Tigers facing tough fixture

PREMIER Richmond can expect to receive a tougher draw in 2018.

With the draw to be revealed next week, Champion Data draw difficulty ratings reveal Richmond’s 37-year premiership drought came to an end after it received the second-easiest draw this year, while the Western Bulldogs’ 2016 Grand Final triumph came after it was handed the seventh easiest fixture.

West Coast, Sydney and Adelaide have fared well from the AFL’s imperfect fixturing in the past three years.

Runner-up Adelaide had the sixth-easiest fixture this year, while the Swans finished top last year with the ninthhardest fixture and Fremantle did the same in 2015 with the eighth-hardest draw.

Adelaide’s dream draw this year came despite the Crows finishing fifth on the ladder and playing a semi-final in 2016.

Even though the Swans finished in the top four from 2014-16, Sydney’s hardest draw has been ranked sixth by the AFL’s official statistician, with the other two years deemed the ninth toughest.

But West Coast takes the cake for having the best run.

The second-easiest draw propelled the Eagles to a Grand Final against Hawthorn in 2015 and its draw difficulty ranked 10th in each of the following two seasons, bringing further finals appearances.

Richmond moves into the top bracket of six clubs after breaking its 37-year premiership drought last month.

The Hawks were slapped with the third and sixth-hardest fixtures in 2015 and 2016 after their run of successive flags. The Bulldogs copped the fourth-hardest draw this year before finishing 10th on the ladder.

Teams with fixtures ranked among the five hardest have made the finals six times from 15 attempts in the past three years, while clubs with ranked sixth to 10th reached the eight on 11 out of 15 attempts.

The AFL introduced a “weighted” fixture model for the 2014 season to govern the five double-up games in its 22match season. Clubs are grouped into three pools of six based on their finishing positions the previous year.

They this year rejected a proposed 17-5 fixture in which teams play each other once and then meet the five teams in their third of the ladder in the last five rounds.

Next year’s season will start on Thursday, March 22.