“Pretty favourable”: Has Carlton been handed a top-four draw by the AFL?

Footy fans are up in arms around the AFL following the league’s fixture release on Wednesday, with many rival supporters believing that Carlton has been handed too favourable a draw after playing finals in 2024.

Each team plays six clubs twice and the other 11 teams once throughout a season, and some believe the Blues have been handed a gift with their double-ups.

According to 2024 results, the Blues play West Coast (16th), North Melbourne (17th), Essendon (11th) and Collingwood (9th), while the two finalists from last season that they play are Hawthorn (7th) and Port Adelaide (2nd) – who many are tipping to drop off in 2025.

SEN’s Sam Edmund admitted that Carlton’s draw is pretty favourable while adding that they don’t face any five-day breaks in the first 16 rounds.

“The Blues play two of the bottom three teams twice, after they, of course, made the finals (in 2024),” Edmund said on SEN Breakfast.

“And they only get a somewhat shaky Port Adelaide twice and an improving Hawks twice (out of the top eight in 2024).

“They only have one top-four opponent in the first nine rounds - which is a chance to get a good start - and that is Geelong at the MCG in Round 7.

“There are no five-day breaks in the first half of the season for the Blues.

“Now there’s no guarantee because last year they had the third easiest set of double-ups last year and they only just snuck into September, Stephen Bradbury style, so no guarantees.

“But it’s a pretty favourable draw.”

While the fixture will play a part in Carlton’s 2025 fortunes, Edmund thinks that having a relatively clean bill of health will be the biggest leg-up the club can receive after a torrid 2024 medical run.

“I generally think that the best clubs always win the premiership anyway,” Edmund said.

“You need luck, for Carlton, they just have got to get their high-performance department sorted, that has been the Achilles heel of that club for years.

“But let’s be honest you want the easiest fixture possible and there will be luck involved too.”

Carlton begin their 2025 season with a Round 1 clash against 2024 wooden-spooners Richmond at the MCG on March 13.