Matthew Knights’ team will make one less appearance in Melbourne next year, with the Bombers to play 17 games in Victoria – nine at Telstra Dome and eight at the MCG.
Among scheduled blockbuster clashes are home matches against Hawthorn and Geelong – both at Telstra Dome – while Carlton and the annual Dreamtime match with Richmond will be showcase matches at the MCG.
The Anzac Day clash will again be a feature of Essendon’s season.
April 25 falls on a Saturday next year, but the AFL has scheduled the annual Essendon-Collingwood as the only match of the afternoon to allow for maximum exposure.
The Bombers will get a chance to earn more frequent flyer points in 2009, with five interstate trips booked as opposed to four this year.
After kicking off the season with an away journey to Port Adelaide, two trips to Subiaco late in the season will ensure a tough closing for the men in red and black.
A few more Sunday matches are also a feature, that number rising to 10 (from seven) in 2009.
However from a football perspective, Dons fans should be relatively pleased. Of this year’s finalists only Hawthorn, Collingwood and St Kilda loom twice.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
