Fixture 2026 Fixture

[Purple Suit]

Rounds 23 and 24 remain a floating fixture at this stage.

Great, more ways for the AFL to have some fun.

Swans vs Freo for the top of the table clash (currently) they give Freo a 5 day break (on the back of another 6 day break) vs the Swans 6 day break (on the back of an 8 day break). Seems fair.

 

[Coolangatta]

Are Saturday night games still not going to be shown on free to air in WA? Absolute horseshit. Big whoop about standalone Saturday night Showdown if it's not on live free to air.

 

[BigVic]

Sydney and Geelong grand finalists with an armchair ride

 

[Giant YoYo]

Are Saturday night games still not going to be shown on free to air in WA? Absolute horseshit. Big whoop about standalone Saturday night Showdown if it's not on live free to air.

Post round 8 in WA/SA games featuring the local sides will be live on FTA on Saturdays, so round 9 onwards.

Post round 10 in NSW/ACT/QLD games featuring the local sides will be live on FTA on Saturdays from round 11.

 

[Rob]

You'd think if they were going to schedule a Friday night Freo v West Coast game they'd at least have the decency not to put it at 6:10. ****ing nightmare to get there by then on a weekday.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Weird that Essendon get more prime time slots than Melbourne.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Are Saturday night games still not going to be shown on free to air in WA? Absolute horseshit. Big whoop about standalone Saturday night Showdown if it's not on live free to air.

Under the broadcasting deal all Saturday games are on Fox/Kayo only - unless you are a non Victorian team in which case (after round 11) it will be free to that state/territory.

 

[TimothyJ23]

You'd think if they were going to schedule a Friday night Freo v West Coast game they'd at least have the decency not to put it at 6:10. ****ing nightmare to get there by then on a weekday.

I don't understand what your point is here.

If Freo/WCE wants to be Friday night, then 6:10 local / 8:10 eastern is the absolute latest it can be.

Unlike the A-League who are happy to junk ratings to play games at 7:30pm WA/9:30pm eastern, the AFL aren't interested, so 6:10pm is as late as it gets

 

[koshjjennedy723]

I don't understand what your point is here.

If Freo/WCE wants to be Friday night, then 6:10 local / 8:10 eastern is the absolute latest it can be.

Unlike the A-League who are happy to junk ratings to play games at 7:30pm WA/9:30pm eastern, the AFL aren't interested, so 6:10pm is as late as it gets

But Victorians won't be watching as they've also scheduled Dees and Cats to play for this exact reason so why not appeal to the West Aussie audience by giving them a reasonable timeslot?

 

[beev]

Weird that Essendon get more prime time slots than Melbourne.

Across the whole season?

Essendon only have the afternoon and twilight slots on Saturday and Sunday in this release.

 

[STPer18]

Sydney and Geelong grand finalists with an armchair ride

Geelong's COO in between the corporate jargon:

“While ideally we would have liked a better spread of timeslots for home games for our fans and members"

...

"We are rapt with the Saturday twilight timeslot for the Essendon game as that has become a great timeslot particularly for kids and families."

They could've given the super ultra special primetime slots to anyone else and lumped Geelong's Kardinia Park games anytime on a Sat arvo like they've consistently asked for and everyone would be happy. Broadcasters must want Geelong in these prime spots but Geelong don't even want them, yet there'd be plenty of clubs who'd love the exposure.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Shame the Hawks vs Carlton game is a Saturday Night

That's the one that screwed me. Ah well, one less person at the game because of their stuffing around.

 

[Purple Suit]

I don't understand what your point is here.

If Freo/WCE wants to be Friday night, then 6:10 local / 8:10 eastern is the absolute latest it can be.

Unlike the A-League who are happy to junk ratings to play games at 7:30pm WA/9:30pm eastern, the AFL aren't interested, so 6:10pm is as late as it gets

Why is 8:10 the latest it can be, is there a law about it in Victoria we don't know about? Why not start it at 8:40 eastern so that only half of the game overlaps?

You'll get more people watching more footy than if you overlap games at the same time as you can't watch two things at once. That is unless your wife has let you install two TV's side by side in the lounge room, something that despite my asking has not happened to me.

