Fixture 2026 Fixture

[PonsfordMagpie]

Pretty sure most Vic teams including Collingwood leave Vic 5 times not including gather round, Pies, without checking every Vic team are the same as Essendon, Hawthorn and Geelong in leaving Vic.

Excluding Gather Round and selling home games:

Geelong [6]

• OR vs Gold Coast
• R7 vs Port Adelaide
• R10 vs Brisbane Lions
• R13 vs Adelaide
• R15 vs Fremantle
• R18 vs GWS

Western Bulldogs [6]

• OR vs Brisbane Lions
• R2 vs Adelaide
• R9 vs Port Adelaide
• R17 vs Sydney
• R19 vs Gold Coast
• R21 vs Fremantle

Melbourne [6] - Also travelling an additional time for their NT-based home game.

• R2 vs Fremantle
• R8 vs Sydney
• R15 vs Adelaide
• R16 vs Hawthorn (TASMANIA)
• R21 vs Gold Coast
• R23 vs Port Adelaide

North Melbourne [6] - Also travelling an additional 2 times for their WA-based home games.

• R2 vs West Coast
• R7 vs GWS
• R10 vs Adelaide
• R17 vs Port Adelaide
• R21 vs Hawthorn (TASMANIA)
• R24 vs Sydney

St Kilda [5]

• R2 vs GWS
• R6 vs Adelaide
• R9 vs Gold Coast
• R11 vs Fremantle
• R13 vs Sydney

Carlton [5]

• R1 vs Sydney
• R7 vs Fremantle
• R9 vs Brisbane Lions
• R11 vs Port Adelaide
• R15 vs GWS

Essendon [5]

• R2 vs Port Adelaide
• R6 vs Gold Coast
• R9 vs GWS
• R12 vs West Coast
• R18 vs Brisbane Lions

Collingwood [5]

• R4 vs Brisbane Lions
• R10 vs Sydney
• R17 vs Gold Coast
• R19 vs Adelaide
• R22 vs West Coast

Hawthorn [5] - Also travelling an additional 4 times for their TAS-based home games.

• OR vs GWS
• R9 vs Fremantle
• R15 vs Gold Coast
• R22 vs Brisbane Lions
• R24 vs West Coast

Richmond [4] - Also travelling an additional time for their TAS-based home game.

• R3 vs Fremantle
• R8 vs West Coast
• R12 vs Sydney
• R22 vs Adelaide

Including Gather Round and selling home games

• Hawthorn = 10
• North Melbourne = 9
• Melbourne = 8
• Geelong = 7
• Western Bulldogs = 7
• St Kilda = 6
• Carlton = 6
• Essendon = 6
• Collingwood = 6
• Richmond = 6

 

[Mat Mann]

I honestly think this is the worst one.

back to back Adelaide games AGAIN, GC in Dawin then Tiger(melb) into 5 day break against Freo in Perth into a 6 day game back in melb

play every interstate side bar WC and Brisbane on their home deck again
rnd 2 GWS Giants
5 Port
6 Adelaide - again for like 7 of the last 9 games
9 GC in darwin
11 Freo
13 Sydney

who else should we play away? We play only 5 vic opponents (rnd 1,2, 8 10 and 12) during that 13 game period, once again could well be a disaster if things don't go right to begin the season.
on top of that have 1 home game between rnds 4 and 9 and cop 3 double away games (rnds 1&2 5&6 8&9)

all by rnd 13
That's a brutal fixture (AGAIN) for the club to draw members and launch into the season

 

[Mentallo]

For the fixture nerds out there, what is the longest gap that you can remember between playing an opponent?
Any teams.

Blues v Swans in Opening round then assuming we don't meet in finals won't play them again until god knows when in 2027.

In the meantime we may play another opponent up to 4 times (twice this season & next) in H&A matches and again in final this year before meeting the Swans again in 2027.

