-up matches against two middle-six teams. However, those two sides โ Essendon and the Western Bulldogs โ have the potential to push for a strong finals position.
15. Essendon Bombers
The Bombers have some 50/50 clashes to start the season, with ย trips to Sydney and Adelaide in round two and five respectively on the cards while also having to play GWS and Collingwood in Melbourne early.
They have a tough last month of the season, but all very winnable games. The Bombers will also play Collingwood, GWS, Sydney, Adelaide and North Melbourne twice.
16. Gold Coast Suns
A 50/50 home and away split to start the season, but three away games against Geelong in Geelong, Fremantle in Perth and the Giants in Canberra won't be easy. The Suns also face a tough last six games, with the last three being particularly tough travelling to Tasmania to face North Melbourne, Sydney to face the Swans and Melbourne to face Collingwood.
The Suns will double-up against Fremantle, Sydney and Melbourne, which although are winnable games, are no easy task, especially with the latter two potentially making a finals push.
17. Hawthorn Hawks
The Hawks face a tough first six weeks of the season with games against Brisbane, Collingwood, Geelong and West Coast and will need to bank some big wins to start their season off right. The Hawks will face tough double up games against the Cats, Lions, Power and Kangaroos and will be tough games.
The Hawks finish off the season with Richmond at the G in round 22 and and the Swans at the SCG in round 23, which will be tough and they'd hope they have a finals spot secure by then. The Hawks have a tough schedule all round and will need a few big performances and wins to have a decent chance at a finals berth.
18. West Coast Eagles
The Eagles face the Cats and Tigers in what are the highlights of a tough first six weeks of the season which also includes a trip to Tasmania to face the Hawks. The Eagles will face three top-six opponents twice in Richmond, Geelong and Collingwood despite not finishing in the top four, which are sure to be tough and cracking games.
The positive is the Eagles will have a month from rounds 17-21 where they only travel interstate once against the Blues at the MCG and have three home games against Adelaide, Fremantle and Port Adelaide that could set up a strong finish to the season and a big finals push.
