Fixture 2026 Fixture

[L_W_P]

You were bottom 4 for attendance in 2025 with Nasiah and have been for the last 3 years.

Was obviously a bit of a piss take but given his face is on the announcement post there's obviously going to be a push from the club, and the league, to make him more of a star.

I think with the off season the Saints had there's going to be a pile of positive vibes going into round 1.

The club have made heaps of noise about getting a fair crack at the fixture, at building bigger games etc

Now it's back on the fans and members to actually turn up.

If that opening game is sub 65,000 it would be a huge disappointment. It should be 70k+.

Our biggest ever home crowd was 73k vs the Pies at Waverley. That figure should be pushed, if not beaten. If the fans don't turn out for this then all the "what about us?!?" complaining falls on deaf ears.

Time to put up or shut up Saints fans.

 

[L_W_P]

Collingwood… we don’t like opening round.. we don’t like to travel..

AFL.. fine how about you stay home and just play at G like normal.. that’s a pissweak decision that completely undermines the whole purpose of having the opening round.

I don't think it was their choice.

The AFL are clearly calling St Kilda's bluff on the "give us a go" front.

If we can't draw a massive crowd at the G (where we want more games), in a huge time slot (primetime the night before a holiday), in round 1 (no bad form/losing record to scare people off) against the biggest club in the comp...

Then all the whinging was for naught.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Was obviously a bit of a piss take but given his face is on the announcement post there's obviously going to be a push from the club, and the league, to make him more of a star.

I think with the off season the Saints had there's going to be a pile of positive vibes going into round 1.

The club have made heaps of noise about getting a fair crack at the fixture, at building bigger games etc

Now it's back on the fans and members to actually turn up.

If that opening game is sub 65,000 it would be a huge disappointment. It should be 70k+.

Our biggest ever home crowd was 73k vs the Pies at Waverley. That figure should be pushed, if not beaten. If the fans don't turn out for this then all the "what about us?!?" complaining falls on deaf ears.

Time to put up or shut up Saints fans.

I'd like to disagree with you because stuff the Saints, but very well put LWP.

 

[Walshawk]

GWS v Pies only got 19k last season and Giants are on the slide, so OR v Hawks will be 16k at best. Sure, that would be the their third biggest non Swans crowd, but hardly a blockbuster start to the season. No point doing this unless it is against the Pies or a flag threat Bombers or Blues.

 

[Libbaaaa]

They are the three best days of the home and away season. The competing clubs have made it such due to how the clubs have presented the day (Anzac & KB) and the quality of the games (Easter M). Any other clubs playing would be halve the crowd. North Melbourne with Good Friday has proved that by putting a game in a stand along slot and calling it a ‘blockbuster’ does not make it such.

Guess we conveniently forget how many horrible games there have been on these days. It just compromises the fixture, same with always having 2 showdowns, q clash, derby, battle of bridge etc…

 

[Walshawk]

Guess we conveniently forget how many horrible games there have been on these days. It just compromises the fixture, same with always having 2 showdowns, q clash, derby, battle of bridge etc…

Most years we don’t play Cats twice. Not do Dons v Pies or Dees v Pies always play twice, Does not compromise the fixture at all. Derbies x 2, yes.

 

[hawkman]

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?

Easter Monday is Hawthorn's home game this time

 

[Hawkk]

Easter Monday is Hawthorn's home game this time

Nonetheless there is no way that Collingwood is going down to KP not when they are locked into 17 games at the MCG and Marvel. The Geelong home game will probably be Collingwood or a return Hawthorn fixture (given both fixtures drew 190,000 last year)

 

[POSA98]

Just a reminder for you all out there as to how the weighted AFL fixture works. There was an alteration as of 2023 when a sixth double up match was introduced.

 

[manicmagpie]

The question is, would the AFL schedule this as a Collingwood home game or is it just another example where they use Collingwood fans to prop up the smaller Vic clubs?

I don’t see how Collingwood gain in that fixture at all, it’s just another example where they start the season as the away team and give another pay day to another club. Collingwood have been the away team in every opening round season all the way back to 2021 - they were hosted by St Kilda, Geelong, GWS (x2) and now St Kilda again.

We don’t particularly gain anything from this fixture. I don’t think we were pushing for it either - all we wanted was to not go to GWS again.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Easter Monday is Hawthorn's home game this time

My bad, so it is.

