The 130th AFL season kicked off on March 5, 2026, and will run through to September 26 with 18 clubs competing across 25 rounds. The 2026 season introduces several landmark changes to Australian rules football. 

Most notably, the AFL replaced the traditional centre bounce with a throw up for the first time since 1887. Additionally, the league expanded its finals series from eight to ten teams through a new wildcard round, the first change to the finals system since 2000. 

The interchange bench also increased from four to five players after the substitute rule was removed. These changes aim to reduce game length by approximately three minutes while increasing the quality of umpiring and the competitiveness of the finals race. Victoria defeated Western Australia 125 to 101 in a State of Origin match at Optus Stadium in February, the first such contest since 1999.

AFL 2026 Season Overview

Detail	Information
Season	130th AFL Premiership Season
Start Date	March 5, 2026 (Opening Round)
Grand Final	September 26, 2026
Teams	18
Rounds	25 (including Opening Round and Gather Round)
Home and Away Matches	23 per team
Finals Format	Top 10 (Wildcard Round + Final Eight system)
Gather Round	Round 5, April 9 to 12 (Adelaide)
State of Origin	Victoria def. Western Australia, February 14

AFL 2026 Complete Round-by-Round Schedule

The 2026 AFL season features 25 rounds across 18 clubs from March 5 to August 23, followed by a five week finals series culminating in the Grand Final on September 26 at the MCG.

Opening Round (March 5 to 8)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, March 5	Sydney 132 def. Carlton 69	SCG
Friday, March 6	Gold Coast 125 def. Geelong 69	People First Stadium
Saturday, March 7	GWS 122 def. Hawthorn 95	Engie Stadium
Saturday, March 7	Western Bulldogs 111 def. Brisbane Lions 106	The Gabba
Sunday, March 8	Collingwood 78 def. St Kilda 66	MCG

Bye: Adelaide, Essendon, Fremantle, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, West Coast

Round 1 (March 12 to 15)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, March 12	Carlton 75 def. Richmond 71	MCG
Friday, March 13	Hawthorn 145 def. Essendon 83	MCG
Saturday, March 14	Western Bulldogs 134 def. GWS 53	Marvel Stadium
Saturday, March 14	Geelong 110 def. Fremantle 100	GMHBA Stadium
Saturday, March 14	Sydney 104 def. Brisbane Lions 60	SCG
Saturday, March 14	Adelaide 93 def. Collingwood 79	MCG
Sunday, March 15	North Melbourne 113 def. Port Adelaide 67	Marvel Stadium
Sunday, March 15	Melbourne 120 def. St Kilda 107	MCG
Sunday, March 15	Gold Coast 131 def. West Coast 72	People First Stadium

Round 2 (March 19 to 22)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, March 19	Hawthorn 99 def. Sydney 82	MCG
Friday, March 20	Western Bulldogs 94 def. Adelaide 88	Adelaide Oval
Saturday, March 21	Gold Coast 128 def. Richmond 60	MCG
Saturday, March 21	St Kilda 78 def. GWS 74	Engie Stadium
Saturday, March 21	Fremantle 118 def. Melbourne 70	Optus Stadium
Sunday, March 22	Port Adelaide 133 def. Essendon 70	Adelaide Oval
Sunday, March 22	West Coast 111 def. North Melbourne 94	Optus Stadium

Bye: Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong

Round 3 (March 26 to 29)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, March 26	Geelong 68 def. Adelaide 60	GMHBA Stadium
Friday, March 27	Collingwood 87 def. GWS 54	Marvel Stadium
Saturday, March 28	Brisbane Lions 113 def. St Kilda 80	Marvel Stadium
Saturday, March 28	Fremantle 103 def. Richmond 43	Optus Stadium
Saturday, March 28	North Melbourne 81 def. Essendon 69	Marvel Stadium
Sunday, March 29	West Coast 92 def. Port Adelaide 90	Adelaide Oval
Sunday, March 29	Melbourne 100 def. Carlton 77	MCG

Bye: Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Sydney, Western Bulldogs

Round 4 (April 2 to 6)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, April 2	Brisbane Lions vs Collingwood	The Gabba
Friday, April 3	North Melbourne vs Carlton	Marvel Stadium
Friday, April 3	Adelaide vs Fremantle	Adelaide Oval
Saturday, April 4	Richmond vs Port Adelaide	MCG
Saturday, April 4	West Coast vs Sydney	Optus Stadium
Sunday, April 5	Melbourne vs Gold Coast	MCG
Sunday, April 5	Western Bulldogs vs Essendon	Marvel Stadium
Monday, April 6	Hawthorn vs Geelong	MCG

