MELBOURNE and North Melbourne have won the AFL fixture lottery after being handed two matches against Greater Western Sydney next year.

They are the only Victorian clubs to double up against the likely easybeats.

A final draft version of the fixture, seen by the Herald Sun, reveals Gold Coast, Sydney and Adelaide as the other clubs with the chance to bank eight points against GWS.

In the fixture, to be released on Friday:

CARLTON is set to become one of the marquee Friday night clubs along with grand finalists Collingwood and Geelong in the prime TV slot.

COLLINGWOOD will have five interstate trips - Port Adelaide (Round 4), Brisbane (Round 7), Adelaide (Round 9), GWS (Round 18) and Sydney (Round 20).

GWS being forced to endure the toughest assignment of all - an away game against premiers Geelong at Skilled Stadium in Round 10.

GEELONG has a Round 1 road trip against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium on a Saturday night.

THE Kangaroos starting their campaign on the same night with a potential sell-out home game against Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

NEW Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney to start his reign with a clash against West Coast at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, April 1.

SCOTT Watters' stint as St Kilda coach starts with a Sunday twilight match against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.

Given Melbourne and North Melbourne are expected to at least be vying for a place in the lower part of the top eight, two outings against GWS loom as a huge advantage.

The biggest loser is St Kilda, which plays GWS only once and has to wait until the second last round for a crack at the Giants.

The entire inaugural GWS home-and-away roster seen by the Herald Sun confirms a season opener against Sydney, five days earlier than any other match.

North Melbourne's first outing against GWS is at Etihad Stadium in Round 2 and the Kangaroos venture to Sydney for a rematch in the final round.

Both of Melbourne's matches against GWS are in the second half of the season. Matches against Port Adelaide, a rung above GWS on the betting table for next year, are also of interest.

Hawthorn, on the brink of a Grand Final this year, has been fortunate enough to cop the Power twice.

Other teams to double up against Port are Essendon, Richmond, Fremantle and Adelaide.

The Crows are the only team with four games against GWS/Port Adelaide, with many clubs having only two in total.

Originally published as Demons, Roos to play GWS twice