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Why Dees are biggest losers of revamped fixture - AFL

The Demons had been set to benefit from their plummet down the ladder last year, but that has changed

MELBOURNE is the biggest loser from the AFL's new fixture, but it has nothing to do with who the Demons have been set to play from rounds two to five. After their disastrous 2019 campaign, which saw them finish second last on the ladder, the Demons' hopes of a quick bounce back into top-four contention and to prove last year was a one-off were helped when they were given one of the easiest draws in the competition for 2020. FIXTURE REVEAL New timeslot, primetime crackers, double-headers Then COVID-19 hit. Champion Data last year ranked the Demons with the third-easiest draw in the AFL, with only Fremantle and the Swans having a better run according to the statistics supplier. Due to its shocking drop to the bottom rungs of the competition and the way the AFL structures its fixture based on clubs' finishing positions, Melbourne's hopes of a swift rebound were given a huge boost by getting to play three of last year's bottom-four sides twice (Fremantle, St Kilda and Gold Coast). It had only one 'double up' against a top-six side, and that was fellow Victorian club Collingwood, with Adelaide the only side from the middle-six clubs the Demons were due to play twice. MUST WATCH Nine games you can't miss Of course that advantage has now been wiped out, after the AFL reduced the season to 17 rounds due to the coronavirus outbreak, with each club only playing each other once. It tore up the fixture and started anew.  Everyone, now, is back to an even playing field on that front.  The League will announce its fixture in blocks, with the Demons' first group of opponents locked in on Monday: Carlton (round two), Essendon (round three), Geelong (round four) and Sydney (round five at the SCG). Of course while Melbourne suffers from the total fixture revamp, there are also beneficiaries of last year's fixture being scrapped. West Coast was ranked as having the hardest draw of any club when it was revealed in October last year, and not just due to travel demands. ROUNDS 2-5 Check out the full fixture The Eagles were knocked out in the semi-final in 2019 but had been drawn to face three of last year's preliminary finalists Richmond, Geelong and Collingwood twice. However, the task of having to play their next four games in Queensland while in the Gold Coast high performance centre, including one clash against the Tigers, clearly takes away from the advantage of not facing those sides for a total of six times. Hawthorn will get a fixture bonus, having been facing the second-hardest draw according to Champion Data, while Gold Coast and Essendon, who were also viewed as having some of the hardest fixtures in the league, could take an advantage by the changes. HOW CHAMPION DATA HAD RANKED THE 2020 FIXTURE DIFFICULTY (From hardest to easiest) 1 West Coast2 Hawthorn3 Gold Coast4 Essendon5 Greater Western Sydney6 Carlton7 Richmond8 North Melbourne9 Geelong10 St Kilda11 Collingwood12 Western Bulldogs13 Brisbane14 Port Adelaide15 Adelaide16 Melbourne17 Sydney18 Fremantle

Explainer: Everything you need to know about the fixture - AFL

After the AFL released the next four rounds of the fixture, here is everything you need to know

