Fixture 2026 Fixture

[spicerFanClub]

The long play to get Collingwood to play the season opener begins...2027 Collingwood v Saints, but a Collingwood home game. 2028, move it to Friday/ Saturday because it "deserves a prime time slots". 2029 unceremoniously drop St Kilda and replace with Geelong or Hawthorn. 2030 until forever, Collingwood play game 1 every season. Perfect.

 

[Whiskers]

Anything is better than Richmond/Carlton to open a season.

100% this.
The only reason I like opening round is when my team plays because we get an extra bye and not lumped with short breaks early in the year. For an older team that’s good, helped pies last year alot also.
The teams not playing are disadvantaged. My god the AFL are inept.

Not even sure why Rich v Carl must still be played in round 1. It’s not even the 1st MCG game now.
It was not a good idea to open with this game when they bought it in almost 20 years ago and hasn’t improved since. What’s the point of it? They get crowds early in the season anyway.
A terrible way to open the season.

 

[doppleganger]

That is absurd. Fair enough a club decides where to play their home games. But why should a team get to dictate where some of their away games are held? Those away games are the home games of other clubs.

The AFL dictates stadium deals for Melbourne based clubs - Pies get the same 14 games at G (9 home and 5 away) and then 3 at Marvel (2 home and 1 away).every season.

Pies don't get to decide where our home games are, AFL forces two to be at Marvel.

The entire concept of home and away for Melbourne clubs is basically redundant as a result of AFL imposed ground rationalisation in Melbourne.

 

[Mentallo]

I wouldn't be surprised if in Opening round we have Swans v Blues at the SCG on the Fri night to try cash in on the Curnow trade etc etc.

Picked it!!
Just got the day wrong.

Totally predictable though.

 

[Dirty Bird]

That is absurd. Fair enough a club decides where to play their home games. But why should a team get to dictate where some of their away games are held? Those away games are the home games of other clubs.

100% - It's one of the 2 contracts that should be ripped up. Complete and utter bs

 

[Dirty Bird]

In regards to Opening Rd.

It has the potential to be a solution to a problem with fixturing around ANZAC Day. But it isn't being used for that. Therefore I believe the AFL are stupid.
I'm not against having it, as it can be a good tool. But the way the AFL is using it is BS.

The only way I wont complain about this is if all 10 of those teams play each other in rd 1, or better yet, have the bye.
I still remember playing Gold Coast Rd 1 2024. They'd already had a tune up game, we were coming in fresh.

 

[Hawkk]

The long play to get Collingwood to play the season opener begins...2027 Collingwood v Saints, but a Collingwood home game. 2028, move it to Friday/ Saturday because it "deserves a prime time slots". 2029 unceremoniously drop St Kilda and replace with Geelong or Hawthorn. 2030 until forever, Collingwood play game 1 every season. Perfect.

Opening with Collingwood is pointless. At this stage they’ll get 80,000 no matter who they play round 1. This is just the AFL’s way of letting the Saints cash in on the 55,000 Collingwood fans that will go to the opening round game.

 

[Whiskers]

In regards to Opening Rd.

It has the potential to be a solution to a problem with fixturing around ANZAC Day. But it isn't being used for that. Therefore I believe the AFL are stupid.
I'm not against having it, as it can be a good tool. But the way the AFL is using it is BS.

The only way I wont complain about this is if all 10 of those teams play each other in rd 1, or better yet, have the bye.
I still remember playing Gold Coast Rd 1 2024. They'd already had a tune up game, we were coming in fresh.

Another selfish reason I like my team playing opening round. Playing a team coming in fresh round 1 would be a good advantage.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

I just fail to see the point of the OR.

If you want to make a big song and dance about playing AFL games in non-AFL states, then do that. Let the NSW and QLD teams all have home games. Then extend the fixture by 3 games, played in other states, and call it round 1.

We get 5 matches now. That's more than half the usual games. On what basis, do you exclude six teams from opening the season? The original concept has also now been defeated, as there is a game in Melbourne between two Melbourne sides. Richmond/Carlton don't even have the distinction of opening the football season in Melbourne.

The season begins with a fizzle rather than a bang as you don't receive the full complement of games, and then the rest of the fixture for the next month is compromised as teams are given byes, and games are lost, to make up for the insipid opening round debacle.

 

[daniel_4tw]

A lot of administrations have made bad calls, but I don’t think there has ever been a CEO as stubborn as Dill who refuses to acknowledge a bad call. Even McLachlan canned AFLX after two years.

 

[Seadog]

So the two teams who travel the most have to play their season in one week less time and one less bye than 10 other teams. Sounds fair, joke of an organisation.

 

[The Feeder Club]

So the two teams who travel the most have to play their season in one week less time and one less bye than 10 other teams. Sounds fair, joke of an organisation.

