It is widely recognised that the Bombers will have one of the toughest draws of all teams next season, but it will be offset in the commercial department with blockbuster matches that pay off at the turnstiles.

Senior coach Matthew Knights will not be comforted by the fact his exciting young side is drawn to meet grand finalists Geelong and St Kilda and preliminary finalists Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs on two occasions.

One positive for him is that the home-body Bombers will travel interstate less than any other team in the competition, with air travel limited to a fourth-round flight to Perth and short trips to Sydney in round 11 and Adelaide in round 14.

The Bombers will be the night-time specialists of the AFL with seven Friday night and seven Saturday night fixtures, allowing them to maximise their brand exposure.

New Bombers chief executive Ian Robson welcomed the draw as "exciting".

"This is a blockbuster draw for Essendon and is great for our fans," Robson said.

Meanwhile, the Bombers have come to an arrangement that will allow 18-game members to reserve a seat on level three of the MCG's Olympic Stand for all away matches as an add-on to their membership.