THE FIXTURE for the opening rounds of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season is out. In the aftermath of rounds two to five being revealed, AFL.com.au reporter Riley Beveridge has broken it all down to 'keep things simple' for you, as we look at what it all means for the 18 AFL clubs. ROUNDS 2-5 Check out the full fixture Why are there only four rounds in this fixture? The ever-changing and incredibly fluid nature of the global COVID-19 pandemic has meant everyone has had to evolve and be as flexible as possible. That includes the fixture. Throughout the remaining 16 weeks of the season, the fixture will be released in four-match blocks. That ensures the AFL and its clubs will be ready to react to any change in travel restrictions and travel exemptions from state governments. For example, while South Australian and Western Australian clubs will be based in the Gold Coast throughout the opening month of the recommenced season, they might be able to return home and host interstate sides at their own grounds after round five. Having an adaptable short-term fixture will allow the League to make those changes as they happen. The AFL is planning to release the next batch of games which will start from round six after round three.   How has the scheduling changed?  Despite the theory that the AFL's schedule might have to change significantly upon the resumption of competition to accommodate a condensed season, the fixture follows a pretty traditional model. However, there are some differences. Thursday night matches (7.40pm AEST) will open every weekend from rounds two to five, before concluding with a newly introduced Sunday night fixture. They will be played at 6.05pm AEST to suit a predominantly television audience. There will still be Friday night games (7.50pm AEST), while games will be played during the day (1.45pm AEST), twilight (4.35pm AEST) and night slots (7.40pm AEST) on Saturdays. Sundays will feature an early game (1.05pm AEST), the regular mid-afternoon fixture (3.35pm AEST) and conclude with the evening match. There will also be double-headers at Metricon Stadium in rounds three and four, with two matches to be played in Gold Coast on Sunday 21 June (at 1.05pm AEST and 6.05pm AEST respectively) and two further matches to be played there on Saturday 27 June (at 1.45pm AEST and 7.40pm AEST respectively).  Who are the big winners? There are two obvious winners at first glance. Last year's surprise packets, Brisbane, won't have to travel away from the Gabba throughout the first four weeks of the newly recommenced season. Having hubs based in Queensland means the Lions will face the two West Australian sides, then the two South Australian sides, in this four-match block. It's the perfect opportunity for Chris Fagan's side to rebound from a round one loss to Hawthorn. The draw also benefits Geelong. Not having to factor in crowd sizes means the Cats can play all of their home games at their base at GMHBA Stadium. It means Hawthorn will venture to Geelong territory for the first time since 2006, when the match otherwise would have been played at the MCG. It also ensures the Cats have three of their next four matches on their own turf, with the Blues and the Suns also heading to Kardinia Park. Chance Bateman and Shane Crawford celebrate the Hawks' last win at the Cattery in 2006. Picture: AFL Photos How many grounds are being used? All of the traditional venues on the east coast of Australia will be used throughout the first month of the recommenced season. West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and Port Adelaide as well as Gold Coast will play at Metricon Stadium, while Brisbane will host games at the Gabba. Greater Western Sydney will use Giants Stadium, while Sydney will play at the SCG. The MCG and Marvel Stadium will be used in Victoria, while Geelong will have access to GMHBA Stadium and Adelaide Oval will host the Showdown in round three. Despite official requests from clubs like North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, venues in Tasmania and Ballarat have not been called upon yet.  Metricon Stadium is set to host more games once the season is relaunched. Picture: AFL Photos Will teams still have to travel?  Yes, they will. In fact, across the four weeks of this fixture release, a total of 10 clubs will have to travel interstate at some point. Only one of those clubs, the reigning premiers Richmond, will head to Queensland. There are six other Victorian teams North Melbourne, Essendon, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, Melbourne and Hawthorn who will have to head to New South Wales. Both Sydney and Greater Western Sydney will have to journey to Victoria once, while the Suns will also have to fly to Victoria. None of the teams in Gold Coast hubs West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and Port Adelaide will have to leave Queensland, while Brisbane also won't travel away from the Gabba. That leaves Carlton, Geelong and St Kilda as the only Victorian sides without an interstate trip before round five. MUST WATCH Nine games you can't miss What about the WA and SA clubs? A change in South Australian restriction laws has meant Adelaide and Port Adelaide can play the Showdown at the Adelaide Oval in round two. Crucially, that match will count as a Power home game. They'll then travel to their Gold Coast hub a week later than West Coast and Fremantle, who will have to be situated in Queensland before June 11. The Eagles and the Dockers will each play three of their four matches at Metricon Stadium, with the other at the Gabba, while only one of those four games will count a 'home' match. The Crows and the Power will play two of their three contests at Metricon Stadium, with the other at the Gabba. Like the two West Australian sides, each South Australian team will play one fixtured 'home' game in Queensland.

Steven return 'days' away as Scott defends star - AFL

Geelong midfielder Jack Steven is expected to return to the Cats in coming days after he was stabbed on Sunday morning

GEELONG coach Chris Scott has leapt to the defence of midfielder Jack Steven who is closer to "days than weeks" in returning to the club after as he recovers from a stabbing on the weekend. Steven was released from hospital on Tuesday after admitting himself to a Melbourne hospital following an incident in the early hours of Sunday morning. With the Victoria Police investigation stretching into a fifth day, details around the incident and how it occurred remain unclear. "My sense is that there's some feel that Jack might have some case to answer here," Scott said on Thursday. "I haven't seen or heard any information that would imply that. It's clear that he was the victim of something quite serious that required hospitalisation. "I think the priority should be his wellbeing and part of that should be his privacy as well." BACK ON TRACK Clubs return to modified training Steven remains firmly fixed in the Cats' plans for 2020 and is expected to return to the club in coming days. "I'll speculate and I'm going to say more like days than weeks," he said. But Scott insists that the club will only endeavour to determine the circumstances to assist the 30-year-old's welfare. "I think it's wrong that some people have jumped the gun that this is an AFL integrity matter and somehow Jack has a case to answer before he's allowed to play footy again," Scott said. "I think that's just assuming the worse in people. Unless you have some information that I don't have, you're probably wrong in making that assumption. "We'd like to know the circumstances only so we can help him so he can help us. Those two things go together really clearly, I think." FOOTY'S BACK AFL confirms return date Outside of Steven and Lachie Fogarty (knee), the Cats have returned from the eight-week isolation break nearing full health.  Jake Kolodjashnij (hip) is ready to return to full training, Stefan Okunbor (Achilles) is running, while Scott pushed for caution around Nakia Cockatoo (hamstring) as he works back to high speed running.  He added that the break had helped Joel Selwood and Mitch Duncan, who entered round one underdone, and Luke Dahlhaus, Sam Menegola and Patrick Dangerfield, who were dealing with niggles.  As the Cats await the first four weeks of the fixture release, Scott reaffirmed the club's desire to play all home games at GMHBA Stadium. "The clubs don't have any influence over the fixture. Sometimes we speak to what is fair and what's not but that doesn't imply it's got any cut-through with the decision makers," he said.  "My position on it has been really, really clear. If you go back to last year, I'd be repeating exactly the same thing I said then, in principle, teams should play their 11 home games where they choose."  In the original fixture released for 2020, the Cats were due to play nine home games in Geelong and two at the MCG against Hawthorn and Essendon.

