In the wake of the AFL unveiling its fixture for 2015, there is plenty of analysis in the press about what it means for each club.

Here’s a wrap-up of what’s being said, with a focus on Carlton:

AFL.com.au
Guilio Di Giorgio

CARLTON

PROS: Six home games at the MCG and five home games at Etihad Stadium, including six Friday night games.

CONS: Tough first month which includes two matches outside Victoria.

PLAY TWICE: Hawthorn, Richmond, Collingwood, Brisbane Lions, GWS.

FIRST FOUR WEEKS: Richmond (h), West Coast (a), Essendon (h), St Kilda (a).

LAST FOUR WEEKS:  Brisbane Lions (a), Melbourne (h), GWS (a), Hawthorn (a).

SIX-DAY BREAKS: Seven.

THEY SAY: "This fixture is a great result for our team and we believe the AFL has struck the right balance of big games and supporter friendly timeslots," – CEO Steven Trigg

WE SAY: The Blues have been handed a favourable draw after missing out on finals action this year. They begin their campaign against Richmond in the season opener on Easter Thursday. Their first month of the year features two games outside Victoria with matches in Perth and Wellington, New Zealand. On a positive note, the Blues only play one top-six team twice – back-to-back premier Hawthorn – and come up against Richmond, Collingwood, the Brisbane Lions and GWS twice. A highlight of the Blues' fixture will come in round five when coach Mick Malthouse notches his 715th game as a senior coach, surpassing Jock McHale's record.


Mick Malthouse humbled to break AFL coaching record
The Age, Jon Pierik

Mick Malthouse says he will be humbled to become the AFL's longest-serving coach next season when he breaks Jock McHale's record – and for this reason feels it appropriate that Carlton's opponent on his milestone night will be Collingwood.

In a round-five, prime-time clash that already exudes storylines, the most important on Friday, May 1, will be Malthouse logging his 715th match as a senior coach.

The AFL asked Malthouse to choose which club he wanted to face in the historic match, with the three-time premiership mentor weighing up the merits of the clubs he had coached.

While there was special significance with the Western Bulldogs and West Coast, the Magpies - where he spent 12 seasons and tasted ultimate success in 2010 - always made the most sense.
 

The AFL has come good on its pledge for a fan-friendly fixture in 2015 with a marked increase in weekend day games in Victoria.

After just 34 weekend day matches in Victoria last season, the league has delivered 47 for next year.

In total, there will be 20 Saturday afternoon and 27 Sunday afternoon games in Victoria in 2015.

Some of the blockbuster MCG Saturday afternoon games next year are Carlton v Essendon, Essendon v Collingwood, Richmond v Geelong, Hawthorn v Essendon, Collingwood v Carlton and Collingwood v Richmond.

As was widely expected, the Sunday night and Monday night timeslots have been scrapped while the warmly received Thursday night slot has five games.


Mick Malthouse will break Jock McHale's coaching record in Round 5, 2015. (Photo: AFL Photos)


2015 AFL Fixture: Fan-friendly draw also suits coaches
Herald Sun, Mark Robinson

Carlton gets six Friday matches, including Mick Malthouse's record-breaker, which is damned lucky.

The AFL says the clubs have to earn the Friday night slot. The Blues finished 13th with seven wins in 2014.

The Dogs finished 14th with seven wins and arguably will be more watchable than the Blues, what with Boyd and Bontempelli.

Don’t say it’s about earning spot when we all know it’s about audience.

Collingwood has six Friday nights, for God’s sake.

That’s not a whinge, that’s a fact.


2015 AFL fixture: See all your club’s matches here and have your say
Herald Sun

Five games on Anzac Day and the distribution of Friday night games were the biggest eyebrow-raisers in the 2015 AFL fixture, released on Thursday morning.

Richmond will play on Friday nights seven times, while Carlton, who finished outside the top eight, have six of the plum fixtures.

North Melbourne and Essendon have only two, against each other, despite the Kangaroos reaching a preliminary final.

There will be five matches on a blockbuster Anzac Day, starting with St Kilda and Carlton in Wellington to mark the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.

The traditional Collingwood-Essendon clash will be played at the MCG in the afternoon before a twilight game (GWS v Gold Coast in Canberra) and two night matches (Port Adelaide at home against Hawthorn and Fremantle’s Len Hall tribute match against Sydney).


Carlton faces easier fixture in 2015 due to horror 2014 season
Herald Sun, Jon Ralph

Carlton's horror 2014 season has given it a crucial headstart on rivals under the 2015 AFL fixture to be released on Thursday morning.

Carlton’s 13th-placed finish this year has put the Blues into the bottom pool of six clubs which play at least two “double-up” games against teams also in that group.

After a sixth-placed finish in 2013 the Blues were plunged into the toughest third of the draw and played battlers Melbourne, GWS, Brisbane Lions and the Western Bulldogs only once each last season.

Under the draw’s equalisation formula, bottom-six sides play return games against fellow battlers two or three times.

In 2015 Carlton also has inviting double-ups against their arch rivals.

They will play twice against Richmond (eighth this year) and Collingwood (11th) so could potentially face only one double-up against a 2014 finals side.