 

[fl4gd0n5]

back to back Adelaide games AGAIN, GC in Dawin then Tiger(melb) into 5 day break against Freo in Perth into a 6 day game back in melb

play every interstate side bar WC and Brisbane on their home deck again
rnd 2 GWS Giants
5 Port
6 Adelaide - again for like 7 of the last 9 games
9 GC in darwin
11 Freo
13 Sydney

who else should we play away? We play only 5 vic opponents (rnd 1,2, 8 10 and 12) during that 13 game period, once again could well be a disaster if things don't go right to begin the season.
on top of that have 1 home game between rnds 4 and 9 and cop 3 double away games (rnds 1&2 5&6 8&9)

all by rnd 13
That's a brutal fixture (AGAIN) for the club to draw members and launch into the season

I know. I wasn’t saying it in a St Kilda’s fixture is so easy way. It’s stupid that a team can have six away games out of 13, then have none for the rest of the season. It has to be more spread out.

 

[fl4gd0n5]

For the fixture nerds out there, what is the longest gap that you can remember between playing an opponent?
Any teams.

Blues v Swans in Opening round then assuming we don't meet in finals won't play them again until god knows when in 2027.

In the meantime we may play another opponent up to 4 times (twice this season & next) in H&A matches and again in final this year before meeting the Swans again in 2027.

It’s hard to work out because we don’t know what’ll happen with the season dates next year due to 150 year test. If it was March 6 2026 (the OR game), and assumed the season ran through the same time period next year, the h/a season would finish on Sunday, 23 September 2027. The difference is 537 days.

I don’t know about records or anything, but Essendon played Melbourne in R3 2019 (5 April), and didn’t play again until R18 2020 (19 September). That was 534 days. Although, Essendon and Melbourne were scheduled to play earlier that season, but Connor McKenna got COVID after going to an open house.

 

[Whiskers]

I don’t know if people remember how I went on about Collingwood’s easy fixture in terms of breaks? Only once did they get a shorter break than their opponent in 2025 up until round 15?
I don’t count round 1. Anyone that plays opening round against a rusty side has an advantage (inc us)

Well it’s happened again. The Carlton game is the only time Collingwood come off a shorter break ALL YEAR!

That’s the real advantage. As we all know Collingwood flew out of the blocks last year (other than OR vs Giants, as they didn’t have an advantage) than Collingwood collapsed when the 2nd part of the fixture happened and breaks were not as advantageous.

For example after Monday king’s birthday - that would lead to a short break, but last year Pies got a bye and Melbourne didn’t.

That’s happened again.
Mind you it’ll be Pies 2nd bye before Melbourne have even had 1.
They make Melbourne have a 5 day break to Essendon than go interstate until finally a bye.

It’s unbelievable how they get that.

 

[VicBased]

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.

Collingwood supporters hey!!! Won't be happy until they get 23 straight games at the MCG and all the bottom sides twice.
Would swap your fixture for ours in a heart beat.

 

[VicBased]

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.

Change???

 

[theprospector]

I love that we play GWS at Marvel after all their sooking about no MCG games

 

[theprospector]

It's almost comical going over Geelong's final round fixtures the last decade. It's all bottom four sides, home games and easy pickings. The AFL fixture guy is a huge Cats fan btw.

I said this half tongue in cheek but you can’t even make a case that it isn’t rigged in their favour now. Look at their last three weeks.

 

[Whiskers]

I said this half tongue in cheek but you can’t even make a case that it isn’t rigged in their favour now. Look at their last three weeks.

One time do you get a shorter break than your opponent AGAIN!
We cop 6.

You’re so looked after it’s beyond ridiculous.
Sure we both cop top sides twice we actually get 5 of the top 7 twice but the real thing is breaks, especially for an old team like Collingwood.

You’ll start off the year strong and fall flat on your face again.

 

[wcv1475]

Collingwood supporters hey!!! Won't be happy until they get 23 straight games at the MCG and all the bottom sides twice.
Would swap your fixture for ours in a heart beat.

How would you fix the Collingwood MCG stuff, Deny Stkilda's request for opening round at the G, say no to North wanting the home game at the MCG ,or give Collingwood a genuine home ground so we don't have neutral games vs the other 6 MCG tenants ?

 

[Roobs321]

For the fixture nerds out there, what is the longest gap that you can remember between playing an opponent?
Any teams.

Blues v Swans in Opening round then assuming we don't meet in finals won't play them again until god knows when in 2027.

In the meantime we may play another opponent up to 4 times (twice this season & next) in H&A matches and again in final this year before meeting the Swans again in 2027.

