EXPERIENCE at the MCG could be a non-factor leading into September with the top six teams on the ladder only playing five more games between them at the home of football.
North Melbourne, Geelong, the Sydney Swans, Greater Western Sydney, the Western Bulldogs and West Coast have played a combined eight games at the MCG in the first nine rounds before the drought.
The Western Bulldogs play their final home and away game at the MCG when they meet Collingwood on Sunday, with another six games to come at Etihad Stadium.
The next time any of the other five teams play at the MCG is when West Coast plays Carlton in round 17.
The fixture quirk could give defending premiers Hawthorn, who sit seventh on the ladder after nine rounds, an advantage if familiarity at the venue counts for anything. The Hawks will play five of their final 13 games at the MCG.
Collingwood and Richmond have eight games remaining at the MCG, Melbourne six, while Adelaide has two and Port Adelaide just one.
Undefeated ladder leader North Melbourne plays at the MCG for the first time in round 21 when it faces Hawthorn, while Geelong – which lost to Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday – is back at the MCG for the final time in the same round when it plays the Tigers.
Both clubs are filled with experienced finals campaigners, but the Cats have only won one final in five attempts at the MCG since winning the flag in 2011. The Kangaroos have won all their three finals at the MCG since 2014.
Last week, Geelong football manager Steve Hocking told AFL.com.au one of the advantages of the move to Deakin University's alternative training venue was the ability to train on a ground with the same dimensions as the MCG.
"[It can help] your running patterns, where you set up in defence, all those things. It's a real advantage for us, we believe," Hocking said.
Neither of the Sydney-based teams will play another game at the MCG in 2016 unless they make the eight – and even then, there is no guarantee.
The Giants have won just one game in 10 visits to the MCG and could conceivably play at the venue on Grand Final day without having played there since round one, when they lost to Melbourne by two points.
The Swans have only won one final at the MCG in eight attempts since winning the 2005 Grand Final.
That was the 2012 Grand Final against Hawthorn when they upset the flag favourites despite having not won at the venue in nine previous attempts between round 19, 2009 and the Grand Final.
Sydney Swans premiership player Martin Mattner told AFL.com.au he didn't think experience or success at the venue counted for much, particularly on Grand Final day.
"I don't think it affects anything nowadays," Mattner said.
"Teams travel so much, so you play on different size grounds all the time. It has probably got more to do with the opposition you are playing than the ground you are playing on."
Since Etihad Stadium opened in 2000, Essendon is the only tenant to have won a premiership with Carlton, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne unable to land a flag this century.
Remaining games at MCG in 2016 (in ladder order)
North Melbourne - 1
Geelong - 1
GWS - 0
Sydney - 0
Western Bulldogs - 1
West Coast - 2
Hawthorn - 5
Adelaide - 2
Melbourne - 6
Port Adelaide - 1
Collingwood - 8
Carlton - 6
St Kilda - 2
Richmond - 8
Gold Coast - 2
Essendon - 3
Brisbane Lions - 1
Fremantle - 1
