From a Brisbane Lions perspective, the only conclusion that can be drawn from these hints is that the Club should only have a maximum of two return meetings with sides that finished inside the top eight last year.
It is part of the AFL’s plan to provide a fairer and more equitable draw for teams that miss out on playing Finals in the previous year.
The AFL has also announced that there will be four Thursday night matches in 2013, including two on the annual Anzac Day Round.
Afl.com.au revealed on Tuesday that Carlton and Richmond would face-off in their traditional Thursday night meeting in Round One - which happens to fall on Easter Thursday this year (28 March).
It could present somewhat of a conflict with the Lions, who are in the middle of a five-year agreement which grants them the chance to host Easter Thursday matches at the Gabba.
The process of creating the fixture is obviously a long and involved one, with the AFL currently consulting with the clubs, broadcast partners, venues and other key stakeholders to find a suitable outcome.
AFL General Manager Broadcasting, Scheduling and Legal Affairs Simon Lethlean said it was expected the fixture would be completed by the end of October, as per the schedule of recent seasons.
Earlier this year, Mr Lethlean announced the format for the 2013 Toyota AFL Premiership Season will follow the model used this year in which there will be 23 rounds for each club to play 22 games, comprising 11 home games and 11 away games for every club, with each club having one bye through the middle of the year.
Ground availability issues with a number of key venues means the AFL cannot start its season earlier to allow for two byes for all clubs.
He said the AFL has resolved a number of key matters around fixture equity as follows:
1. The top four teams from 2012 (Sydney Swans, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide Crows) would all only play the bottom four teams of 2012 (Greater Western Sydney Giants, Gold Coast Suns, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs) on one occasion in 2013, with the single exception of the Swans/Giants cross-town rivalry;
2. The 10 non-finalists from 2012 will all be scheduled to have a maximum of two return meetings with top eight sides from 2012.
3. Where possible, the eight finalists from 2012 will all be programmed to have a maximum of two return meetings with bottom-10 sides from 2012.
“A standard round, as part of our agreement with the Seven Network and Foxtel/FOX FOOTY, will continue to feature one Friday night match, two Saturday afternoon matches, one Saturday twilight match, two Saturday night matches, one early Sunday match, one Sunday afternoon match and one Sunday twilight match,” Mr Lethlean said.
The AFL will play four Thursday matches in 2013 across Round One, Anzac Day Round (two matches on Thursday April 25) and Round 14, along with two Monday night matches in Round Seven (Melbourne) and Round 10 (Perth) respectively. The South Australian (Port Adelaide) and West Australian (West Coast) clubs that travelled in round 23, 2012, will be fixtured to be at home in the final round in 2013 while the final round will again be listed as a ‘floating round’, to enable the best-possible fixture options for the AFL in the lead-up to finals.
“The AFL’s arrangements with its broadcasters contain many specific scheduling obligations in relation to free to air and subscription television broadcast of Victorian and non-Victorian Clubs, match selection priorities for broadcasters as well as certain strategic imperatives for expansion markets,” Mr Lethlean said.
“Other considerations for the AFL are: AFL and AFL Club contractual obligations with stadia; Player welfare issues/six-day break minimums; Travel considerations for Clubs; Maximising attendances; Continuation of “blockbuster” and “themed” matches; Maintaining consistency of start times and Expansion market objectives.”
“For the period where clubs have their byes between rounds 11-13, the AFL will again schedule three rounds of six matches to provide as much continuity as possible for fans, and with the goal of a team from each state competing in a match in each week through that period.”
The key dates for the 2013 Toyota AFL Premiership Season have therefore been set as follows:
Toyota AFL Premiership Season - Round 1(two weeks) Friday March 22/ Saturday March 23 and Thursday 28 March 2013 - Monday 1 April 2013
ANZAC Day - Round 5 Thursday 25 April 2013
Queen’s Birthday (except WA) - Round 11 Monday 10 June 2013
Toyota AFL Premiership Season (Round 23) - Friday 30 August - Sunday 1 September 2013
Toyota AFL Finals Series - Week 1 Friday 6 September 2013
Toyota AFL Grand Final - Saturday 28 September 2013