Bye: GWS, St Kilda

Round 5: Gather Round (April 9 to 12, Adelaide)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, April 9	Adelaide vs Carlton	Adelaide Oval
Friday, April 10	Collingwood vs Fremantle	Adelaide Oval
Saturday, April 11	North Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions	Barossa Park
Saturday, April 11	Essendon vs Melbourne	Adelaide Oval
Saturday, April 11	Sydney vs Gold Coast	Norwood Oval
Saturday, April 11	Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs	Adelaide Oval
Sunday, April 12	Geelong vs West Coast	Norwood Oval
Sunday, April 12	GWS vs Richmond	Barossa Park
Sunday, April 12	Port Adelaide vs St Kilda	Adelaide Oval

Round 6 (April 16 to 19)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, April 16	Carlton vs Collingwood	MCG
Friday, April 17	Geelong vs Western Bulldogs	GMHBA Stadium
Friday, April 17	Sydney vs GWS	SCG
Saturday, April 18	Gold Coast vs Essendon	People First Stadium
Saturday, April 18	Hawthorn vs Port Adelaide	Marvel Stadium
Saturday, April 18	Adelaide vs St Kilda	Adelaide Oval
Sunday, April 19	North Melbourne vs Richmond	Marvel Stadium
Sunday, April 19	Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions	MCG
Sunday, April 19	West Coast vs Fremantle	Optus Stadium

Round 7: Anzac Appeal Round (April 23 to 26)

Date	Match	Venue
Thursday, April 23	Western Bulldogs vs Sydney	Marvel Stadium
Friday, April 24	Richmond vs Melbourne	MCG
Saturday, April 25	Hawthorn vs Gold Coast	UTas Stadium
Saturday, April 25	Essendon vs Collingwood	MCG
Saturday, April 25	Port Adelaide vs Geelong	Adelaide Oval
Saturday, April 25	Fremantle vs Carlton	Optus Stadium
Sunday, April 26	St Kilda vs West Coast	Marvel Stadium
Sunday, April 26	Brisbane Lions vs Adelaide	The Gabba
Sunday, April 26	GWS vs North Melbourne	Corroboree Group Oval

Round 8 (April 30 to May 3)

Date	Match	Venue
April 30, Thursday	Collingwood vs Hawthorn	MCG
May 1, Friday	Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle	Marvel Stadium
May 1, Friday	Adelaide vs Port Adelaide	Adelaide Oval
May 2, Saturday	Essendon vs Brisbane Lions	Marvel Stadium
May 2, Saturday	West Coast vs Richmond	Optus Stadium
May 2, Saturday	Geelong vs North Melbourne	GMHBA Stadium
May 2, Saturday	Carlton vs St Kilda	Marvel Stadium
May 3, Sunday	Sydney vs Melbourne	SCG
May 3, Sunday	Gold Coast vs GWS	People First Stadium

Round 9 (May 7 to 10)

Date	Match	Venue
May 7, Thursday	Fremantle vs Hawthorn	Optus Stadium
May 8, Friday	Brisbane Lions vs Carlton	The Gabba
May 8, Friday	Port Adelaide vs Western Bulldogs	Adelaide Oval
May 9, Saturday	North Melbourne vs Sydney	Marvel Stadium
May 9, Saturday	GWS vs Essendon	Engie Stadium
May 9, Saturday	Gold Coast vs St Kilda	TIO Stadium
May 9, Saturday	Geelong vs Collingwood	MCG
May 10, Sunday	Melbourne vs West Coast	Marvel Stadium
May 10, Sunday	Richmond vs Adelaide	MCG

Round 10 (May 14 to 17)

Date	Match	Venue
May 14, Thursday	Brisbane Lions vs Geelong	The Gabba
May 15, Friday	Sydney vs Collingwood	SCG
May 15, Friday	Gold Coast vs Port Adelaide	TIO Stadium
May 16, Saturday	Adelaide vs North Melbourne	Adelaide Oval
May 16, Saturday	Melbourne vs Hawthorn	MCG
May 16, Saturday	Carlton vs Western Bulldogs	Marvel Stadium
May 17, Sunday	Essendon vs Fremantle	MCG
May 17, Sunday	St Kilda vs Richmond	Marvel Stadium
May 17, Sunday	West Coast vs GWS	Optus Stadium

Round 11 (May 21 to 24)

Date	Match	Venue
May 21, Thursday	Hawthorn vs Adelaide	UTas Stadium
May 22, Friday	Richmond vs Essendon	MCG
May 22, Friday	Fremantle vs St Kilda	Optus Stadium
May 23, Saturday	North Melbourne vs Gold Coast	Marvel Stadium
May 23, Saturday	Geelong vs Sydney	GMHBA Stadium
May 23, Saturday	Collingwood vs West Coast	MCG
May 23, Saturday	Port Adelaide vs Carlton	Adelaide Oval
May 24, Sunday	GWS vs Brisbane Lions	Engie Stadium
May 24, Sunday	Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne	Marvel Stadium

