In an AFL season that has gone completely bonkers, every inch matters. And there’s nothing like the unevenness of the fixture to have fans’ blood boiling.

“There’s no way that you could look at the draw and say it’s fair, anywhere,” Collingwood coach Craig McRae said earlier this year.

“Everyone understands it, it’s just [about] which bit [helps you]. That’s reality, isn’t it?

Not quite smelling the roses: Darcy Moore and the Magpies have an unblemished record against North Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast, but are still almost certain to miss the finals.Credit: Getty

“We play more games at the MCG than anyone else. Is that fair? Clearly not. And then how much West Coast and Fremantle have to travel and the others. There’s no way it’s fair.”

It’s up to teams to make the most of any advantage, particularly when it comes to how many times they play the worst-performing teams. This year those teams are West Coast, North Melbourne and Richmond. All three have had their moments, but they have a combined 10 wins – with the Eagles laying claim to half of them.

At what point of the season your team has met the Eagles, Kangaroos and Tigers has also been important. Richmond were particularly competitive through the opening five rounds of the season when they defeated Sydney at the MCG and lost two games by seven points or less. It’s largely been downhill since, benefiting opponents.

The Kangaroos were winless through to the mid-season bye, but........

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