AFLW 2026 Fixture

[TheTassieHawk]

 

[Teen Wolf]

Indeed double-headers are back on the agenda... as they are every year, a couple months before the fixture release. But will the outcome be the same, with the suits eventually acting like it was never even a consideration.

In any case (and not to say I'm credulous re any Sarah Black article), this line encapsulates HQ's coddling of clubs wrt their incorporation of AFLW:

It's understood clubs were actively encouraged by the AFL to include double-headers in pitches due last week

Phrased like an opt-in when they really should just be saying "double-headers are happening, women on after the men, every club will host one each, get behind it properly or else".

 

[Teen Wolf]

Sometimes you see things written here or there, by well-meaning people, that make you go "hmm yeah that's almost certainly not the case".

To clear up one of those things I've seen recently, there is (I would say) a 99.9% likelihood of the season length being capped at 14 H&A games per team until the next broadcast deal comes into effect (2032).

Complementary visual aid, showing seasons past and future projections:

 

[timokane]

Who prefers both the VFLW and AFLW nowadays over the AFL i do.
I think the AFL as a comp has lost the plot and girls footy is alot better.
Also they all seam to have fun and so cool and not at each other like in the AFL.
Girls love getting out there playing the game

 

[Teen Wolf]

I don't think an organisation does more "considering" without action than the AFL does about the women's fixture.

Pretty sure a Sydney GR for AFLW was raised on here three years ago... needs more consideration!!

 

[Teen Wolf]

Basically the same 'info' in this video, but accompanied with footage of North Melbourne mashing up Brisbane in the grand final:

 

[Teen Wolf]

Fixture Thread 'AFLW Gather Round (??)'

Jul 18, 2024

A subject already raised in the 2024 fixture thread, but likely in need of its own space eventually, if not already. ICYMI...

AFL and AFLW Collective Bargaining Agreement 2023–2027:

Schedule 5B – AFLW Player and List Management

1. AFLW Season Structure​

1.3 2025, 2026 and 2027 AFLW Seasons​

(a) ... the 2025, 2026 and 2027 AFLW Seasons will consist of a minimum of twelve (12) AFLW Premiership Season Matches for each AFLW Team and a four (4) week AFLW Finals Series.​

12 May 2024, News Corp:

The AFL and NT Government have begun talks of...

• Teen Wolf
• Replies: 28
• Forum: Women's Footy & AFLW

Oh yeah, that's right, I made a thread about it a couple years ago. With a poll. And Sydney was the most popular option.

However... whereas I suggested North Sydney as the main venue, for whatever reason Caro seems to think the concept at least partially depends on SCG availability. Perhaps because it's better equipped in terms of changerooms.

I presume October is being touted so as to avoid clashing with the men's comp. But if you're going to be moving games away from Victoria, it'd be better to do in August or September when the weather's more likely to suck in Melbourne and Geelong.

 

[TheTassieHawk]

Fixture Thread 'AFLW Gather Round (??)'

Jul 18, 2024

A subject already raised in the 2024 fixture thread, but likely in need of its own space eventually, if not already. ICYMI...

AFL and AFLW Collective Bargaining Agreement 2023–2027:

Schedule 5B – AFLW Player and List Management

1. AFLW Season Structure​

1.3 2025, 2026 and 2027 AFLW Seasons​

(a) ... the 2025, 2026 and 2027 AFLW Seasons will consist of a minimum of twelve (12) AFLW Premiership Season Matches for each AFLW Team and a four (4) week AFLW Finals Series.​

12 May 2024, News Corp:

The AFL and NT Government have begun talks of...

• Teen Wolf
• Replies: 28
• Forum: Women's Footy & AFLW

Oh yeah, that's right, I made a thread about it a couple years ago. With a poll. And Sydney was the most popular option.

However... whereas I suggested North Sydney as the main venue, for whatever reason Caro seems to think the concept at least partially depends on SCG availability. Perhaps because it's better equipped in terms of changerooms.

I presume October is being touted so as to avoid clashing with the men's comp. But if you're going to be moving games away from Victoria, it'd be better to do in August or September when the weather's more likely to suck in Melbourne and Geelong.

