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West Coast avoid top-eight teams early

West Coast have a fantastic chance to start 2015 well after being scheduled to play just two top-eight teams in the first eight weeks.

The AFL today released their 2015 fixture and the Eagles will start with games against the Western Bulldogs, Carlton, Fremantle, Brisbane, GWS, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast and St Kilda.

Having finished in ninth place, West Coast was placed into the middle six of the fixture and will play double up matches against the Dockers, Adelaide, Gold Coast, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.

West Coast will finish the season with four of their last five matches in Perth, but the Eagles will play only four matches in Victoria.

The Eagles have trips to Darwin and Hobart instead of games at traditional Victorian venues.

Fremantle have avoided playing grand finalists Hawthorn and Sydney twice and will play three of their first four matches at home in 2014.

Fremantle will play Port Adelaide, North Melbourne, Richmond, West Coast and Melbourne twice after finishing in the top six.

They start and finish the season against Port Adelaide.

The derbies will be played in rounds three and 20. They are Sunday games starting at 2.40pm.

Fremantle play a Friday night game against Richmond at Patersons Stadium in round 10 and then host Collingwood on Thursday June 25.

West Coast play on Friday night against Carlton in round two and then travel to Victoria to play Richmond on Friday night in round 12. The Dockers have their bye in round 12 so there will be no AFL in Perth that weekend.

The Eagles have a week off in round 13.

The fixture has a major focus on fans. Blockbuster games have returned to Victoria on Saturday afternoons and early matches in Perth have been shelved.

FREMANTLE
(round, opponent, venue, time)
1 v Port Adelaide. Patersons Stadium, Sunday April 5. 4.40pm
2 v Geelong. Simonds Stadium. Sunday April 12. 11.10am
3 v West Coast. Patersons Stadium. Sunday April 19. 2.40pm
4 v Sydney. Patersons Stadium. Saturday April 25. 6.40pm
5 v Melbourne. MCG. Sunday May 3. 11.10am.
6 v Essendon. Patersons Stadium. Saturday May 9. 6.10pm
7 v Western Bulldogs. Etihad Stadium. Sunday May 17. 11.10am.
8 v North Melbourne. Patersons Stadium. Saturday May 23. 5.40pm
9 v Adelaide. Adelaide Oval. Saturday May 30. 5.40pm.
10 v Richmond. Patersons Stadium. Friday June 5. 6.10pm
11 v Gold Coast. Metricon Stadium. Saturday June 13. 11.40am
12 bye
13 v Collingwood. Patersons Stadium. Thursday June 25. 6.10pm
14 v Brisbane. Patersons Stadium. Sunday July 5. 2.40pm
15 v Hawthorn. Aurora Stadium. Sunday July 12. 1.20pm
16 v Carlton. Patersons Stadium. Saturday July 18. 5.40pm
17 v Richmond. MCG. Saturday July 25. 2.35pm
18 v GWS. Patersons Stadium. Sunday August 2. 2.40pm
19 v St Kilda. Etihad Stadium. Sunday August 9. 2.40pm
20 v West Coast. Patersons Stadium. Sunday August 16. 2.40pm
21 v North Melbourne. Etihad Stadium. Sunday August 23. 1.10pm
22 v Melbourne. Patersons Stadium. Sunday August 30. 2.40pm
23 v Port Adelaide. Adelaide Oval. TBC

WEST COAST
1 v Western Bulldogs. Etihad Stadium. Saturday April 4. 5.20pm
2 v Carlton. Patersons Stadium. Friday April 10. 6.10pm
3 v Fremantle. Patersons Stadium. Sunday April 19. 2.40pm
4 v Brisbane. Gabba. Sunday April 26. 11.10am
5 v GWS. Patersons Stadium. Saturday May 2. 5.40pm
6 v Port Adelaide. Adelaide Oval. Sunday May 10. 2.40pm
7 v Gold Coast. Patersons Stadium. Saturday May 16. 5.40pm
8 v St Kilda. Etihad Stadium. Saturday May 23. 11.45am.
9 v Geelong. Patersons Stadium. Sunday May 31. 2.40pm
10 v North Melbourne. Blundstone Arena, Hobart. Sunday June 7. 1.20pm
11 v Essendon. Patersons Stadium. Saturday June 13. 2.35pm
12 v Richmond. MCG. Friday June 19. 5.50pm
13 bye
14 v Melbourne. TIO Stadium, Darwin. Saturday July 4. 5.40pm
15 v Adelaide. Patersons Stadium. Saturday July 11. 5.40pm
16 v Collingwood. Etihad Stadium. Saturday July 18. 2.35pm
17 v Sydney. Patersons Stadium. Sunday July 26. 2.40pm
18 v Gold Coast. Metricon Stadium. Saturday August 1. 5.20pm
19 v Hawthorn. Patersons Stadium. Saturday August 8. 5.40pm
20 v Fremantle. Patersons Stadium. Sunday Augusy 16. 2.40pm
21 v Western Bulldogs. Patersons Stadium. Sunday August 23. 2.40pm
22 v Adelaide. Adelaide Oval. Sunday August 30. 11.10am
23 v St Kilda. Patersons Stadium. TBC