Leigh Matthews could only watch on, helpless, from the coach's box at the Gabba. Lance Franklin was leading his Hawks side on a typically inefficient dance, booting eight goals and six behinds. Despite the best efforts of pre-ructions Daniel Bradshaw (seven goals), Hawthorn edged the Brisbane Lions by two goals.

Prime minister Kevin Rudd was less than six months in office (the first time round) and the Hawks completed the fifth of their nine straight wins to start their ultimately fruitful 2008 campaign.

Matthews' seat was soon filled by Michael Voss and later Justin Leppitsch. Franklin scaled remarkable heights, became a Swan, and scaled them again.

Rudd was usurped by Julia Gillard, only for Gillard to have the favour returned, before the captain of Team Australia took charge in late 2013.

Another season flew by. The Hawks won the flag again. The Lions landed a want-away Magpie.

But Hawthorn has not been sighted at the Gabba again.

Next year will be the seventh consecutive season in which Hawthorn misses out on a trip to Brisbane. In fact, as has been the case for all bar one of those seasons, the only meeting between the Hawks and Lions takes place in Launceston (round 22).

It is just one example of the oddities that come as a by-product of the carefully managed scientific work that is the AFL fixture, in which the management of six-day breaks, Friday night games and 17 clubs requesting home games against Collingwood and as many games as possible against St Kilda means certain anomalies sneak through the drafts. Again and again.

The Lions happen to be a party in a disproportionately high number of these.

Not since 2009 have they ventured to Melbourne for an assignment against St Kilda, which is again the case in 2015. For the fourth time in five years, and the seventh time since 1998, the Lions face Essendon in round eight – for no apparent rhyme or reason. Perhaps it is an in-joke of AFL fixture mastermind Simon Lethlean.

The Bombers play only away to Fremantle, a recurring theme since 2011. Carlton meets the Western Bulldogs just once. The sides have not double-dated since 2002.

No such problems for the familiar Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney, which are scheduled for a pair of games for the fourth straight year (every year since GWS entered the AFL).

Richmond plays Gold Coast for the first time in Victoria (a result of three Tiger "home" games against the Suns in Cairns), while the Blues meet Port Adelaide at the MCG for the first time since 2005.

The Giants host the Lions and Hawks, neither of which have had to don the white shorts against GWS before. West Coast misses out on an away game against the Swans again. The Eagles have not played against Sydney in Sydney since 2010. The Eagles do, however, have a home game against Gold Coast, just as they have had every year since the Suns came into the league.

The Suns will play host to the Saints for the fifth year running. It is good news for St Kilda fans in Surfers Paradise. No such luck though for Hawks in the Queensland capital. There's alway 2016.