In a clear indication of the drawing power and national interest Ross Lyon’s team now generates, the Fremantle Dockers have been given a number of big home and away games in marquee timeslots in 2014.

The club will launch the 2014 AFL season with a huge Friday night round 1 clash against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium on 14 March. It promises to be an almighty battle between a Magpies team looking to win its second flag since 2010, and a Freo side desperate for another opportunity after it lost the 2013 Grand Final to Hawthorn.

The rising Gold Coast Suns and their reigning Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett Jnr hit Perth in round 2 for the 2014 Starlight Purple Haze Game. Ablett is sure to receive a warm welcome from the Freo fans. He can also count on getting the Ryan Crowley tag.

It’s a familiar opponent and venue in round 3 – Hawthorn at the MCG. Fremantle will get a chance to test itself against its Grand Final conqueror on the Friday night stage. This fixture will be played at the home of football for the first time since 2011, with the past two clashes between the sides played in Launceston, Tasmania.

The games don’t get any easier to start the season, with Essendon, coached next season by Mark Thompson, visiting Patersons Stadium in round 4. The Bombers are one of only two teams, the other being Hawthorn, that Freo has not defeated under Ross Lyon.

One of the toughest tests in football follows in round 5. Fremantle and Sydney drew their contest at the SCG in 2013 – the first tie in Fremantle Dockers’ history. Something’s got to give when the sides meet for the first time since Freo crushed the Swans in the 2013 Preliminary Final in Perth. This Sydney might be a different proposition, however, considering they were injury-ravaged at the end of last season and have now added AFL superstar Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin to a forward line already possessing Kurt Tippett.

Another Friday night contest kicks off round 6 when Freo hosts North Melbourne in the annual Len Hall Tribute Game at Patersons Stadium. The Kangaroos lost numerous close matches in 2013 and are strongly tipped to rise in 2014, so this should be an enthralling contest.

After the first Carlton Mid Derby in round 7, a West Coast home game, another huge match at Patersons Stadium follows in a fortnight when the growing rivalry between Fremantle and Geelong writes another chapter on a Saturday night in round 9. Contests between the two teams have been intense in recent seasons. Freo knocked the Cats out of the 2012 finals and derailed their campaign with a memorable Qualifying Final win at Simonds Stadium in 2013. Should captain Matthew Pavlich play every game up to this point in the 2014season, this match will be his 300th for the club.

Following a round 10 bye and matches against the Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium) and Adelaide (Patersons Stadium), Freo face Richmond at the MCG. The Tigers beat Lyon’s men there in 2013, so the fixture is sure to be a challenging one.

Fremantle will host the 40th Carlton Mid Derby in round 15, a Saturday twilight fixture, followed by a match against Melbourne at TIO Stadium in Darwin.

Mick Malthouse’s Carlton visits Perth in round 19 for a Thursday night contest at Patersons Stadium.

This match is followed by two more blockbuster games against Geelong and Hawthorn.

Freo return to Simonds Stadium to face the Cats in round 20. The fixture will hold no fears to Lyon’s men after their win against the odds last season in the finals.

The round 21 game against the Hawks will be at Patersons Stadium – the first time Alastair Clarkson’s side plays Fremantle in Perth since round 19, 2011.

The details of Freo’s round 23 fixture - to be played at Patersons Stadium against Port Adelaide – won’t be available until nearer to the game. The bonus is that, should Freo be in a position to qualify for the 2014 finals series, it will not have to travel before its first final.

Get set for another big season of Freo footy!

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