Fixture 2026 Fixture Discussion

[Ratdweller]

Has anything been announced for Ballarat games next year?

AFL makes call on 2026 Mars Stadium AFL fixtures amid ongoing projects

Ballarat Courier
By Jesse Robertson-Torres
Updated November 12 2025 - 11:22 am, first published 9:44 am

Ballarat footy fans have learned the fate of their two annual Western Bulldogs AFL season games as the works on Mars Stadium continue to progress. The league will not host a home-and-away clash at the venue in 2026 amidst the ongoing redevelopments, with one of the Bulldogs' two 2025 clashes moved to Marvel Stadium during the season and next year's pair of affairs meeting the same fate.

The AFL instead plans to bring three pre-season games to town as part of the 2026 Community Series, which typically runs during late February, but it is not known whether the Bulldogs will feature in any of those fixtures. The Bulldogs are in the midst of a five-year commitment to play two games a season at the Wendouree venue, originally due to expire at the end of 2027, but the agreement has been extended to allow the 2026 games to be made up in 2028.

However, noting that the round 18, 2025 clash with Adelaide was moved away, it will be replaced by the 2026 pre-season contests in lieu. AFL head of strategy and scheduling Josh Bowler confirmed the news on Wednesday, with the full season fixture to be launched on Thursday. "With capacity at Mars Stadium currently restricted, we have worked closely with the Western Bulldogs and Visit Victoria to relocate the club's two Ballarat games in 2026 to Marvel Stadium," Bowler said. "This means more members and supporters will be able to enjoy the action of the home-and-away season at a larger venue, while Ballarat fans can still look forward to three exciting pre-season games in their backyard in February.

"The 2026 AAMI AFL Community Series will showcase a variety of clubs and continue to bring elite football to the region as we prepare for an upgraded Mars Stadium in the years ahead." Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains heralded the support of the club's Ballarat-area fans, though there will remain some doubt as to what comes next for members with local benefits.

"Arriving at this decision has not been easy, and we understand and accept the outcome," Bains said. "The Club's commitment to Ballarat remains absolute, and the resumption of AFL matches in Ballarat remains an essential part of our partnership. We look forward to bringing our AFL squad to town for next month's Community Camp and are proud of the work that our Community Foundation - through our office in Ballarat - delivers across the region every week of the year. We're extremely grateful for the understanding and support of our Ballarat members and fans, and each of our Ballarat partners. We love the passionate support of the Ballarat faithful and hope to be playing in our home away from home for a very long time to come."

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' annual AFLW fixtures for 2026 and 2027 are still scheduled to proceed as planned as of now.

As a post script to this article. If the Commonwealth Games had gone ahead next year, then it is likely that the ground wouldn't have been hosting any footy during 2025 through to 2027 anyway because the oval would have had to be totally reconstructed before and after along with the construction and eventual removal of temporary stands. I think that we got out lightly I still think that the actual ground will likely be finished redevelopment by June, but the AFL have to go with certainty rather than speculation.

 

[dogwatch]

Will believe it when I see it….it must be the 30 year anniversary since they last went there

It would be the first time this century. Apart from Pendles the entire Collingwood list probably wasn't born when it last happened.

I feel for them.

 

[Doggies7]

Yeah of all venues, we better not be doing the Darwin trip again. Maybe the biggest advantage in footy at the moment GC has up there and we had our turn last year.

 

[_Cerberus_]

So we get both grand finalists and Hawks who were the third best team last year all by round 6 and none at home.

Shouldn’t we playing these teams at Marvel at least every second year?

Reminds me of this season, we got most of the good teams away. Will be pissed if we don't get some at home.

 

[lachy]

Seriously its a fixture. Are.we serious about winning this thing again. Brisbane statistically had the hardest draw and went back to back. We could have beaten them twice.

Some teams improve some go back. We have 11 home games at Marvel. Win enough games we finish top 4. We dont do better.

Sooking about the FIXTURE gets us no where. If we are good enough we will get where we need to, if not look in the mirror

 

[Bulldog Brent]

This is what we know ...

0 - Lions (A)
1 - ?
2 - ?
3 - ?
4 - Bombers (H)
5 - Hawks (A)
6 - Cats (A)
7 - ?
8 - Freo (H)
9 - Port (A)
10 onwards - ?

 

[BigFloppa]

2026 is a write-off:

Completely unwinnable fixture
Spangher walked out
Didn't bring in a key defender in the offseason
Only "talent" we acquired was a C grade small defender
Jamarra gone for nothing
A lot of the boys got married over the offseason

Best to just tank this year and accumulate as much draft capital as we can for Butters. Start planning for 2027.