I agree that October smacks of not wanting Gather Round to go head to head with AFL and potentially NRL finals.

The week after the 2026 NRL Grand Final is Round 9 of the 2026 AFLW season, which would be as late in the fixture as a marquee round would want to be, and just happens to be the final weekend of NSW school holidays.

 

[timokane]

Tipping a blues and dees grand final

 

[Teen Wolf]

The reason I'd start the season a week earlier is that it would allow splitting Round 2 across a fortnight, to look something like this:

View attachment 2506924

View attachment 2506925

This makes it much easier to lock in decent slots for AFLW while working around the climax of the men's H&A season.

Once again, no more than 2 games on at once. Double-headers where possible and the women always playing 2nd. If the men's fixture turns out to be different, there's still plenty of room to alter the AFLW games because there's only 4-5 per weekend.

Some would wonder whether it's ideal for the players to have a week off so early into the season. What we do know is players are more prone to ACL injuries when fatigued, which would explain why there's a higher ACL injury rate early in the season when players are still building match fitness. Furthermore, extra recovery between games at any point would ease the stress on 30-player lists for clubs dealing with a lot of short-term injuries.

With all that said, there's absolutely no indication the AFL will do the split round thing.

But since there are reports about them considering men-women double-headers, here's how I would do that for the slated 13th August start of AFLW R1:


Or something like that. Anything which follows these key DOs and DON’Ts should be fine:

DO have Sydney opening the season at home.

DON’T have more than 2 games (across both comps) on at once.

DO maximise double-headers with men’s matches (should be aiming for 6 on the opening weekend).

DON’T have ridiculous start times like 10am or 10pm.

DO have the women always playing the second game of double-headers (solves a multitude of issues, outlined below).

DON’T add a random women’s team to a double-header (i.e. if the men’s game is ADE v BL, the women’s game needs to be ADE v BL and not ADE v CARL).


Benefits of playing the women AFTER the men for double-headers:

Ticketing – Having women on beforehand means people have to pay men’s prices to see a women’s game, which goes against the premise of a double-header making AFLW more accessible.

Surface pristine for the men – If the men chop up the grass, it’ll still be in better nick than what most AFLW games usually get.

Quicker turnaround between games – Having women on beforehand usually means a longer turnaround, so people might get to the ground an hour before the men’s game and still only see 5 mins of AFLW. Broadcasters want to do long build-ups for men’s games, and men’s teams love their long on-field warmups. Women’s teams, I think you’ll find, will be quite happy to adjust their on-field warmups to keep the turnaround time short, if it means getting to play on the best grounds.

Staggered crowd exit – Makes it easier to get out of the ground when a % of people are hanging around for different amounts of another game.

Willing participants – If people don’t want to watch, they can leave. By contrast, I have seen women-first double-headers where members of the crowd stand with their backs to the field until the men's game starts… which is far more disrespectful imo.

 

[Teen Wolf]

So it'll be just four double-headers across the opening two rounds, even though it really should (and easily could) be 12.

But it can't be said if this is bad or good yet without getting more details, like will there be an hour of dead time between games, will they foolishly put the women on before the men, etc.

Well I haven't seen those details revealed, at least.

 

[The Victorian]

With all that said, there's absolutely no indication the AFL will do the split round thing.

But since there are reports about them considering men-women double-headers, here's how I would do that for the slated 13th August start of AFLW R1:
View attachment 2575267

Or something like that. Anything which follows these key DOs and DON’Ts should be fine:

DO have Sydney opening the season at home.

DON’T have more than 2 games (across both comps) on at once.

DO maximise double-headers with men’s matches (should be aiming for 6 on the opening weekend).

DON’T have ridiculous start times like 10am or 10pm.

DO have the women always playing the second game of double-headers (solves a multitude of issues, outlined below).

DON’T add a random women’s team to a double-header (i.e. if the men’s game is ADE v BL, the women’s game needs to be ADE v BL and not ADE v CARL).


Benefits of playing the women AFTER the men for double-headers:

Ticketing – Having women on beforehand means people have to pay men’s prices to see a women’s game, which goes against the premise of a double-header making AFLW more accessible.

