Fixture 2026 Fixture

[voorhees]

Giants are stiff to only get 2 prime time games.
One of the more exciting teams to watch in the comp

 

[Giant YoYo]

Any link to a downloadble pdf of the fixture guide, like previous years?

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2025/11/12/4e6d5234-cd49-4e3f-89e2-0449aa7c356e/2026-AFL-Fixture-VF.pdf

 

[manicmagpie]

So after all the Lions supporters whinging about the change to the weighting it's actually Collingwood (predictably) and Geelong (less so) that are the ones who cop 4 top 6 teams twice.

Also, for those who love to say Collingwood get a great financial draw - here's our full list of home games for the entire first half of the season when crowds and interest are at their peak:

Adelaide
GWS (Docklands)
Hawthorn
West Coast

Hands up if your team wants that draw.

 

[10571z]

Im aware of that. Understand all the ramifications around it.

It’s just a completely different set of rules they get to play by.

Cool, well we share our home ground with heaps of sides and you don’t so get a massive advantage over us there.

 

[Purple Suit]

You're making a subjective assessment it's an advantage. Barring the Saints/Pies game the other Vic teams have those games as away fixtures. You're also making a subjective assessment playing in R1 having played R0 is an advantage. Their opponents will be fresh having not played a game.

So in summary, you're making a BS vicbias claim (you're a recidivist in this manner) based off two subjective valuations of what is advantageous.

Don't see you complaining that a Vic team has for a 2nd season in a row sold a home game that you benefit from.

The more data that rolls in, the more it seems like a big advantage.

Year 1 it was 3-1 in games featuring OR teams vs Non-opening round
Year 2 it was 3-1 in games featuring OR teams vs Non-opening round

That's currently a 75% winning ratio. We'll see what that ends up with after next season.

Our extra home game doesn't even balance out our travel schedule or gather round. You play 17 games in Victoria.

 

[Elixuh]

So after all the Lions supporters whinging about the change to the weighting it's actually Collingwood (predictably) and Geelong (less so) that are the ones who cop 4 top 6 teams twice.

Also, for those who love to say Collingwood get a great financial draw - here's our full list of home games for the entire first half of the season when crowds and interest are at their peak:

Adelaide
GWS (Docklands)
Hawthorn
West Coast

Hands up if your team wants that draw.

Didn’t you complain about playing opening round which you’re now not involved in and your first game of the season is against a marvel tenant at your home ground?

My heart BLEEDS for the challenges faced by the magpies.

 

[SSSSSS]

Correct

Seems like he's maybe injured himself. I wonder if he will get up for it.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

Cool, well we share our home ground with heaps of sides and you don’t so get a massive advantage over us there.

The grand final is played at your home ground, where you play 15+ games a year. End of story.

West Coast should have got two flags for winning in 2018.

 

[10571z]

The grand final is played at your home ground, where you play 15+ games a year. End of story.

West Coast should have got two flags for winning in 2018.

Most interstate sides don’t seem to have much trouble winning flags (besides freo) so doesn’t seem to matter to much

 

[Cam Payne]

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2025/11/12/4e6d5234-cd49-4e3f-89e2-0449aa7c356e/2026-AFL-Fixture-VF.pdf

Cheers.

 

[eth-dog]

The grand final is played at your home ground, where you play 15+ games a year. End of story.

West Coast should have got two flags for winning in 2018.

40% of premiership winners of the past 15 years have been the tenants of said ground.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

Most interstate sides don’t seem to have much trouble winning flags (besides freo) so doesn’t seem to matter to much

Interesting take.

No SA premiership for 20+ years. GWS and GCS have never won one. Sydney consistently fall over at the last hurdle (maybe its a travel thing??).

Brisbane are an outlier and arguably the best team since themselves 20+ years ago.

Maybe they are harder to win when you your training facility isn't a 5 iron shot away from the ground that hosts the GF.

Who knows. What i do know is the pies get the inside track every year. Wont matter next year anyway.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

40% of premiership winners of the past 15 years have been the tenants of said ground.

Thats a lot isnt it. Considering its a national comp.

 

[Cam Payne]

The Pies travelling 3 times in the first 16 rounds. I'm glad my mob get their first three travels done by round 5.

 

[eth-dog]

Thats a lot isnt it. Considering its a national comp.

Not really, no. You just want it to be to fit your preconceived bias

 

[10571z]

Interesting take.

No SA premiership for 20+ years. GWS and GCS have never won one. Sydney consistently fall over at the last hurdle (maybe its a travel thing??).

