Melbourne is gearing up for the AFL Women's 2025 season, with the fixture officially unveiled on Friday.
For the first time, the season will include twelve matches in the home-and-away season, allowing fans even more opportunities to watch the Demons in action.
Melbourne will host five of six home games at Casey Fields, providing the team with an unmatched home ground advantage.
Round 1 will see the Demons clash with traditional rivals Western Bulldogs, marking the return of the Hampson-Hardeman Cup played between the two sides. Demons and Bulldogs are two of the pioneering sides of the AFLW competition, taking part in exhibition matches back in 2013.
Following this, the Dees will make their way to Casey Fields in Round 2 for the first home game of the season, taking on St Kilda for a Saturday afternoon encounter.
In Rounds 3 and 4, Melbourne will celebrate Indigenous Rounds with matches against Collingwood and Richmond, before hitting the road for the first interstate game against Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval in Round 5.
The team will then return to Casey Fields, hosting back-to-back home games against West Coast Eagles and Gold Coast Suns on Grand Final Eve in Rounds 6 and 7.
In Round 8, Melbourne will battle Essendon at IKON Park for a blockbuster Friday night clash, the only match the Dees will host at that venue this season.
For the first time in the competition’s history, Pride Round will take place over two rounds, offering every club opportunity to wear specially designed guernseys at a home game.
Melbourne will host Sydney in a very special Saturday afternoon Pride Match in Round 10. It will be the first time these teams have ever met.
The team will hit the road for the final two matches of the home-and-away season, with reigning premiers Brisbane Lions at Brighton Homes Arena and Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on the agenda.
General Manager - AFLW, Marcus Wagner, expressed enthusiasm at the upcoming challenge.
“This fixture has delivered a strong schedule of games, and we’re excited for what lies ahead,” Wagner said.
“We’re looking forward to celebrating our five home games at Casey Fields, and continuing our deep connection with the Casey community, but equally we’re thrilled to host Essendon at IKON Park and allow inner-city supporters opportunity to watch a high-quality game in their own backyard.
“The twelve-game fixture over 12 weeks is a really fantastic development, and is a strong sign of the advancement of the competition, as we enter our milestone tenth season.”
For fans unable to make it to see the Dees up close, five matches will be available on free-to-air television. Week 12 will remain a floating fixture for the time being, with details to be confirmed later on in the year.
Dees supporters excited to get amongst the action in 2025 can sign up for a number of membership packages here.