UPDATE: 'Very lucky' Steven out of hospital, Cats focus on wellbeing - Australian Football League

Jack Steven is still recovering from a stab wound as the Cats prioritise his wellbeing

GEELONG will prioritise the wellbeing of a "very lucky" Jack Steven and have not yet thought about his potential return to footy, as the star midfielder recovers from a stab wound. Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident involving Steven, who was admitted to the Alfred Hospital on Saturday night after suffering a stab wound to the chest. FOOTY'S BACK AFL confirms return date Steven was discharged from hospital on Tuesday. Cats football boss Simon Lloyd was unable to shed further light on the incident as the club returned to non-contact training following the coronavirus shutdown on Monday, saying the recruit will not require surgery as a result of the wound. "Obviously it's being investigated by the police at the moment," Lloyd said. "We've got to be very careful not to speculate and make assumptions, so we'll allow the police to do all of their investigations. DRAMATIC CUTS What the 25-person footy department might look like "Really, at the moment, the focus is on the health and the support for Jack. Our medical team have spoken to the trauma doctors at the Alfred (Hospital). "Where he received the injury was under the right thoracic in his chest. Jack's very lucky, as we speak. He's recovering, he doesn't require any further operation and he doesn't need any exploratory surgery. That's a real positive in what is not a great circumstance." Steven, who won four best and fairests during a 183-game St Kilda career that spanned across 12 years, had enjoyed an impressive summer on the track after moving to Geelong during last October's Telstra AFL Trade Period. He was ruled out of round due to a calf injury before the season was suspended due to the global coronavirus outbreak, with the club not yet willing to turn its attentions to his potential return to footy. "We're not even thinking about that at this present point in time," Lloyd said. NEW FIXTURE Double-headers on the cards "Our focus is on his health and wellbeing. Since he's arrived at Geelong, Jack hasn't missed a beat. He's training really well, he's been in great spirits and he's really popular. "Really, we need to give him the space that he needs during this point in time. Hopefully he does have a quick recovery and then we'll assess where we go from there."

REVEALED - AFL

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has detailed the 'return to play' plan

THE 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season will resume on June 11.  AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed the date on Friday afternoon when detailing the 'return to play' plan that includes a resumption of training next week. FOOTY'S BACK AFL statement on season return Clubs will begin non-contact training in groups of up to eight from Monday May 18 before a full-scale return to contact training, with two sessions a week, is introduced from May 25. After initial swabs this week, players and officials will be tested for COVD-19 at least 24 hours before each session in order to have results returned before beginning the sessions.  A fixture for the opening four weeks of matches will be released inside the next 10 days.  "Today is a significant step in getting footy back for everyone - our fans, our clubs, players, coaches, officials and staff, our broadcast and corporate partners and club partners and all who love the game," McLachlan said on Friday.  "We know as this situation continues to evolve, we have to remain agile and flexible to be able to adapt where necessary while ensuring we continue to prioritise the health and welfare of our players, staff and the wider community and - importantly don't place any burden on the public health system. "We have developed our model as the best option for returning to play for both players and officials and the general public and have done so following extensive consultation, including with the Federal, State and Territory Governments and Chief Health Officers." AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan addresses the media on Friday. Picture: AFL Photos The first match back on June 11 will mark 81 days since the season was postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Four clubs West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and Port Adelaide will soon base themselves at two golf course resorts on the Gold Coast, and then play a series of matches against each other and the Suns and Lions.  Plans for those clubs to be based on the Gold Coast are in place for at least the first four weeks of the season. Due to SA regulations that enforce no contact training until June 8, the Crows and Power will need to move to the Gold Coast ahead of May 25 to conduct full training. The WA-based clubs have been granted an exemption for contact training from May 25 and will depart for the Gold Coast closer to matches resuming. Players and official across the whole competition will be subjected to heavier restrictions in terms of social distancing to protect the health and safety of the industry compared to the general public.  A framework of sanctions that have been agreed upon in consultation with the AFLPA will be released in coming days and will punish players or officials should they break the protocols put in place.  AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan addresses the media on Friday. Picture: AFL Photos "They'll be graded, in the drafts I've seen there's intentional, reckless and careless and there will be specific examples of guide sanctions," McLachlan said. "Each household will be subjected to risk. "We'll be really tough on that now it's been established that the protocols are part of the rules and we'll be as transparent as we can about the accountability of those." McLachlan also confirmed:

• The AFL will cover all costs for the Crows, Power, Eagles and Dockers in the quarantine hubs and their families
• Families inside hubs will be subjected to the same testing and distancing protocols
• The Crows and Power will share the Mercure Resort and Eagles and Dockers will be housed at The Pines Resort
• Umpires and key match day staff will also be subjected to COVID-19 when the season resumes
• Matches for the remainder of the season will be released in blocks of 4-6 weeks
• The finals series will continue as a traditional four-week model
• The default position for the 2020 Toyota AFL Grand Final location remained for it to be played at the MCG on a fluid date in October
• AFL football operations boss Steve Hocking would soon confirm whether the interchange bench would increase to six