Hawthorn fixture among the toughest

HAWTHORN faces one of the toughest draws in 2016, based on tallying the number of wins its opponents next year managed in 2015.

Only Adelaide and North Melbourne have received tougher fixtures based on this formula

At the other end of the scale, Geelong and Essendon hit the jackpot with seemingly easier draws.

Adelaide's 2016 opponents won 251 games combined in 2015, with North Melbourne and Hawthorn's opponents next season winning a total of 247 and 246 games respectively in 2015.

TEAMS	COMBINED WINS IN 2015*
Adelaide	251
North Melbourne	247
Hawthorn	246
GWS	244
Collingwood	241
Richmond	240
West Coast	239
Brisbane Lions	238
Sydney Swans	238
Western Bulldogs	238
Fremantle	236
Gold Coast	236
Melbourne	236
Carlton	233
Port Adelaide	233
St Kilda	233
Geelong	232
Essendon	229

*Combined wins in 2015 of each club's 2016 opponents.

PROS: Six Friday night games and two Thursday night fixtures means the premiers will be big-stage regulars. They also have four games at 'home' in Tasmania and only travel to Perth once, in round 22 against West Coast.
CONS: The host of Friday night games means the Hawks have eight six-days breaks during the season.
PLAY TWICE: West Coast, North Melbourne, Sydney Swans, Melbourne, Richmond
BYE: Round 15
FIRST FOUR WEEKS: Geelong (a), West Coast (h), Western Bulldogs (a), St Kilda (h).
LAST FOUR WEEKS: Melbourne (a), North Melbourne (h), West Coast (a), Collingwood (h).
SIX-DAY BREAKS: Eight.
THEY SAY: "Overall we are pleased with the 2016 fixture, and think it’s a strong draw for Hawks fans and members. We have drawn seven home games at the MCG, with big match-ups against West Coast, Richmond, Sydney Swans, North Melbourne and Collingwood that are certain to attract big crowds." – Hawthorn CEO Stuart Fox.
AFL.com.au's Adam Curley says: When you're the reigning premiers chasing a fourth consecutive flag, the announcement of the 2016 fixture probably isn't even thought about, but the Hawks will be pleased no doubt. They travel five times before the round 15 bye but three of those trips are 'home' games at Aurora Stadium, and they only head to WA once for the year.