2016 AFL DRAW RELEASED; GOOD RESULT FOR GEELONG
Ben Jensen 31 October 2015

GEELONG has fared well with the release of the 2016 AFL draw or 'fixture' as we're now supposed to call it, with two Friday night games at Simonds Stadium among the highlights, with an overall eight games in Geelong with one home game at the MCG (v Hawthorn in round one) and two at Etihad Stadium against Essendon and North Melbourne.

The season opener against reigning triple-premiers Hawthorn will be a fair old test for the revamped Cats, on Easter Monday. The first game in Geelong is on the second Sunday in April, a twilight game hosting the Lions. At last four of the Simonds games are at night and two twilight, with the round 23 fixture to be determined based on whether or not the Cats or Dees are likely to feature in the finals.

Overall the Cats have sixteen games on free to air (Channel Seven & affiliates) and the remaining six on Foxtel, a surprisingly high-profile mix given the Cats' relatively poor form this season missing the finals. The AFL has scheduled a mouthwatering match-up with gun recruit Patrick Dangerfield's old side Adelaide on Friday May 13 at Simonds Stadium which is set to be packed and bring in high TV ratings.

Five interstate trips are required; two to Adelaide, one to Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. The Cats play GWS, Brisbane, Essendon, Western Bulldogs, Adelaide twice; with only one game against big-drawing Melbourne based sides Hawthorn, Richmond, Collingwood and Richmond.

LINK TO FULL DRAW