1. There’s no place like home

There’s nothing like footy at the Club’s spiritual home at Victoria University Whitten and fans will have six opportunities to watch the Dogs in Footscray this year after nine home games in 2017.

Round 2 (Coburg)

Round 5 (Richmond)

Round 8 (Collingwood)

Round 9 (Essendon)

Round 18 (Frankston)

Round 21 (Port Melbourne)

2. Saturday’s the day

If you need to clear your schedule for Footscray games this coming season, you should find it pretty simple with 13 games scheduled during daylight hours on Saturdays, and two night games; against the Tigers in Round 5 and the Bombers in Round 9, both at home.

With the VFL not scheduling any games on a Friday night next season, that leaves the remaining three games are on a Sunday against Werribee in Round 7, Casey in Round 15 and North Melbourne in Round 19.

3. One block of home games

The Bulldogs were scheduled two groups of three home games last season but will only play consecutive home games once in 2018, against Collinwood in Round 8 and Essendon in Round 9.  Footscray will have an early start when they face the Magpies at 11am on Saturday, May 26 and a late finish when the Bombers come to town on Saturday, June 2 at 7pm.

4. THREE byes

The VFL have introduced three byes over 21 rounds rather than the one across 19 rounds last season; in Round 4, Round 10 and Round 17.

5. THREE venues TBC

Finally, all of the above will look a little different when the venues for Rounds 12, 14 and 19 are announced by the VFL in coming weeks.  The Bulldogs are scheduled against North Melbourne in Rounds 12 and 19, and Box Hill in Round 14, but where exactly this will happen hasn’t yet been released.