 

[Lindsay_Gilbee]

This is what we know ...

0 - Lions (A)
1 - ?
2 - ?
3 - ?
4 - Bombers (H)
5 - Hawks (A)
6 - Cats (A)
7 - ?
8 - Freo (H)
9 - Port (A)
10 onwards - ?

Have to look at it positively, won’t get a better chance to beat the prelim teams than this. Have to make the most of their short preseason. Especially the lions that early.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

Seven Thu/Fri night games in first 15 rounds apparently.

 

[The Inbetweener]

Drawing both the previous seasons grand finalists in the first 6 weeks with both being away games is pretty outrageous

 

[grassman75]

2026 is a write-off:

Completely unwinnable fixture
Spangher walked out
Didn't bring in a key defender in the offseason
Only "talent" we acquired was a C grade small defender
Jamarra gone for nothing
A lot of the boys got married over the offseason

Best to just tank this year and accumulate as much draft capital as we can for Butters. Start planning for 2027.

You forgot Bevo still coaching

 

[grassman75]

Drawing both the previous seasons grand finalists in the first 6 weeks with both being away games is pretty outrageous

Especially when we missed the 8

 

[Libbaaaa]

Seven Thu/Fri night games in first 15 rounds apparently.

Already know that 2 of them are away to Geelong/Port and one at home to Freo. You can probably lock in away to Sydney for one of them as well. Fingers crossed one is a home game against Collingwood at least.

I think we are due to play the Eagles in Perth so hopefully that means no double up against the Dockers. We were probably going to play the Suns in Ballarat so that'll be a Marvel game early Saturday in the first 10 rounds as well.

 

[Guido]

Seven Thu/Fri night games in first 15 rounds apparently.

For the first 15 years of this century we were complaining that we'd never get our fair share of these types of high rating/high exposure fixtures on account of being a smaller club.

Reading the room across the last few seasons, now many of our supporters hate the amount of them we're getting.

 

[grassman75]

For the first 15 years of this century we were complaining that we'd never get our fair share of these types of high rating/high exposure fixtures on account of being a smaller club.

Reading the room across the last few seasons, now many of our supporters hate the amount of them we're getting.

It’s not the type of game, it’s that they arent our home games. Watch all our home games be Norf and other low drawers

 

[LondonBulldog]

Be prepared for Thursday night. They don't like big drawing clubs on Thursday but are happy to throw it to the dogs.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

There you go …

 

[Libbaaaa]

It’s not the type of game, it’s that they arent our home games. Watch all our home games be Norf and other low drawers

Agreed, I am more interested in good timeslots so fans can actually attend the games, we had great crowds last year mainly because we avoided crappy Thursday Night and Sunday 4.40 home games.

 

[Golden_6]

There you go …

Why do Carlton continually get these games? Between them & Essendon, I'm sick of seeing them on Thursdays & Fridays to continually stink it up.

 

[Guido]

It’s not the type of game, it’s that they arent our home games. Watch all our home games be Norf and other low drawers

I think North in one of those slots was an outlier due to their 100th anniversary.

Hopefully there's an even 3/4 split between the games, but even if there isn't, I think with the extra sponsorship /having more exposure to more existing/potential fans, highly anticipated away contests against Colingwood/ Essendon/ Geelong are a much better sell than those same games being in, say, a non-FTA televised Saturday afternoon slot.

These fixtures don't suit many people with families, and I 100% get that, but those of us who have been here for 15-20 years will remember the "woe is us" complaining about not being scheduled for anywhere near enough night games and how that both punished us financially and was also proof of an agenda to keep us (and all smaller clubs) down.

 

[MaxiBont]

There you go …

Why do Carlton have so many

 

[grassman75]

Why do Carlton have so many

Because we know they are coming

 

[Doggy]

Because we know they are coming

For the spoon?

 

[Libbaaaa]

No Darwin game, Saints and Port get that honour.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Why the angry react? It's irrelevant. It's a neutral game, one team just happens to be listed first, and it only affects our playing colors if that. We still get 11 home games like everyone else aside the SA teams. If they end up being a double up opponent, we could still be the home team for that one.

I am not sure if I understand it correctly then. The previous year our home game in Gather Round was against Geelong, who then got a home game against us at Cat Park. Last year Gather Round was the home team against Brisbane who got a return home game against us at the Gabba. So going on this, we will have to play Hawks as the away game, because once again we are the home team and this game counts as a home game.