Hawthorn CEO Stuart Fox has encouraged Hawks members and supporters to embrace the Club’s 2013 fixture, which he admits features both opportunities and challenges.
“Hawthorn Football Club appreciates the complexity of formulating the AFL fixture, and while the 2013 draw presents some significant challenges, we’re confident our Club is well-placed to manage these,” Fox said.
“The Club is pleased it will line up against four Victorian sides in home games at the MCG (Geelong, Collingwood, North Melbourne and Richmond), in addition to premiers Sydney and emerging side Gold Coast Suns,” Fox said.
For Hawthorn members all around Australia, every Hawks’ match will be televised live on Foxtel and over half (13) will be broadcast free-to-air on the Seven Network. Five Friday night and two Saturday night games present excellent commercial opportunities for sponsors and partners in prime-time television markets.
“For the first time in several years, the Club has been scheduled to play a home match at Etihad Stadium (Round 13, West Coast Eagles),” Fox said.
“As a tenant club we’re disappointed the AFL has not fulfilled our request to play seven home games at the MCG, however we’re prepared to work with it and ensure our members’ service requirements are met,” Fox said.
The Club will continue to service its Tasmanian members with four games at Aurora Stadium in 2013.
“Hawthorn is pleased it will play a different Melbourne-based club in Tasmania in 2013, with Western Bulldogs scheduled at Aurora Stadium in Round 17 and Richmond in the pre-season cup. The Club has also achieved a good spread of games across the fixture in the island state,” Fox said.
The fixture provides challenges from a football perspective, with the Hawks to play each 2012 finalist in the first seven rounds, which includes the season opener against Geelong on Easter Monday, a Round 3 blockbuster against the Pies and a Grand Final re-match with the Swans in Round 7.
Hawthorn is also scheduled to meet five of the 2012 top eight teams twice next year.
“Although we face a challenging on-field draw, the 2013 fixture has delivered the Club some quality home games, both at the MCG and Aurora Stadium, which is a fantastic outcome for our members, sponsors and corporate partners,” Fox said.
“Our Club is united in recognising the positives of the 2013 fixture and accepting the challenges it presents, and we look forward to the opportunities and prospects 2013 brings both on and off the field,” Fox said.
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