Roast Collingwood to play Opening Round at MCG in 2026

[Underdog]

If it's a Sunday night, does that not give the GP clear air? They are just leaching off it after the event.

Sounds like a logistical nightmare to me. 130,000 GP attendees trying to get home on top of 100,000 trying to get into the MCG. Personally, I'd be giving the footy a miss.

 

[Ctracks]

Waiting for North Melbourne to join the queue.

 

[Hawkk]

Waiting for North Melbourne to join the queue.

It’s got that vibe

Saints, Dogs and Dees now lining up. Do you think any of those teams are open to sharing the home gate with the Pies?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

It’s got that vibe

Saints, Dogs and Dees now lining up. Do you think any of those teams are open to sharing the home gate with the Pies?

They can take the mantle from us and Pendles can play his first ever game at Kardinia park against us

(Outside that one preseason match)

 

[Rod Stroker]

Collingwood have joined the queue and are also requesting to playing Collingwood that night..

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Wait so this will be another away game that’s moved to the Pies home ground?
I mean Saints play out of Marvel don’t they.
Or have they written that wrong on the twitter post.

I'd rather we play all our games (home and away) at AO.

 

[Underarm]

Wait so this will be another away game that’s moved to the Pies home ground?
I mean Saints play out of Marvel don’t they.
Or have they written that wrong on the twitter post.

The new deal has the saints playing 1 'home' MCG game per year.

 

[Hawkk]

The new deal has the saints playing 1 'home' MCG game per year.

The Dogs got the Pies at the MCG this year, the Saints last year and North are probably due. Gotta hand it to the Pies though, the stereotype really doesn’t hold much weight when 40 per cent of the Vic clubs need the 50,000 Collingwood away fans to balance the books.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Sounds like a logistical nightmare to me. 130,000 GP attendees trying to get home on top of 100,000 trying to get into the MCG. Personally, I'd be giving the footy a miss.

I reckon a lot of the GP attendees would attend the footy that night as well

 

[Ctracks]

Collingwood have joined the queue and are also requesting to playing Collingwood that night..

View attachment 2421495

Like Australia V Australia A in a ODI

 

[Hawkk]

They can take the mantle from us and Pendles can play his first ever game at Kardinia park against us

(Outside that one preseason match)

Agreed with this. Hawks should play the Cats at KP too (when not hosting Easter Monday). Ultimately all Victorian clubs should have the power to negotiate home games with the grounds — and that includes the Dogs who tried to play a home game at KP a few years ago. It shits me how the AFL control the schedule and allocate the games…

 

[Elixuh]

You could randomly pick a poster from Bigfooty to run the AFL and they’d do a better job and make more coherent decisions than the current administration.

 

[Mat Mann]

Wait so this will be another away game that’s moved to the Pies home ground?
I mean Saints play out of Marvel don’t they.
Or have they written that wrong on the twitter post.

It's part of a larger rebalance of the Vic tems
Marvel is easily the worst $ returning ground of any.

Its taken over 5 years for the AFL to actually do anything about it.

Saints have been agitating for 4 home games at the MCG in return for fewer distributions from the competitive fund.

So far the AFL has given us 1 "home" game, our 150th vs Pies in 2023, Dons(2024) and Carlton(2025), noting we still only play at the MCG 2 times a year, which we are forced to play at in finals, as our home venue.

The AFL has already granted us "spud's Game at the MCG will be our "blockbuster game" in lieu of no derby or blockbuster that others enjoy.

now onto the bigger topic

The AFL is close to a landmark agreement with the Marvel Stadium tenants that would guarantee increased returns over the next five years.

Under the long-term deal, which has not been formally signed but is all but agreed, the AFL – as the owner of Marvel Stadium – will hand Essendon, Carlton, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne sizeable increases in their guaranteed payments, extra premium seats and a higher share of signage.

St Kilda, which has lobbied hard for extra games at the MCG, has been handed 10 games at Marvel Stadium for the next two years, then they would have a guarantee of nine at Docklands and one at the MCG from 2028 until 2030, with one home game left to be negotiated. The Saints confirmed to this masthead that their strong preference was for two home games at the MCG in those years.

St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena said the Saints, who have played more games at Marvel Stadium than any other team – North (Hobart, Perth/Bunbury) and the Bulldogs (Ballarat) having secondary bases for longer periods – wanted a second MCG home game from 2028.

“We see the G [MCG] as our secondary market in that sense, rather than shifting to another state or Marvel,” said Dilena of that game that has not been allocated to a venue. He said, if not the MCG, then that final, unallocated game (from 2028) could be fixtured at Marvel Stadium.

More cash, more seats, more signs: How AFL clubs will benefit from new Marvel Stadium deal

The long-term deal between the AFL and its Docklands tenants is not yet official, but details are starting to emerge.

www.theage.com.au

 

[beerbandit]

Calm down everyone, there’s plenty of Collingwood to go around

 

[Humblebob]

Calm down everyone, there’s plenty of Collingwood to go around

️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️

 

[Hoops]

I heard in 2027 the first game of the year will feature Collingwood playing Round -1. This will lead into Opening Round the following week.
The AFL are so innovative.

 

[BigVic]

Leave March 8 alone. Its Grand Prix weekend and 130,000 people are expected to pack Albert Park for the season-opener for the 2026 F1 season

 

[South of the Yarra]

I have a brilliant idea. Play all 9 games in Opening Round and change the name of it to Round 1.

 

[deck]

Leave March 8 alone. Its Grand Prix weekend and 130,000 people are expected to pack Albert Park for the season-opener for the 2026 F1 season.

Again why? Nearly every year over the last 10 has had the Grand Prix clash with a round of AFL.

 

[Underarm]

Leave March 8 alone. Its Grand Prix weekend and 130,000 people are expected to pack Albert Park for the season-opener for the 2026 F1 season

Melbourne had a game clash with the F1 and still set a record crowd.

 

[Mat Mann]

Again why? Nearly every year over the last 10 has had the Grand Prix clash with a round of AFL.

why? A huge day for some

GP -->
Dinner -->
AFL

 

[voorhees]

I have a brilliant idea. Play all 9 games in Opening Round and change the name of it to Round 1.

simple and easy..
unfortunately the AFL have to be innovative,or so they think.

 

[Atomboy]

Look the Saints are basically broke and get the biggest distribution from the AFL so if this helps them tilt the scales I’m all for it…

Finally, someone who understands what the equalisation policy is all about.

 

[The_Reaper]

They've bribed St Kilda with a marquee home game so they stop making the AFL look bad by pointing out the nepobabs?

 

[Visions]

Wait so this will be another away game that’s moved to the Pies home ground?
I mean Saints play out of Marvel don’t they.
Or have they written that wrong on the twitter post.

Does that mean the Pies have to wait until the following week to unfurl the premiership flag?