Round 12 (May 28 to 31)

Bye: Adelaide, Gold Coast, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide

Date	Match	Venue
May 28, Thursday	St Kilda vs Hawthorn	Marvel Stadium
May 29, Friday	Carlton vs Geelong	MCG
May 30, Saturday	Sydney vs Richmond	SCG
May 30, Saturday	Brisbane Lions vs Fremantle	The Gabba
May 30, Saturday	Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood	Marvel Stadium
May 31, Sunday	Melbourne vs GWS	TIO Traeger Park
May 31, Sunday	West Coast vs Essendon	Optus Stadium

Round 13 (June 4 to 8)

Bye: GWS, Richmond

Date	Match	Venue
June 4, Thursday	Adelaide vs Geelong	Adelaide Oval
June 5, Friday	Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs	MCG
June 6, Saturday	North Melbourne vs Fremantle	Hands Oval
June 6, Saturday	Gold Coast vs Brisbane Lions	People First Stadium
June 6, Saturday	West Coast vs Port Adelaide	Optus Stadium
June 7, Sunday	Sydney vs St Kilda	SCG
June 7, Sunday	Essendon vs Carlton	MCG
June 8, Monday	Collingwood vs Melbourne	MCG

Round 14 (June 11 to 14)

Bye: Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Hawthorn

Date	Match	Venue
June 11, Thursday	Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide	Marvel Stadium
June 12, Friday	Geelong vs Gold Coast	GMHBA Stadium
June 13, Saturday	Melbourne vs Essendon	MCG
June 13, Saturday	North Melbourne vs West Coast	Optus Stadium
June 13, Saturday	Port Adelaide vs Sydney	Adelaide Oval
June 14, Sunday	Richmond vs Brisbane Lions	Ninja Stadium
June 14, Sunday	St Kilda vs GWS	Marvel Stadium

Round 15 (June 18 to 21)

Bye: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, Sydney, West Coast

Date	Match	Venue
June 18, Thursday	Fremantle vs Geelong	Optus Stadium
June 19, Friday	Gold Coast vs Hawthorn	People First Stadium
June 20, Saturday	Adelaide vs Melbourne	Adelaide Oval
June 20, Saturday	GWS vs Carlton	Engie Stadium
June 20, Saturday	Collingwood vs Port Adelaide	MCG
June 21, Sunday	Richmond vs North Melbourne	MCG
June 21, Sunday	St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs	Marvel Stadium

Round 16 (June 27)

Bye: Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs

Date	Match	Venue
June 27, Saturday	Brisbane Lions vs Sydney	The Gabba
June 27, Saturday	Carlton vs West Coast	Marvel Stadium
June 27, Saturday	Collingwood vs Richmond	MCG
June 27, Saturday	Fremantle vs Gold Coast	Optus Stadium
June 27, Saturday	Hawthorn vs GWS	MCG
June 27, Saturday	North Melbourne vs Essendon	Marvel Stadium
June 27, Saturday	Port Adelaide vs Adelaide	Adelaide Oval

Round 17 (July 4)

Date	Match	Venue
July 4, Saturday	Essendon vs St Kilda	Marvel Stadium
July 4, Saturday	Geelong vs Brisbane Lions	GMHBA Stadium
July 4, Saturday	Gold Coast vs Collingwood	People First Stadium
July 4, Saturday	GWS vs Fremantle	Corroboree Group Oval
July 4, Saturday	Hawthorn vs Melbourne	UTas Stadium
July 4, Saturday	Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne	Adelaide Oval
July 4, Saturday	Richmond vs Carlton	MCG
July 4, Saturday	Sydney vs Western Bulldogs	SCG
July 4, Saturday	West Coast vs Adelaide	Optus Stadium

Round 18 (July 11)

Date	Match	Venue
July 11, Saturday	Adelaide vs Gold Coast	Adelaide Oval
July 11, Saturday	Brisbane Lions vs Essendon	The Gabba
July 11, Saturday	Carlton vs Hawthorn	MCG
July 11, Saturday	Collingwood vs North Melbourne	Marvel Stadium
July 11, Saturday	Fremantle vs Sydney	Optus Stadium
July 11, Saturday	GWS vs Geelong	Engie Stadium
July 11, Saturday	Melbourne vs Richmond	MCG
July 11, Saturday	St Kilda vs Port Adelaide	Marvel Stadium
July 11, Saturday	Western Bulldogs vs West Coast	Marvel Stadium

