Fixture 2026 Fixture

[Viceregal]

Round Zero
Brisbane v Geelong
GC v Essendon
Sydney v Collingwood
GWS v St Kilda

Round Double Zero
Brisbane v Hawthorn
GC v Richmond
Sydney v Carlton
GWS v Bulldogs

Then we get into Round 1.

I am sure the Hawks/Tigers/Blues/Dogs would just love to play their first game away against teams that have already played their first 'rusty' game!

Of course the four northern clubs would need to have an extra 1 or 2 byes during the season to make up for it ...

 

[Mentallo]

Interesting to note that on this day 14 years ago the AFL released the full fixture for 2012, from memory it was always a late October thing, now we wait until mid November and get a half baked fixture with the days your team will play in the final 8 rounds or so left a mystery.

 

[RonnieRaven]

Thurs 5/3
Lions v cats (7pm local) Gabba

Fri 6/3
Pies v Port (7.40pm local) MCG

Sat 7/3
Roos v Tigers (1pm) Hobart
Eagles v bombers (1.30pm local) Perth
Swans v blues (730pm) scg

Sun 8/3
Giants v freo (2pm) Showgrounds
Suns v dees (4pm local) Carrara
Crows v hawks (730 local) AO

Mon 9/3
Saints v dogs 2pm Docklands

This would be my starting fixture
Long weekend to kick it off
Everyone gets a lick
2 games in qld and nsw
4 states get a big night game
Reasonably matched teams
Enough story lines weaved through for media circus to get around

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Interesting to note that on this day 14 years ago the AFL released the full fixture for 2012, from memory it was always a late October thing, now we wait until mid November and get a half baked fixture with the days your team will play in the final 8 rounds or so left a mystery.

Yeah it's annoying but in 2021 and 2022 I reckon it was almost into December when we got the fixture.

 

[Mentallo]

Yeah it's annoying but in 2021 and 2022 I reckon it was almost into December when we got the fixture.

Yeah correct, Covid played a large part in that, not sure what the excuse is now.

 

[Stickman90]

They push it back to keep people talking about footy in the cricket season.
Now, Cricket effectively has a window of clean air from the week after the afl draft until the start of the new year test which is about 4 weeks.

 

[Blackhawk42]

How else are they going to grow the game in the north

The concept is fine IMO.

The name is absolutely beyond all salvaging though.

The fact that 'round 1' is absolutely round 2, just with a different name, is ridiculous.

Just call it round 1 and play an extra game in Melbourne on one of the days to save everyone any trouble.

 

[010203]

drop the round 0 fiasco.
ridiculous and unnecessary

Replace round 0 with 4 big Victorian clubs heading to the northern states on the same weekend during the mid year school holidays in Melbourne.

 

[010203]

For the bye rounds, I'd like to see 3 weeks of 6 games but no Thursday nights, with a Sunday night game on instead or a competition wide bye on the same weekend allowing the state leagues to take centre stage for a weekend.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

How else are they going to grow the game in the north

They can still play and market four games against big clubs in prime times in NSW and Qld if it makes any difference (any difference is likely tiny); just play a full round using the other time slots and get rid of the scheduliung mess it makes.

 

[Walshawk]

For the bye rounds, I'd like to see 3 weeks of 6 games but no Thursday nights, with a Sunday night game on instead or a competition wide bye on the same weekend allowing the state leagues to take centre stage for a weekend.

All 21 state league games combined would derail fewer fans than on average AFL game. That won’t and shouldn’t be a factor in any fixturing.

 

[bhoysdontcry67]

Thurs 5/3
Lions v cats (7pm local) Gabba

Fri 6/3
Pies v Port (7.40pm local) MCG

Sat 7/3
Roos v Tigers (1pm) Hobart
Eagles v bombers (1.30pm local) Perth
Swans v blues (730pm) scg

Sun 8/3
Giants v freo (2pm) Showgrounds
Suns v dees (4pm local) Carrara
Crows v hawks (730 local) AO

Mon 9/3
Saints v dogs 2pm Docklands

This would be my starting fixture
Long weekend to kick it off
Everyone gets a lick
2 games in qld and nsw
4 states get a big night game
Reasonably matched teams
Enough story lines weaved through for media circus to get around

North Tassie contract has finished.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

Surely they start to drip feed today onwards

 

[Mentallo]

Nah, I reckon from Friday next week.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Surely they start to drip feed today onwards

I reckon the drips came about a week before the offical release last year. Say from 7 Nov.

There’s talk that the draft is going to the broadcasters this week for their review, so we’re probably a couple of weeks away…

 

[010203]

Carlton and Sydney to play each other twice, Essendon and Hawthorn to meet in round 1 and no prime time showdown which I think is a shame.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/ed-sheeran-reportedly-targeted-for-opening-round-swans-and-blues-expected-to-meet-twice-in-afl-2026-fixture-whispers/news-story/a0ddf8cb0fa8a36ad485267653e5ec2c

 

[Dirty Bird]

Carlton and Sydney to play each other twice, Essendon and Hawthorn to meet in round 1 and no prime time showdown which I think is a shame.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/ed-sheeran-reportedly-targeted-for-opening-round-swans-and-blues-expected-to-meet-twice-in-afl-2026-fixture-whispers/news-story/a0ddf8cb0fa8a36ad485267653e5ec2c

why should the showdown get primetime?
Everyone complained about Essendon/Carlton primetime games last year.
Do we really want to double down on the same stupidity with other clubs who draw less?

 

[POSA98]

why should the showdown get primetime?
Everyone complained about Essendon/Carlton primetime games last year.
Do we really want to double down on the same stupidity with other clubs who draw less?

Are you serious? The Showdown is one of if not the biggest rivalry in the AFL today. And definitely deserving of a prime time slot at least once per season

 

[Boyohboywowwee]

Hearing that Essendon to play Collingwood on April 25

 

[Saints4ever]

Hearing that Essendon to play Collingwood on April 25

Huge if true.

Next you’ll be telling me
Hawthorn vs Geelong Easter Monday
Collingwood vs Melbourne Kings bday
Lions vs Pies Easter Thursday.
Carlton vs Richmond Round 1.

 

[Viceregal]

Huge if true.

Next you’ll be telling me
Hawthorn vs Geelong Easter Monday
Collingwood vs Melbourne Kings bday
Lions vs Pies Easter Thursday.
Carlton vs Richmond Round 1.

The first three maybe but why would anyone schedule that fourth one as a season opener?

 

[RedWhite4Ever]

Hearing that Essendon to play Collingwood on April 25

Source?

 

[blueiris]

Is there a reason every man and his dog is picking Lions vs Geelong to start the season

 

[L_W_P]

Yeah it's annoying but in 2021 and 2022 I reckon it was almost into December when we got the fixture.

I wonder if they are waiting for the NRL to announce their opening fixture.

If Rugby really is going all out to book R1 internationally then the AFL might look to actually take advantage in QLD/NSW.

 

[jwikked]

Are you serious? The Showdown is one of if not the biggest rivalry in the AFL today. And definitely deserving of a prime time slot at least once per season

Hardly anyone cares about it outside of South Australia. You guys get the game on FTA anyway, so why would it be broadcast nationally?