 

[Billy ray]

Why is 8:10 the latest it can be, is there a law about it in Victoria we don't know about? Why not start it at 8:40 eastern so that only half of the game overlaps?

You'll get more people watching more footy than if you overlap games at the same time as you can't watch two things at once. That is unless your wife has let you install two TV's side by side the the lounge room, something that despite my asking has not happened to me.

100% - for years in the 80s and 90s and maybe early 2000s, FNF at perth (waca or subi) was 640pm WST start, 840pm EST (after better homes and gardens). this particular match up should 100% be at that time, and the clubs should lobby for it.

 

[Obzerva]

But Victorians won't be watching as they've also scheduled Dees and Cats to play for this exact reason so why not appeal to the West Aussie audience by giving them a reasonable timeslot?

Agree, if it was a standalone match, so guaranteed to be broadast on the east coast, then 6.10/8.10EST would be the latest, but given the AFL can't successfully ween itself off Friday nights without a Vic team, then cater for the local audience in the local game in Perth.

 

[RedOrWhite]

Agree, if it was a standalone match, so guaranteed to be broadast on the east coast, then 6.10/8.10EST would be the latest, but given the AFL can't successfully ween itself off Friday nights without a Vic team, then cater for the local audience in the local game in Perth.

100%. And there'll still be plenty of night owls like myself who'd watch a Derby that finishes at midnight our time.

 

[Rob]

Agree, if it was a standalone match, so guaranteed to be broadast on the east coast, then 6.10/8.10EST would be the latest, but given the AFL can't successfully ween itself off Friday nights without a Vic team, then cater for the local audience in the local game in Perth.

Funnily enough, the last time a derby was on a Friday night was a standalone match at 6:40 WST.

6:40pm is still too early for a weeknight game mind you.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Why no Saturday twilight game in Round 21?

Noticed a Carlton St Kilda Sunday night game as well but not sure the reason

Also it feels like games are always starting a new time slots every week, some consistently would be nice

 

[oak79]

Why is 8:10 the latest it can be, is there a law about it in Victoria we don't know about? Why not start it at 8:40 eastern so that only half of the game overlaps?

You'll get more people watching more footy than if you overlap games at the same time as you can't watch two things at once. That is unless your wife has let you install two TV's side by side in the lounge room, something that despite my asking has not happened to me.

Even better, start the game in Melbourne earlier aswell so that the games don't overlap

If they think 6:10 is ok for WA, then it's got to be ok for Victorians too, right?

 

[Coolangatta]

Even better, start the game in Melbourne earlier so that the games don't overlap

If they think 6:10 is ok for WA, then it's got to be ok for Victorians too, right?

But there’s no VicBias… nope, none to be found in an AFL Commission and Executive branch located in Melbourne… full of Melbournites… in a 55% Vic comp… where the GF is always played in Melbourne.

 

[Obzerva]

But there’s no VicBias… nope, none to be found in an AFL Commission and Executive branch located in Melbourne… full of Melbournites… in a 55% Vic comp… where the GF is always played in Melbourne.

To be fair to the AFL they have spent the last 40 years getting it from 100% to 55%, these things take time (next CEO's problem)

 

[Teen Wolf]

Why no Saturday twilight game in Round 21?

Noticed a Carlton St Kilda Sunday night game as well but not sure the reason

The women's Aus v Ireland match will probably be in that R21 Saturday twilight slot.

Likewise there's supposed to be a R1 AFLW match at Marvel before the Sunday night R22 men's game.

 

[Billy ray]

 

[Whiskers]

Geelong's COO in between the corporate jargon:

They could've given the super ultra special primetime slots to anyone else and lumped Geelong's Kardinia Park games anytime on a Sat arvo like they've consistently asked for and everyone would be happy. Broadcasters must want Geelong in these prime spots but Geelong don't even want them, yet there'd be plenty of clubs who'd love the exposure.

Absolutely hate Thursday’s.
If any club shouldn’t play in them, it should be us.
The traffic between Melbourne and Geelong is a nightmare.

 

[Seeds]

Sydney and Geelong grand finalists with an armchair ride

You literally just got to play an away game against geelong in your home city and ground.

And geelong has the toughest draw in the land.