It will be the case of the master up against the apprentice when new Richmond coach Damien Hardwick faces his mentor in Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson in his first game in charge of the Tigers in next year's NAB Cup.

The AFL released the draw for its 2010 pre-season competition on Tuesday with the Hawks and Tigers set to clash in the opening round in Launceston on Saturday February 13.

The other coaching newcomer next year in North Melbourne's Brad Scott has been handed an even more daunting first-up assignment with the Kangaroos to take on reigning NAB Cup and AFL premier Geelong at Etihad Stadium on Sunday February 21.

The pre-season competition will kick off on Friday February 12 at Subiaco with West Coast hosting Essendon with four first round games to be played on the opening weekend with another four to be staged in week two before the quarter-finals take place on the last weekend of February.

The grand final will be played on Saturday March 13 with the AFL home and away season to kick off 12 days later when Richmond host Carlton on Thursday March 25 with the draw for the home and away season to be released on Friday.

The AFL has scheduled no matches in Melbourne in the opening weekend of the NAB Cup to avoid a clash with the Melbourne leg of legendary rock band AC/DC's Australian tour after initially having threatened to stage games during that period when it was at war with Etihad Stadium earlier this year.

But after Etihad Stadium management and the AFL reached an agreement over match day returns to tenant clubs, that clash has been avoided.

The first NAB Cup game in Melbourne won't be played until Friday February 19, between St Kilda and Collingwood, after AC/DC has fulfilled its Melbourne concerts at Etihad Stadium.

The AFL will also play its first official match at its new Blacktown stadium, which will be the training base for the new West Sydney team which will join the competition in 2012.

The ground, which has a capacity of around 5,000, will host the first round clash between Sydney and Carlton under lights on Saturday February 20.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the Swans-Blues clash would be the first step in building support for the game in greater western Sydney ahead of the new team's entrance to the competition in 2012.

"Fixturing the Sydney Swans and Carlton at our new facility at Blacktown Olympic Park is a major step towards bringing elite AFL football to the greater west of Sydney," Anderson said.

The AFL also announced on Tuesday that one of its NAB challenge games - which are practice matches played between teams that are eliminated from the NAB Cup - would be staged in the Victorian country town of Yea next year with all proceeds from the match going to the town's bushfire victims.

That match will be played between the losers of the Hawthorn-Richmond and Geelong-North Melbourne first round matches, ensuring a big crowd for the town that was left devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires back in February.

2010 NAB Cup draw:

First round:
Fri Feb 12: West Coast v Essendon - Subiaco.
Sat Feb 13: Adelaide v Port Adelaide - AAMI
Sat Feb 13: Hawthorn v Richmond - Aurora Stadium
Sun Feb 14: W Bulldogs v Brisbane - Manuka Oval
Fri Feb 19: St Kilda v Collingwood - Etihad Stadium
Sat Feb 20: Sydney v Carlton - Blacktown Olympic Park
Sun Feb 21: Geelong v North Melb - Etihad Stadium
Sun Feb 21: Fremantle v Melbourne - Subiaco

Quarter finals: Thursday Feb 25 - Sunday Feb 28

Semi-finals: Friday March 5 - Saturday March 6

Grand Final: Saturday March 13.