HAWTHORN won the most home and away games of any club in 2012. And it has been slugged accordingly in 2013.
The Hawks' opponents next season won 53 per cent of their matches this year, which means Alastair Clarkson's men will be up against it in their bid to make the top four and set themselves up for a realistic bid at another Grand Final berth.
Click here to see Port Adelaide's 2013 fixture
Hawthorn's first match against a non-finalist from 2012 will be in round eight.
That's the way it is in the 2013 draw. The stronger teams from last season are rewarded with the prime-time slots - Collingwood will appear on seven Friday nights for example - but face generally tougher draws.
The Pies' have the third toughest draw, with their opponents for next season having won 52.3 of their matches in 2012.
[ Related: 2013 fixture highlights ]
And North Melbourne will do it tough. The Kangas, who broke through to the 2012 finals for the first time in four years share the equal toughest draw with Hawthorn in terms of opponents' win-loss record, facing seven matches against top four opponents from 2012.
Along with West Coast, they will need to navigate their way through eight six-day breaks, the most in the competition.
At the other end of the scale, the easiest draw in terms of opponents' win-loss record belongs to the Brisbane Lions, whose 2013 opponents this year won 47.2 per cent of their matches. It helps, in the case of the Lions, that they get two games against Gold Coast, which won just three games in 2012.
Adelaide does well in this measure. The team that many believed enjoyed the softest draw in 2012 has the fourth easiest draw in 2013 in terms of opponents' win-loss record.
The Crows also play five games against this year's bottom four - Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs, the Suns and Greater Western Sydney - and just one game each against their fellow top four clubs from this year.
In terms of travel, West Coast (55,142km) and Fremantle (56,858) have the furthest to go. No surprises there. Collingwood and Carlton, both travel outside Victoria five times and their mileage is the equal lowest for 2013 - 13,626km.
Five teams - the Suns, Giants, Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and Port Adelaide - will not feature on Friday nights as the AFL beefs up the schedule of its most coveted timeslot.
But by giving North Melbourne three such prime-time matches in 2013 (after just one in 2012), the League has made it clear to the battling clubs that opportunities for prime-time football will be there if their results justify it.
Clubs ranked from easiest to hardest draws based on 2012 wins by next season's opponents.
| Club | Opponents' win-loss record in 2012 | Road games | Total distance to be travelled (source travelmath.com) | Six day breaks | Games v 2012 top 4 | Games v 2012 bottom 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Lions | 236-263 (47.2 winning %) | 10 | 33,926 km | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Melbourne | 237-265 (47.2 winning %) | 6 (includes one in Darwin) | 21,316 km | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Gold Coast Suns | 238-261 (47.7 winning %) | 10 | 22,580 km | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Adelaide Crows | 244-259 (48.5 winning %) | 10 | 23,386 km | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Port Adelaide | 246-259 (48.8 winning %) | 10 | 23,818 km | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| GWS Giants | 246-256 (49.0 winning %) | 13 (includes three in Canberra) | 21,112 km | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Richmond | 248-255 (49.3 winning %) | 6 | 19,720 km | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| St Kilda | 250-255 (49.5 winning %) | 7 (includes one in Wellington) | 20,110 km | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Essendon | 251-253 (49.8 winning %) | 5 | 15,086 km | 6 (and one 5-day break) | 5 | 5 |
| Sydney Swans | 249-252 (49.9 winning %) | 10 | 25,066 km | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Fremantle | 251-252 (49.9 winning %) | 10 | 56,858 km | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Carlton | 251-250 (50 winning %) | 5 | 13,626 km | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| West Coast | 255-251 (50.4 winning %) | 10 | 55,142 km | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Western Bulldogs | 256-248 (50.8 winning %) | 7 (includes one in Darwin) | 20,316 km | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Geelong | 258-247 (51.1 winning %) | 6 | 13,766 km | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Collingwood | 264-240 (52.3 winning %) | 5 | 13,626 km | 6 (and one 5-day break) | 5 | 4 |
| Hawthorn | 269-238 (53.0 winning %) | 8 (includes four in Launceston) | 14,066 km | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| North Melbourne | 270-239 (53.0 winning %) | 7 (includes two in Hobart) | 21,316 km | 8 | 7 | 4 |
