The 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season has arrived, bringing with it a fresh wave of excitement, tribal rivalries, and a revamped schedule that every footy fan needs to master. Whether you are a die-hard member planning your travel for Gather Round or a casual viewer looking for the next big Friday night clash at the MCG, staying on top of the aussie rules fixtures is essential.

This year, the AFL has introduced several landmark changes to the match schedule, including the official debut of a Wildcard Finals Round and an expanded Opening Round that brings the first bounce to Victoria earlier than ever before. In this guide, we break down the key dates, venues, and match-ups to ensure you never miss a minute of the action.

Aussie Rules Fixtures: A New Era

The 2026 season officially runs from Thursday, 5 March through to the Grand Final on Saturday, 26 September. For the first time, the league has moved away from the traditional top-eight system, introducing a tenth finalist via the Wildcard Round.

Aussie Rules Fixtures: Key Season Milestones

Opening Round: 5 March – 8 March
Round 1 (Traditional Start): 12 March – 15 March
Gather Round (South Australia): 9 April – 12 April (Round 5)
Anzac Day Round: 23 April – 26 April (Round 7)
Sir Doug Nicholls Round: Rounds 10 & 11
Wildcard Finals Round: 29 August – 30 August
AFL Grand Final: 26 September

The Opening Round & Round 1 Schedule

The AFL continues its “Opening Round” concept to kickstart the season in the northern markets (NSW and Queensland), but 2026 features a significant twist: a standalone match at the MCG on the Sunday night of the Victorian Labour Day long weekend.

Opening Round Fixtures

Date	Match	Venue	Time (Local)
Thu, 5 Mar	Sydney Swans v Carlton	SCG	7:30 PM
Fri, 6 Mar	Gold Coast Suns v Geelong Cats	People First Stadium	8:05 PM
Sat, 7 Mar	GWS Giants v Hawthorn	ENGIE Stadium	4:15 PM
Sat, 7 Mar	Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs	The Gabba	7:35 PM
Sun, 8 Mar	St Kilda v Collingwood	MCG	7:20 PM

Round 1: The Traditional Opener

While the season technically begins a week earlier, Round 1 remains the homecoming for the remaining clubs. The traditional Thursday night blockbuster between Carlton and Richmond at the MCG remains the centerpiece of the round.

Thursday, 12 March: Carlton v Richmond (MCG)
Friday, 13 March: Essendon v Hawthorn (MCG)
Saturday, 14 March: Geelong v Fremantle (GMHBA Stadium)
Sunday, 15 March: Melbourne v St Kilda (MCG)

Marquee Rounds and Special Events

The aussie rules fixtures are punctuated by “Big Stage” events that transcend the four points on the ladder. These rounds are often the first to sell out, making early planning vital.

Gather Round (Round 5)

Returning to South Australia, Gather Round sees all 18 teams play in a single state across four days. Matches are held at the Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval, and the picturesque Barossa Park.

Feature Match: Adelaide Crows v Carlton (Thursday Night, Adelaide Oval)
The Barossa Debut: North Melbourne v Brisbane Lions (Saturday, Barossa Park)

Anzac Round (Round 7)

The most solemn and significant round on the calendar. In 2026, Anzac Day (25 April) falls on a Saturday, creating a massive day of footy.

Anzac Day Clash: Essendon v Collingwood (MCG)
The Twilight Game: Port Adelaide v Geelong Cats (Adelaide Oval)
The Night Cap: Fremantle v Carlton (Optus Stadium)

Sir Doug Nicholls Round (Rounds 10–11)

A celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The Dreamtime at the ‘G match between Richmond and Essendon (Saturday, 23 May) remains the flagship event, while Darwin’s TIO Stadium will host the Gold Coast Suns in a Friday night spectacular.

Aussie Rules Fixtures: Venues

The Aussie Rules Fixtures season continues the AFL’s commitment to taking the game to regional Australia. While the primary cathedrals of the game like the MCG, Marvel Stadium, and Optus Stadium host the bulk of the fixtures, several other venues feature prominently:

University of Tasmania Stadium (Launceston): A fortress for the Hawks.
Manuka Oval (Canberra): The secondary home for the GWS Giants.
Mars Stadium (Ballarat): Hosting Western Bulldogs regional matches.
TIO Stadium (Darwin): The spiritual home of the Top End’s footy connection.

Aussie Rules Fixtures Coverage

Staying updated with the aussie rules fixtures means knowing when and where to tune in. In Australia, the broadcast rights are shared between the Seven Network and Foxtel.

Free-to-Air: Channel 7 and 7Plus typically broadcast 3–4 matches per round, including Thursday and Friday night games, and marquee Sunday afternoon slots.
Subscription: Fox Footy (via Foxtel and Kayo Sports) broadcasts every single match of the home-and-away season live with no ad-breaks during play.
International: Fans living abroad can access the match schedule via the Watch AFL streaming service.

The Road to September: Wildcard Round

The biggest change to the 2026 match schedule is the introduction of the Wildcard Finals Round. This replaces the traditional pre-finals bye.

Aussie Rules Fixtures under the new rules:

The top six teams earn a week off to rest and prepare.
7th place plays 10th place.
8th place plays 9th place.The winners of these two “Wildcard” matches join the top six to form the final eight for the remainder of the September series. This change ensures that more teams remain in the hunt for the premiership deeper into the season, making the final rounds of the home-and-away season even more intense.

Aussie Rules Fixtures Season

With many rounds (specifically Rounds 16–24) having “floating” timeslots, the AFL usually confirms the exact dates and kickoff times for the second half of the year around mid-season. This allows the league to schedule the most high-stakes games for prime-time television.

Note to Fans: Always double-check kickoff times in your local time zone (AEDT vs AEST vs AWST), especially during the first few weeks of the season when daylight saving is still active in some states.

The aussie rules fixtures represent the heartbeat of the Australian sporting winter. From the heat of a Darwin Friday night to the freezing rain of a July afternoon at GMHBA Stadium, the schedule is more than just a list of games—it is the roadmap for the year. Grab your scarf, mark your calendar, and get ready for another massive year of footy.