Essendon have been given the chance to make a flying start to the 2012 AFL Season by having three 2011 non-Top 8 sides to begin the season starting off with the Kanagroos in Round 1 on March 31.

Saturday May 26 also looms high on the calendar with the Bombers heading to Sydney to take on the GWS Giants and former Bomber coach Kevin Sheedy for the first time in AFL Round 9.

Essendon 2012 AFL Fixture

Rd. 1 Saturday, 31 March 2012 7:40 pm Kangaroos FOX Etihad Stadium Away
Rd. 2 Saturday, 7 April 2012 1:45 pm Port Adelaide SEVEN Etihad Stadium Home
Rd. 3 Saturday, 14 April 2012 7:40 pm Gold Coast SEVEN Metricon Stadium Away
Rd. 4 Saturday, 21 April 2012 1:45 pm Carlton SEVEN MCG Away
Rd. 5 Wednesday, 25 April 2012 2:40 pm Collingwood SEVEN MCG Away
Rd. 6 Saturday, 5 May 2012 1:40 pm Brisbane FOX Etihad Stadium Home
Rd. 7 Saturday, 12 May 2012 7:40 pm West Coast SEVEN Etihad Stadium Home
Rd. 8 Saturday, 19 May 2012 7:45 pm Richmond SEVEN MCG Home
Rd. 9 Saturday, 26 May 2012 7:40 pm GWS SEVEN Skoda Stadium Away
Rd. 10 Saturday, 2 June 2012 7:40 pm Melbourne SEVEN MCG Home
Rd. 11 Saturday, 9 June 2012 7:40 pm Sydney SEVEN Etihad Stadium Home
Rd. 12 Bye
Rd. 13 Saturday, 23 June 2012 5:40 pm Fremantle SEVEN Patersons Stadium Away
Rd. 14 Saturday, 30 June 2012 7:40 pm Western Bulldogs SEVEN Etihad Stadium Home
Rd. 15 Saturday, 7 July 2012 7:40 pm St Kilda SEVEN Etihad Stadium Away
Rd. 16 Saturday, 14 July 2012 1:40 pm Port Adelaide FOX AAMI Stadium Away
Rd. 17 Friday, 20 July 2012 7:50 pm Geelong SEVEN Etihad Stadium Away
Rd. 18 Friday, 27 July 2012 7:50 pm Hawthorn SEVEN Etihad Stadium Home
Rd. 19 Sunday, 5 August 2012 4:10 pm Adelaide FOX AAMI Stadium Away
Rd. 20 Sunday, 12 August 2012 4:40 pm Kangaroos FOX Etihad Stadium Home
Rd. 21 Saturday, 18 August 2012 1:45 pm Carlton SEVEN MCG Home
Rd. 22 Friday, 24 August 2012 7:50 pm Richmond SEVEN MCG Away
Rd. 23 TBA TBA Collingwood TBC MCG Home