MELBOURNE will open the 2019 NAB AFLW season with a Sunday afternoon clash at Casey Fields against the Fremantle Dockers on February 3.
The season opener is one of three home games at Casey Fields in 2019, with games against newcomers North Melbourne Tasmania in round four (Sunday, February 24, 4:05pm) and Adelaide in round seven (Saturday, March 16, 4:45pm) to be played at the ground.
Of Melbourne’s four away games, two will be played in the greater Melbourne region.
The first of those will be a round two encounter against Collingwood at Victoria Park (Saturday, February 9, 4:45pm), with the second being a blockbuster Saturday night clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium in round six (Saturday, March 9, 7:15pm).
The Bulldogs match will be the second part of a double-header at Marvel Stadium, with Collingwood and North Melbourne Tasmania to play earlier in the day at 4:45pm.
Melbourne's remaining two away games will see the red and blue travel interstate to play the Brisbane Lions in round three at Hickey Park in Brisbane (Sunday, February 17, 3:35pm AEST) and the GWS Giants at Blacktown International Sportspark in round five (Sunday, March 3, 2:05pm).
The 2019 season will be the first played using a two-pool conference system, which has been drawn based on 2018 ladder positions.
READ MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE SYSTEM
Melbourne (third in 2018) have been placed in Conference A alongside the Western Bulldogs (first), Adelaide (fifth), Fremantle (seventh) and North Melbourne Tasmania (expansion team).
Brisbane (second), GWS Giants (fourth), Collingwood (sixth), Carlton (eighth) and Geelong (expansion team) have been placed in Conference B.
Under the new system, all teams will play four matches against opponents in their conference, plus three ‘crossover’ games against sides in the other conference.
This format means Melbourne will not play Carlton and Geelong in the home and away season.
At the end of the home and away season, the teams that finish first and second in each conference will advance to the Preliminary Final and play-off for a Grand Final spot.
With the season extended, the Preliminary Final and Grand Final will overlap with the first two rounds of the AFL season.
Melbourne will be looking to go one step further in 2019, after consecutive third-place finishes in 2017 and 2018.