Surface pristine for the men – If the men chop up the grass, it’ll still be in better nick than what most AFLW games usually get.

Quicker turnaround between games – Having women on beforehand usually means a longer turnaround, so people might get to the ground an hour before the men’s game and still only see 5 mins of AFLW. Broadcasters want to do long build-ups for men’s games, and men’s teams love their long on-field warmups. Women’s teams, I think you’ll find, will be quite happy to adjust their on-field warmups to keep the turnaround time short, if it means getting to play on the best grounds.

Staggered crowd exit – Makes it easier to get out of the ground when a % of people are hanging around for different amounts of another game.

Willing participants – If people don’t want to watch, they can leave. By contrast, I have seen women-first double-headers where members of the crowd stand with their backs to the field until the men's game starts… which is far more disrespectful imo.

I can confirm that the Suns won’t have a double header game unfortunately

 

[Teen Wolf]

Given GC don't have a men's home game in either Round 23 or Round 24, I too can confirm they won't be hosting a double-header during the first 2 weeks of the AFLW season.

 

[The Victorian]

Given GC don't have a men's home game in either Round 23 or Round 24, I too can confirm they won't be hosting a double-header during the first 2 weeks of the AFLW season.

I never said hosting I meant being involved in a double header mate

 

[Teen Wolf]

LISTEN: New coaches galore, pre-season draft, salary cap, more

Join Sarah Black and Gemma Bastiani for the W Download

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Quote by Sarah Black, from the last few minutes of the podcast, talking about double header fixturing:

"I wouldn't be surprised if we see some of the bigger clubs, like everybody wants to see North Melbourne vs Melbourne inside. Best foot skills going around."

Maybe this opinion, voiced by a journalist who works for the AFL, angers some people.

Nevertheless, in no way is it violating BigFooty rules to reference it in a thread about the AFLW fixture, lol.

 

[Daniel6]

Any idea when the 2026 AFLW fixture will be released?

 

[Teen Wolf]

Last year it was released first week of May. Year before it was the last week of May. Year before that was the last week of June.

 

[Teen Wolf]

For Round 23 of the men's fixture, I'm guessing these games will be frontrunners for double-header status:



Would go so far as to say that if NM requested to unfurl the flag at Marvel as part of a m-w double-header, the AFL will oblige.

If NM didn't make such a request, then I wouldn't be too surprised to see one played at Engie instead, since GWS have been one of the clubs pushing for it, reportedly. Plus, given the chatter about the location of Henson Park, it would also mean the Giants play at least one AFLW game in their backyard.

I think PA v Melb at AO would be one of the more desirable double-headers for the AFL. Not sure they'll consider an MCG double-header that weekend, considering it'll get used for 3 men's games (so increasing the load might raise concerns in wet weather).


For Round 24:



I'd be shocked if Melb v WB isn't one of them.

And WCE v Haw should really be a no-brainer, with both AFLW teams having played finals last year. The Eagles are also right near the top of the list of big clubs who should be getting bigger crowds for women's games, so it's seemingly an exposure opportunity too good to pass up.

A double-header at GMHBA, where AFLW games are already played, might not seem too enticing but imo still definitely worth doing if they get all the other details right (turnaround time, men before women, etc.).

 

[Teen Wolf]

Obligatory tweet about Collingwood's unsatisfactory home ground, check. Next cab off the rank is probably "Windy Hill turf war". And before you know it, we'll be back to the "GF venue too small" chestnut.

All these problems and more solved with a new dedicated AFLW venue in Melbourne, of course. What is the not-for-profit AFL to do with their hundreds of millions of dollars sitting in the bank.

 

[pattymalone00]

Obligatory tweet about Collingwood's unsatisfactory home ground, check. Next cab off the rank is probably "Windy Hill turf war". And before you know it, we'll be back to the "GF venue too small" chestnut.

All these problems and more solved with a new dedicated AFLW venue in Melbourne, of course. What is the not-for-profit AFL to do with their hundreds of millions of dollars sitting in the bank.

Ive heard rumours its because of the Melbourne Park upperups (and I get wanting to play at their spiriitual home) but crazy they cant put stands up at the MGM centre

 

[pattymalone00]