Season structure
The season structure will have 20 rounds of nine matches, three rounds (Round 12, 13, 14) of six matches where each team will have a bye week.

Bye Rounds
Round 12 – Essendon, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs
Round 13 – Brisbane Lions, Collingwood, Geelong Cats, Melbourne, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles
Round 14 – Adelaide Crows, Carlton, Gold Coast SUNS, GWS GIANTS, North Melbourne, Richmond

“Since the turn of the century, both the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide Football Clubs have won first-ever premierships as part of the national competition. While five other clubs during the same period, in the Sydney Swans (72 years), the Geelong Cats (44 years), Collingwood (20 years), the Western Bulldogs (62 years), Richmond (37 years) and the West Coast Eagles (12 years) have broken their longest periods without premiership success,” Mr Auld said.

“In the last two seasons at least one of the Grand Finalists came from outside the top-eight the year before, and in two of the last three seasons two top four teams didn’t play finals the year before, giving hope to all supporters that their club can rise to ultimate success.

"The AFL's goal is that all clubs can compete equally for top-eight spots and then those clubs playing in September can have the best possible lead-in and preparation for the most important matches of our season,” Auld said.

A standard round, as part of the AFL’s agreement with the Seven Network and Foxtel / Fox Sports, will continue to feature one Friday night match, two Saturday afternoon matches, one Saturday twilight match, two Saturday night matches, one early Sunday match, one Sunday afternoon match and one Sunday twilight match.

Toyota Australia’s Vice President National Sales and Marketing Operations Sean Hanley said the new fixture continues to bring the AFL to as many fans as possible, building on the league’s dominant position as Australia’s leading sporting code.

“As the AFL’s premier partner, Toyota believes the 2019 fixture will be widely welcomed by fans who are the lifeblood of this great sport,” Mr Hanley said.

“The fixture ensures as many fans as possible can enjoy the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership Season in person, inspiring them to progress their own passions,”

“It also means there is every chance the AFL will outdo the brilliant 2018 season and break its home-and-away attendance record.”

Mr Auld, as the AFL executive responsible for the production of the fixture, has worked with varying timeslots and match placements across all states and territories, to best reflect the differing needs of fans across country.

He said a key consideration was the five games that provided second match-ups for each club, with the AFL using the final 2018 ladder positions as the basis for this work.

"The fixture has many constraints, which are well-known to our fans and across the competition. Equity around the fixture, when all teams do not play each other both home and away, is a key priority," Mr Auld said.

A total of 198 home and away matches of season 2019 will be played in venues throughout every state and territory, with matches outside the regular capital cities to be played in Ballarat (two), Darwin (one), Alice Springs (one), Hobart (four), Canberra (three), Launceston (four) and Townsville (one). For the third season in a row a match will be played in Shanghai, China.

Mr Auld said all clubs had been consulted in relation to their fixture with the document completed after discussions with the AFL's broadcast partners - the Seven Network, Fox Sports, Telstra and venues.