Brisbane are an outlier and arguably the best team since themselves 20+ years ago.

Maybe they are harder to win when you your training facility isn't a 5 iron shot away from the ground that hosts the GF.

Who knows. What i do know is the pies get the inside track every year. Wont matter next year anyway.

Bulldogs have won 1 since the 50s
St Kilda zero since the 60s
Melbourne 1 (in Perth) since the 60s
Carlton 0 for 30 years
Essendon 0 for 26 years
North 0 for 27 years

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The more data that rolls in, the more it seems like a big advantage.

Year 1 it was 3-1 in games featuring OR teams vs Non-opening round
Year 2 it was 3-1 in games featuring OR teams vs Non-opening round

That's currently a 75% winning ratio. We'll see what that ends up with after next season.

Our extra home game doesn't even balance out our travel schedule or gather round. You play 17 games in Victoria.

Clubs join the rebranded VFL competition with Melbourne centred cluster of teams then whinge when that dictates fixtures are in Victoria. You joined our comp.. What do you expect.

 

[10571z]

The Pies travelling 3 times in the first 16 rounds. I'm glad my mob get their first three travels done by round 5.

We have a super hard fixture with difficult double ups.

I’m shocked you don’t understand why a Perth side would need to travel more than a Victorian side.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

You're making a subjective assessment it's an advantage. Barring the Saints/Pies game the other Vic teams have those games as away fixtures. You're also making a subjective assessment playing in R1 having played R0 is an advantage. Their opponents will be fresh having not played a game.

Freshness doesn't come into it when you're talking about the first two games of the season.

You get one team that has blown out the off season rust & cobwebs and already against a side that hasn't started yet.

If the AFL is going to run this stupid Opening round, then the teams involved in it should play each other in the second round. The AFL should also look to do this with the mid year byes as well.

And hopefully this year, they've learnt that teams who play each other in Opening round should share a bye.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

Also, for those who love to say Collingwood get a great financial draw - here's our full list of home games for the entire first half of the season when crowds and interest are at their peak:

Adelaide

Sooking about being gifted the Crows without Rankine in round 1 while they're still working out the rust from the offseason while you've already had a hit out.

And you got an away game at your home ground for Opening Round...

 

[fl4gd0n5]

How? It evens out.

They start with 6 interstate trips in 13 rounds (12 matches).

I understand. 6 in 13 is too many for a Victorian team, who play average 5 interstate games a season (I’m assuming one of those is GR). How you can’t see playing zero interstate matches between rounds 13 and 24 is ridiculous is beyond me.

Perfect average would be an interstate trip once every 4.4 matches, that’s obviously too hard. But six in 13, followed by zero in 10… I can’t believe they’ve decided on that. Essendon only has one in that period, but in a national competition that’s too few as well.

 

[eth-dog]

The more data that rolls in, the more it seems like a big advantage.

Year 1 it was 3-1 in games featuring OR teams vs Non-opening round
Year 2 it was 3-1 in games featuring OR teams vs Non-opening round

That's currently a 75% winning ratio. We'll see what that ends up with after next season.

Our extra home game doesn't even balance out our travel schedule or gather round. You play 17 games in Victoria.

Let's look at this year and look at their finishing positions:

Sydney (10th) lost to Brisbane (Premiers)
Hawthorn (Prelim) beat Essendon (15th)
GWS (Elim) beat Melbourne (14th)
Collingwood (Prelim) beat Port (13th)

It's almost as if the teams that won were significantly better than their opponents

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Freshness doesn't come into it when you're talking about the first two games of the season.

You get one team that has blown out the off season rust & cobwebs and already against a side that hasn't started yet.

If the AFL is going to run this stupid Opening round, then the teams involved in it should play each other in the second round. The AFL should also look to do this with the mid year byes as well.

And hopefully this year, they've learnt that teams who play each other in Opening round should share a bye.

Opening round is utter ass.
But you give me the option of Suns away or week off I know which I am choosing. It isn't an advantage for most competing against these NSW/QLD teams.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

How does Essendon have an easier draw when six of their final 7 rounds are against top 8 sides with the likes of Geelong,Brisbane,Adelaide etc?

The formula the AFL use to calculate the draw is shit house

 

[Duckimus Prime]

Opening round is utter ass.
But you give me the option of Suns away or week off I know which I am choosing. It isn't an advantage for most competing against these NSW/QLD teams.

Without playing them in Opening round, you'd still be playing the SUNS away during the year.