2019 Fixture highlights

  • GWS Giants return to Drummoyne Oval to open Round Two
  • Western Bulldogs to unfurl the 2018 Premiership flag before first home game at Whitten Oval in Round Two
  • Grand Final replay between Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions under lights at Whitten Oval in Round Four
  • Kangaroos to play two home games in Tasmania (North Hobart Oval in Round One and UTAS in Round Three)
  • A double header in Round Six at Marvel Stadium
  • Matches to be played in every state and territory with Canberra and Darwin again hosting matches
  • Collingwood team to play first game in Geelong since 1999
  • Annual Pride Game between Western Bulldogs and Carlton in Round Seven
  • Other new venues include Morwell (Gippsland), Avalon Airport Oval (Werribee), Unley Oval (Adelaide) and Hickey Park (Brisbane)
The top 12 draft picks (top row L-R) Madison Prespakis, Katie Lynch, Paige Parker, Nikki Gore,Katie Lynch, Rebecca Webster, Eleanor Brown,Tyla Hanks (bottom row L-R) Jordyn Allen, Jasmin Stewart, Nina Morrison, Sophie Van De Huevel and Alyce Parker

The two conferences are:

Conference A                        Conference B

Western Bulldogs                    Brisbane Lions

Melbourne                               GWS Giants   

Adelaide Crows                      Collingwood

Fremantle                                Carlton

Kangaroos                               Geelong Cats

Teams were placed into the conferences based on 2018 finishing positions; teams finishing in positions 1, 3, 5 and 7 (Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Adelaide Crows and Fremantle) have been allocated into Conference A and the teams finishing in positions 2, 4, 6 and 8 (Brisbane Lions, GWS Giants, Collingwood and Carlton) have been allocated into Conference B.

New teams, Geelong Cats and Kangaroos, have been randomly allocated with Kangaroos added to Conference A and Geelong Cats to Conference B.

Teams will play all teams in their conference and three cross-conference matches. While teams will earn points for every match they play, they will only be ranked against those teams in their own conference. As such there will be two ladders (one for each conference) throughout the 2019 season.

 The two top teams in each conference will qualify for preliminary finals. The top team in Conference A will host the second team in Conference B while the top team in Conference B will host the second team in Conference A.

The highest ranked team (or if the top team from each conference both win their preliminary final, the team with the most premiership points and/or greater percentage) will host the Grand Final.

Preliminary Finals will be played on Saturday, March 23 2019 and the Grand Final to be played on the weekend of March 30-31 2019.