Fixture 2026 Fixture

[Giant YoYo]

All things 2026 fixture related. Early whispers, rumours and discussion in season.

First up - Opening round fixture is in.



Opening Round - March 5-8

• Sydney v Carlton at the SCG - Thursday night
• GWS Giants v Hawthorn at Engie Stadium - TBC
• Gold Coast v Geelong at People First Stadium - TBC
• Brisbane v Western Bulldogs at the Gabba - TBC
• St Kilda v Collingwood at the MCG - Sunday night

 

[Comedy Capers]

Victorian clubs in full whinge mode on their blogs already about opening round.
Elimination final replay for us.
Looking forward to it.

 

[Giant Strides]

Brisbane Friday night? Giants Saturday afternoon? Suns Saturday night?

I laugh that Collingwood still get to play opening round, without having to travel to a northern state! FMD.

 

[Giant YoYo]

Looks like two concerts at Engie the week before the Giants v Hawks game

Field should be top notch
/s

 

[Davoise]

I'm surprised Bad Bunny is playing at Engie - I would have thought he'd draw a crowd more suitable for Allianz.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Still think AFL should have fixtures Collingwood for our Opening Round match as done in previous years. Just because Collingwood didn’t want it, is not a good reason for the AFL to cave in. Collingwood don’t run the league, and the AFL should think about the national interest of the game. That said, playing Hawthorn will motivate our team to start the season with a win against the side that knocked us out in the finals this year.

 

[Giant YoYo]

2026 fixture to be released on Thursday.

Wildcard round has been confirmed for next year's fixture, as the league moves to a top ten instead of top 8 finals format, per Code Sports.

Seventh will host 10th and eighth will play ninth, while the top-six teams will have the weekend off.

 

[Giant YoYo]

 

[Comedy Capers]

Another revenue raiser to reward mediocrity.

The aim now is to finish top 6 at worst.

Who signed off on this?

New buzz phrase 'make the 10'.

Give me a break.

 

[Capital hawk]

Another revenue raiser to reward mediocrity.

The aim now is to finish top 6 at worst.

Who signed off on this?

New buzz phrase 'make the 10'.

Give me a break.

Agree. The AFL needs to be careful that in its quest to make $$ it does not turn the competition into a circus.

 

[Land of the Giants]

Brendon Fevola has named it "The Western Bulldogs rule":

"I'm calling this the Western Bulldogs rule, I think they've brought it in just because of what happened to the Bulldogs..."

I have to admit thinking that myself.

 

[Comedy Capers]

The perennial question used to be 'Where will the Tigers finish this year?' and the answer was 9th. It is now 11th.

 

[Colonial]

To be fair, it’s only a minority, us vocal online ones, who probably don’t like this.

It will get great crowds and tv ratings.

So people will support it and prove them right.

 

[Battlepants]

League makes big change to weighted rule ahead of fixture reveal

Teams can play up to four other teams in their ladder range, previously three, from next season

www.afl.com.au

The only silver lining from us dropping out in the first round of finals is that we finished outside the top 6 and our fixture should be easier next year. This should make it harder on the teams that finished above us. Not sure exactly how it's going to affect us as none of the other teams that finished in the middle 6 are exactly slouches with the exception of Carlton.

The other teams in our bracket being Fremantle, Bulldogs, Swans, Carlton and St Kilda.

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

I laugh that Collingwood still get to play opening round, without having to travel to a northern state! FMD.

Not only that, it's an away game against a Marvel tennant at the MCG.

Kissed on the d*ck much?

 

[Giant Strides]

Not only that, it's an away game against a Marvel tennant at the MCG.

Kissed on the d*ck much?

FMD x 2 - an "away" game, but at their home ground and not at their opponent's home ground?

Yep, that tells you all about how VFL House run their business!!

 

[Giant YoYo]

Confirmed:

Round 5 - Gather round - Giants v Richmond
Sunday 12th April @ Barossa - 2:45 pm local time - 3:15 pm Sydney time

Round 6 - Sydney Derby
Friday April 17 @ SCG - 7.50pm

Round 12 - Dees v Giants @ MCG (TBC)
Round 20 - Sydney Derby @ Engie (TBC)

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Confirmed:

Round 5 - Gather round - Giants v Richmond
Sunday 12th April @ Barossa - 2:45 pm local time - 3:15 pm Sydney time

Round 6 - Sydney Derby
Friday April 17 @ SCG - 7.50pm

Round 12 - Dees v Giants @ MCG (TBC)
Round 20 - Sydney Derby @ Engie (TBC)

Sydney before their derby with us will get an extra day’s - they play their Gather Round match on Saturday 1615, whilst we play a day later. However, they play Gold Coast so should have a tougher game than us.

GATHER ROUND FIXTURE: Crows to host Vic giants in opener, Port meet Saints

The match-ups, venues and times have been confirmed for Gather Round 2026 in South Australia

www.afl.com.au

 

[Giant YoYo]

Sydney before their derby with us will get an extra day’s - they play their Gather Round match on Saturday 1615, whilst we play a day later. However, they play Gold Coast so should have a tougher game than us.

GATHER ROUND FIXTURE: Crows to host Vic giants in opener, Port meet Saints

The match-ups, venues and times have been confirmed for Gather Round 2026 in South Australia

www.afl.com.au

Appears we've been given one of four national channel 7 games for gather round (as per the AFL link), so someone at scheduling HQ must think our game should be reasonably good viewing nationally.

Given how the game went this year against the Tiges at Engie, I tend to agree - was a cracking finish.

 

[Colonial]

Appears we've been given one of four national channel 7 games for gather round (as per the AFL link), so someone at scheduling HQ must think our game should be reasonably good viewing nationally.

Given how the game went this year against the Tiges at Engie, I tend to agree - was a cracking finish.

Yet our Friday night Sydney derby isn’t stand alone.

 

[Giant YoYo]

Yet our Friday night Sydney derby isn’t stand alone.

It's unlikely any state derby will broadcast nationally in primetime as a standalone any time soon so I am more than happy with this compromise.

The Sydney derby on Friday night at the SCG will be on 7main in primetime in NSW/ACT which is perfect for our target market. I assume the first test run this year with the first Friday night derby at Engie went well if they're happy to schedule the game on in primetime in our market.

 

[Giant YoYo]

According to another post elsewhere detailing the Tasmanian games next season, appears we are not playing the Hawks in Tassie (so most likely no Hawks double ups in 2026).

 

[Comedy Capers]

One thing is certain. Collingwood won't play in Tassie, Geelong, Ballarat or Canberra

 

[Giant Strides]

One thing is certain. Collingwood won't play in Tassie, Geelong, Ballarat or Canberra

They don't even travel to Marvel for away games in Victoria!

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Our fixture with a short video also from our club

A GIANT 2026 Fixture Has Dropped

The GIANTS’ 2026 AFL fixture has dropped.

www.gwsgiants.com.au