The AFL’s 2015 home and away fixture will be announced at 10am (AEST) on Thursday morning. Collingwoodfc.com.au has collated the snippets of fixture information that has already been made available to the public ahead of Thursday’s announcement.

Old friends face off
Collingwood will take on Dayne Beams and his new Brisbane teammates in the first round of the 2015 season.

Beams, who was traded to the Lions after a request to return to his home state last month, will line up against his old Magpie teammates on Saturday 4 April at the Gabba.

The first round of the 2015 season will be played over the Easter weekend.

Two-time Tigers
The Age's Caroline Wilson believes Collingwood is likely to face Richmond twice in season 2015.

"In a commercially beneficial draw, the Tigers are also expected to play Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon twice in 2015," Wilson wrote on 24 October.

The two clubs have met twice in the one year just once since 2004.

Mick’s milestone
Current Carlton coach and 2010 Magpie leader Mick Malthouse is likely to break Jock McHale’s coaching record against Collingwood in round five, according to the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph.

“Both the Pies and Blues will make breaking McHale’s record of 713 games a celebration rather than another grudge match,” Ralph wrote on 27 October.

Malthouse ended the 2014 season with 710 games of senior coaching experience to his name.

McHale, one of the most famous figures in football history, led Collingwood to seven premierships between 1912 and 1949.

NAB Challenge
Collingwood will play its first match in Tasmania of any kind since 2001 when it meets Hawthorn in the opening game of the pre-season competition on 26 February.

The Magpies will then meet the Blues in Bendigo and the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium

Around the league
Elsewhere, just two games are expected to be played on Mother’s Day. Instead, six games will be played on the Saturday prior. A Monday night game following Mother's Day has been a feature of recent seasons, but that has been scrapped, according to The Age.

With ANZAC Day falling on a Saturday next year, five matches will be played across the day. The first, between St Kilda and Carlton, will be played in Wellington, New Zealand. The match will start at 11.10am (AEST), with the traditional Collingwood v Essendon match, a twilight clash and two night games to follow.

It will be the first quadruple-header in AFL history.

The round one schedule has already been locked in. Carlton and Richmond will open proceedings at the MCG on Easter Thursday.

Round One 2015
Thursday
Carlton v Richmond

Saturday
Melbourne v Gold Coast
Sydney Swans v Essendon
Brisbane Lions v Collingwood
Western Bulldogs v West Coast

Sunday
St Kilda v Greater Western Sydney
Adelaide v North Melbourne
Fremantle v Port Adelaide

Monday
Hawthorn v Geelong