 

[Clark G]

Collingwood’s deal is really no different to the deal Essendon had at Marvel in 2000 to 2025. Both stadiums need the two biggest clubs to anchor the season. The 14 MCG games is just good business for the AFL, the MCC and the 8-9 Victorian clubs that host Collingwood at the MCG.

No doubt St Kilda - who have bugger all season ticket holders - will get a massive pay day (like the Dogs last year) from the huge number of Collingwood fans that will fill the stadium.

The Essendon deal if I am not mistaken was seven home games at Docklands and four at the MCG each season. No away games involved there.

 

[L_W_P]

Most years we don’t play Cats twice. Not do Dons v Pies or Dees v Pies always play twice, Does not compromise the fixture at all. Derbies x 2, yes.

So many crazy fixture issues.

Lions never play the Hawks in Vic. Same with Power v Saints & Freo v Essendon.

Essendon haven't played Melbourne twice in a season since 2005.

How the **** does that happen in a comp that claims to be aiming for peak equality...

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

So many crazy fixture issues.

Lions never play the Hawks in Vic. Same with Power v Saints & Freo v Essendon.

Essendon haven't played Melbourne twice in a season since 2005.

How the **** does that happen in a comp that claims to be aiming for peak equality...

All clubs are equal but some clubs are more equal than others.
- George Orwell, afl farm.

 

[010203]

Will the AFL finally schedule North Melbourne vs Port Adelaide at Marvel for the first time since 2021?

 

[MarcMaverick]

So many crazy fixture issues.

Lions never play the Hawks in Vic. Same with Power v Saints & Freo v Essendon.

Essendon haven't played Melbourne twice in a season since 2005.

How the **** does that happen in a comp that claims to be aiming for peak equality...

I think they did in the 2025 season.

 

[mikey127]

I think they did in the 2025 season.

Correct

 

[MarcMaverick]

Melbourne, on the other hand have never played at York Park/UTAS. We have played in Belrieve/Blundstone/Ninja a few times though.

 

[Randall Stevens]

So many crazy fixture issues.

Lions never play the Hawks in Vic. Same with Power v Saints & Freo v Essendon.

Essendon haven't played Melbourne twice in a season since 2005.

How the **** does that happen in a comp that claims to be aiming for peak equality...

Brisbane have actually played Hawthorn in Vic the past three seasons, and four of the last six.
It is more the other way - this year was the first time since 2019 that Hawthorn have played in Brisbane.

 

[JHF1870]

Adelaide away games to make up for last seadon.

BRisbane, Geelong, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Fremantle, Footscray, Sydney,GC

Gather round

Port vs Fremantle
Adelaide vs Geelong

Brisbane vs Collingwood
Sydney vs Hawthorn

Essendon vs GWS Barossa
Footscray vs St Kilda Barossa

WC vs Melbourne Parade

Carlton vs GC AO

Richmond vs North Parade

 

[Hawkk]

The Essendon deal if I am not mistaken was seven home games at Docklands and four at the MCG each season. No away games involved there.

I meant both clubs got favourable financial terms to help fund the stadiums.

 

[mikey127]

Adelaide away games to make up for last seadon.

BRisbane, Geelong, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Fremantle, Footscray, Sydney,GC

Gather round

Port vs Fremantle
Adelaide vs Geelong

Brisbane vs Collingwood
Sydney vs Hawthorn

Essendon vs GWS Barossa
Footscray vs St Kilda Barossa

WC vs Melbourne Parade

Carlton vs GC AO

Richmond vs North Parade

We won't play Collingwood in gather round, we'll be playing then the week before on Easter Thursday.

 

[JHF1870]

We won't play Collingwood in gather round, we'll be playing then the week before on Easter Thursday.

Adelaide theni guesss

 

[Seattle Mariners]

I think they did in the 2025 season.

And the 2024 seasons at Marvel.

 

[kirky]

Adelaide away games to make up for last seadon.

BRisbane, Geelong, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Fremantle, Footscray, Sydney,GC

Gather round

Port vs Fremantle
Adelaide vs Geelong

Brisbane vs Collingwood
Sydney vs Hawthorn

Essendon vs GWS Barossa
Footscray vs St Kilda Barossa

WC vs Melbourne Parade

Carlton vs GC AO

Richmond vs North Parade

WTF?

You weren’t happy Adelaide played Collingwood, Hawthorn, Gold Coast, Fremantle, Sydney and Western Bulldogs all away this year?