As an example, Eagles played Bulldogs/Swans in 2024 R4-5 then 2025 R23-24. Played Demons & Dockers four times during that period.

 

[SC_Power]

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.

I hope you don’t do HR at any workplace any time soon.

“You chose to work with us, it’s our right to bully you, we were here first.”

 

[Micksy]

Preseason draws don’t mean much. Geelong were given the second easiest draw in 2025. Sad!

Absolute genius tweet.
Isn't it odd that the teams that had to play the grand finalist ended up playing worse than they did the year prior?

 

[Micksy]

I hope you don’t do HR at any workplace any time soon.

“You chose to work with us, it’s our right to bully you, we were here first.”

You signed up to be a vet and now you're telling me you're allergic to cats?

 

[TheKanga]

Is this the first game JHF will play against North in Melb?

Yep has only played us in Hobart since moving

 

[SC_Power]

You signed up to be a vet and now you're telling me you're allergic to cats?

That’s your corollary?
Do you want me to point out how irrelevant that is, or will you work it out yourself?

 

[Elixuh]

Absolute genius tweet.
Isn't it odd that the teams that had to play the grand finalist ended up playing worse than they did the year prior?

Micky the Geelong fixture free ride has come to an end. You’ve had your fill.

 

[HairyO]

I don’t know if people remember how I went on about Collingwood’s easy fixture in terms of breaks? Only once did they get a shorter break than their opponent in 2025 up until round 15?
I don’t count round 1. Anyone that plays opening round against a rusty side has an advantage (inc us)

Well it’s happened again. The Carlton game is the only time Collingwood come off a shorter break ALL YEAR!

That’s the real advantage. As we all know Collingwood flew out of the blocks last year (other than OR vs Giants, as they didn’t have an advantage) than Collingwood collapsed when the 2nd part of the fixture happened and breaks were not as advantageous.

For example after Monday king’s birthday - that would lead to a short break, but last year Pies got a bye and Melbourne didn’t.

That’s happened again.
Mind you it’ll be Pies 2nd bye before Melbourne have even had 1.
They make Melbourne have a 5 day break to Essendon than go interstate until finally a bye.

It’s unbelievable how they get that.

We have 3 x 5 day breaks in 16 rounds. Just pathetic of the AFL.

Havent looked at other clubs but assume it will be everywhere with the AFL wanting to maximise $$$ over everything else.

 

[rohan171]

Didn’t they say that the reason for opening round is to try and generate interest in the sport in NSW and QLD, but then if your a supporter in NSW, there’s no games in the state from the 21st of March until the 17th of April

Too bad if an NSW team gets a good start to the season and the fans wanna go along and watch their team play

 

[VicBased]

How would you fix the Collingwood MCG stuff, Deny Stkilda's request for opening round at the G, say no to North wanting the home game at the MCG ,or give Collingwood a genuine home ground so we don't have neutral games vs the other 6 MCG tenants ?

Collingwood signed the deal for the mcg and next you will be telling us 15 odd games at the mcg does not favour you.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Dogs have a tough one but wont have to wait long to see if any good against the eight

 

[TimothyJ23]

Loving how much our club just existing breaks the brains of every other clubs' fans.

Anyway, have the AFL published the PDF booklet they usually put out anywhere? The one under the fixture on the AFL official site is still 2025.

 

[Whiskers]

We have 3 x 5 day breaks in 16 rounds. Just pathetic of the AFL.

Havent looked at other clubs but assume it will be everywhere with the AFL wanting to maximise $$$ over everything else.

Collingwood have 1. Which is when they play you, you both get a 5 day break. So anytime they get a shorter break it’s the same as their opponent with 1 exception.
The rest of the time they are fresher.

I’ll compare it to my club.
We play you Easter Monday and you have a whopping 18 days off beforehand.

We also have
A 6 day break compared to 8 for eagles. Meh.

3 games in 11 days leading into the dogs match.

7 day break vs pies 9

A 5 day break to Gabba against their 6.

B2b 6 day breaks into Adelaide who are coming off the bye.

6 day break to Optus before playing Freo also coming off the bye.

There’s 7 examples of shorter breaks. Most teams cop similar.
Collingwood get just 1.