It beggars belief how munted this competition is.
To add to your point, it would be extremely simple to make sure that all 10 teams playing OR play against another OR team in round 1, to prevent the OR teams having an advantage over non-OR teams.
Except it seems Carlton are playing OR and Richmond aren't, and we all know the VFL ********ers will give Richmond and Carlton the round 1 Thursday night opener. So to compensate for the VFL going the full swallow on Carlton, a disadvantaged team in round 1 will be playing their first game against a team that has already played a game in OR.
Likelihood of that disadvantaged team being from WA or SA - 100%

 

[daniel_4tw]

If they wanted buzz in northern states they should just play all teams playing but all interstate round 1. Do they really lose anything by adding an Adelaide v West Coast and Fremantle v Port played in SA and WA respectively? You can still have your ‘Northern Games’ as standalone time slots if you really must.

I mean they’re playing an all VIC game in Melbourne so I can’t even see the logic they’re trying to make anymore.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Is this the year Collingwood play Geelong at GMHBA with the increased capacity?

Geelong play 10 games down there and their one home MCG game will be against Hawthorn on Easter Monday and therefore can’t be Collingwood.

Or will the AFL rig the fixture to ensure it’s a Collingwood home game against Geelong?

 

[doppleganger]

Is this the year Collingwood play Geelong at GMHBA with the increased capacity?

Geelong play 10 games down there and their one home MCG game will be against Hawthorn on Easter Monday and therefore can’t be Collingwood.

Or will the AFL rig the fixture to ensure it’s a Collingwood home game against Geelong?

The AFL already do this - 8 of last 10 Geel v Pies H&A games have been Pies home games

The two Geelong home games

1. 2020 - Geel was nominal home team in a game at Optus during COVID
2. 2023 Rd1 is the only Geel v Pies game where Geelong was home team

Would be great to avoid giving Geelong a game at the G every fecking season, and perhaps get a home game against a team who is unfamiliar with the G where we get an advantage for a change.

 

[L_W_P]

That is absurd. Fair enough a club decides where to play their home games. But why should a team get to dictate where some of their away games are held? Those away games are the home games of other clubs.

I'd think the MCC/MCG put that pressure on just as much as the AFL and Collingwood do.

They don't want Carlton v GC or Melbourne vs GWS.

They want blockbusters for their own membership and ticket sales.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Don’t think I know a single AFL fan who thinks having Opening Round and giving a bunch of teams an extra bye is a good idea.

And the come "round 1.5", teams who played the week before will play against teams who didn't.
Completely unnecessary. Sure, put four games in NSW and Qld if it will make any difference (it won't) to visibility in the non-traditional states and have those in the prime timeslots with all the marketing; but play a full ****ing round.

As it is, by giving in to Collingwood, the media focus will be in Melbourne anyway - so there's even less point than the zero point there was before.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Is this the year Collingwood play Geelong at GMHBA with the increased capacity?

Geelong play 10 games down there and their one home MCG game will be against Hawthorn on Easter Monday and therefore can’t be Collingwood.

Or will the AFL rig the fixture to ensure it’s a Collingwood home game against Geelong?

No it isn’t, Cats never sell out anyway.

 

[beside the seaside]

I don't get round zero. Just play the whole round it's only another four games FFS.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Sunday night games are good for TV but suck big time for supporters live

Its grand prix weekend isn't it? Perfectly fine on a long weekend, should be enough gap between the GP and the footy for transport systems to handle it.

 

[Mr Meow]

The AFL already do this - 8 of last 10 Geel v Pies H&A games have been Pies home games

The two Geelong home games

1. 2020 - Geel was nominal home team in a game at Optus during COVID
2. 2023 Rd1 is the only Geel v Pies game where Geelong was home team

Would be great to avoid giving Geelong a game at the G every fecking season, and perhaps get a home game against a team who is unfamiliar with the G where we get an advantage for a change.

Would be amazing to have Collingwood visit Geelong.

 

[L_W_P]

If the AFL are happy to start on Labour Day weekend then surely a 3:20 Labour Day blockbuster is up for grabs?

Geelong vs Essendon - Swap it between GMHBA and Marvel?

Also we can fill out week 1 surely?

Saturday -
North v West Coast - Bunbury
Port Adelaide v Richmond

Sunday -
Adelaide v Essendon
Fremantle v Melbourne

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

I'd think the MCC/MCG put that pressure on just as much as the AFL and Collingwood do.

They don't want Carlton v GC or Melbourne vs GWS.

They want blockbusters for their own membership and ticket sales.

Then why on earth have they put St Kilda on vs the Pies to start rd 0?

Plenty of other clubs would bring far more fans through the doors and eyeballs on the game vs the Pies than the Saints.

 

[dave10]

Hope Essendon get heaps of 4:40 Saturday and 1:10 Sunday games, the 2 best timeslots

Essendon families and country supporters will finally be able to go to several games in 2026. I hope we get the fixture the Tigers had this year, basically most games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Much better for crowd maximisation.

Essendon had 13 Wednesday, Thursday or Friday night games in 2025. Terrible for families and country fans.

 

[L_W_P]

Then why on earth have they put St Kilda on vs the Pies to start rd 0?

Plenty of other clubs would bring far more fans through the doors and eyeballs on the game vs the Pies than the Saints.

1 word:

Nasiah