Every AFL club’s 2024 fixture difficulty and the clubs they play twice

The 2024 AFL Fixture has been released, and with 18 clubs playing a total of 23 games each there are often lopsided draws given clubs will play six teams on two occasions next year.

The AFL's fixture plans see that the lower-ranked clubs from this year are more likely to have double-up games against each other next year, while the same can be said for the middle six sides and the top six.

Zero Hanger has used a sliding scale to assess the ease/difficulty of each club's fixture for 2023, awarding 18 points to a team when facing last year's minor premiers - Collingwood, 17 to play the second-placed finishers on the ladder and so on, all the way down to the last-placed West Coast Eagles, who attract just one point.

A team's total points tally is then ranked with the rest of the competition to evaluate the level of difficulty of each club's draw based on the strength of their opponents from this year.

Brisbane and Fremantle have shared the burden in being handed the 'toughest' draw, tallying 225 points each, while North Melbourne are 17 points lower to be placed with the 'easiest' draw in what is a close ranking from 1-18.

The Roos do have a five-point gap between the next lowest tally in what is a three-way tie between the Suns, Dogs and Saints.

At the top end, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Hawthorn round out the top six for most difficult draws.

=1. (toughest) Brisbane - 225 points

Play Twice: Collingwood, GWS, Melbourne, St Kilda, Adelaide, Gold Coast

=1. (toughest) Fremantle - 225 points

Play Twice: Port Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Western Bulldogs, Richmond, West Coast

3. Adelaide - 224 points

Play Twice: Brisbane, Port Adelaide, Sydney, Essendon, Gold Coast, Hawthorn

4. Melbourne - 223 points

Play Twice: Collingwood, Brisbane, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Fremantle, West Coast

=5. Sydney - 222 points

Play Twice: Collingwood, GWS, Western Bulldogs, Adelaide, Essendon, Fremantle

=5. Hawthorn - 222 points

Play Twice: Collingwood, GWS, Adelaide, Geelong, Richmond, North Melbourne

7. Collingwood - 221 points

Play Twice: Brisbane, Carlton, Melbourne, Sydney, Essendon, Hawthorn

8. Richmond - 220 points

Play Twice: Carlton, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Fremantle, Gold Coast, Hawthorn

9. Essendon - 219 points

Play Twice: Collingwood, St Kilda, Sydney, Adelaide, Gold Coast, West Coast

=10. Carlton - 218 points

Play Twice: Collingwood, GWS, Port Adelaide, Geelong, Richmond, North Melbourne

=10. GWS - 218 points

Play Twice: Brisbane, Carlton, Sydney, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Hawthorn

=12. Port Adelaide - 217 points

Play Twice: Carlton, Melbourne, St Kilda, Adelaide, Richmond, Fremantle

=12. West Coast - 217 points

Play Twice: Melbourne, St Kilda, Essendon, Fremantle, Gold Coast, North Melbourne

14. Geelong - 215 points

Play Twice: Carlton, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Adelaide, Hawthorn, North Melbourne

=15. Gold Coast - 213 points

Play Twice: Brisbane, GWS, Essendon, Richmond, North Melbourne, West Coast

=15. Western Bulldogs - 213 points

Play Twice: GWS, Melbourne, Sydney, Geelong, Fremantle, North Melbourne

=15. St Kilda - 213 points

Play Twice: Brisbane, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Geelong, Richmond, West Coast

18. (Easiest) North Melbourne - 208 points

Play Twice: Carlton, Western Bulldogs, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, West Coast