An extra round of footy in season 2023 will impact a pair of bottom-six clubs after the AFL was forced to tweak its weighted rule in regards to the fixture.
Hawthorn and Adelaide, who finished 13th and 14th respectively in 2022, will be forced to play two top-six teams twice next year.
In comparison, the remaining bottom-six teams from this year only play one top-six team twice.
The Hawks get Fremantle and Melbourne on two occasions each while the Crows will have to face Brisbane and Collingwood twice.
SEN’s Sam Edmund explained how the fixture quirk came about after the AFL introduced Gather Round to be played in South Australia in Round 5.
“The weighted rule has been in effect since 2013 and the clubs like it,” Edmund said on SEN Breakfast.
“It determines who plays each other twice. It breaks the 18 teams into three groups - top, middle and bottom six. It means you play the teams that finished in your bracket on the ladder more often.
“It’s an inexact science. With that extra game in the fixture for next year, this weighted rule had to be tweaked.
“How it’s panned out is that Melbourne and Collingwood - the two teams who finished in the top four - and Hawthorn who finished 13th and Adelaide who finished 14th have the same breakdown. Two top-six opponents, two middle-six opponents and two bottom-six opponents twice.
“Travis Auld confirmed (on Sunday) that the league had to adjust the weighted rule to accommodate that extra round and the change meant that the two top-ranked teams of the bottom six, being Hawthorn and Adelaide, have had to suck it up.
“They’re going to have to play two top-six teams twice. In Adelaide’s case that is Brisbane and Collingwood. In Hawthorn’s case that is Fremantle and Melbourne.
“The other bottom-six teams - North Melbourne gets only one top-six double-up, West Coast one, GWS one, Essendon has got two against top-six teams but they get three bottom teams twice. Only three teams finished below Essendon, they get them all twice next year.
“Travis Auld did say you get a minimum of two and a maximum of three double-up matches against teams in your bracket of six and either one or two double-up games in each of the other groups of six.”
With an extra round something had to give and unfortunately for the Hawks and Crows, they’ll simply have to deal with an additional game against a 2022 top-six opponent next year.
According to AFL.com.au, reigning premiers Geelong and Fremantle have the equal hardest fixtures in 2023.