Round 19 (July 18)

Date	Match	Venue
July 18, Saturday	Collingwood vs Carlton	MCG
July 18, Saturday	Essendon vs GWS	Marvel Stadium
July 18, Saturday	Geelong vs St Kilda	GMHBA Stadium
July 18, Saturday	Gold Coast vs Western Bulldogs	People First Stadium
July 18, Saturday	North Melbourne vs Melbourne	Marvel Stadium
July 18, Saturday	Port Adelaide vs Fremantle	Adelaide Oval
July 18, Saturday	Richmond vs Hawthorn	MCG
July 18, Saturday	Sydney vs Adelaide	SCG
July 18, Saturday	West Coast vs Brisbane Lions	Optus Stadium

Round 20 (July 25)

Date	Match	Venue
July 25, Saturday	Adelaide vs Collingwood	Adelaide Oval
July 25, Saturday	Brisbane Lions vs Port Adelaide	The Gabba
July 25, Saturday	Carlton vs Gold Coast	Marvel Stadium
July 25, Saturday	Fremantle vs West Coast	Optus Stadium
July 25, Saturday	GWS vs Sydney	Engie Stadium
July 25, Saturday	Hawthorn vs Essendon	MCG
July 25, Saturday	Melbourne vs Geelong	MCG
July 25, Saturday	North Melbourne vs St Kilda	Marvel Stadium
July 25, Saturday	Western Bulldogs vs Richmond	Marvel Stadium

Round 21 (August 1)

Date	Match	Venue
August 1, Saturday	Carlton vs Brisbane Lions	Marvel Stadium
August 1, Saturday	Collingwood vs Geelong	MCG
August 1, Saturday	Essendon vs Adelaide	Marvel Stadium
August 1, Saturday	Fremantle vs Western Bulldogs	Optus Stadium
August 1, Saturday	Gold Coast vs Melbourne	People First Stadium
August 1, Saturday	Hawthorn vs North Melbourne	UTas Stadium
August 1, Saturday	Port Adelaide vs GWS	Adelaide Oval
August 1, Saturday	Richmond vs West Coast	MCG
August 1, Saturday	St Kilda vs Sydney	Marvel Stadium

Round 22 (August 8)

Date	Match	Venue
August 8, Saturday	Adelaide vs Richmond	Adelaide Oval
August 8, Saturday	Brisbane Lions vs Hawthorn	The Gabba
August 8, Saturday	Geelong vs Essendon	GMHBA Stadium
August 8, Saturday	GWS vs Gold Coast	Corroboree Group Oval
August 8, Saturday	Melbourne vs Fremantle	MCG
August 8, Saturday	St Kilda vs Carlton	Marvel Stadium
August 8, Saturday	Sydney vs Port Adelaide	SCG
August 8, Saturday	West Coast vs Collingwood	Optus Stadium
August 8, Saturday	Western Bulldogs vs North Melbourne	Marvel Stadium

Round 23 (August 15)

Date	Match	Venue
August 15, Saturday	Brisbane Lions vs Gold Coast	The Gabba
August 15, Saturday	Essendon vs Sydney	MCG
August 15, Saturday	Fremantle vs Adelaide	Optus Stadium
August 15, Saturday	GWS vs West Coast	Engie Stadium
August 15, Saturday	Hawthorn vs Collingwood	MCG
August 15, Saturday	North Melbourne vs Geelong	Marvel Stadium
August 15, Saturday	Port Adelaide vs Melbourne	Adelaide Oval
August 15, Saturday	Richmond vs St Kilda	MCG
August 15, Saturday	Western Bulldogs vs Carlton	Marvel Stadium

Round 24 (August 23)

Date	Match	Venue
August 23, Saturday	Adelaide vs GWS	Adelaide Oval
August 23, Saturday	Carlton vs Fremantle	Marvel Stadium
August 23, Saturday	Collingwood vs Brisbane Lions	MCG
August 23, Saturday	Essendon vs Port Adelaide	Marvel Stadium
August 23, Saturday	Geelong vs Richmond	GMHBA Stadium
August 23, Saturday	Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs	MCG
August 23, Saturday	St Kilda vs Gold Coast	Marvel Stadium
August 23, Saturday	Sydney vs North Melbourne	SCG
August 23, Saturday	West Coast vs Hawthorn	Optus Stadium

Note: Specific match times for Rounds 16 to 24 are yet to be confirmed by the AFL. Dates shown are based on available scheduling information.

AFL 2026 Key Rule Changes

The AFL announced seven major rule changes for the 2026 season. Here is a summary of the most significant ones.

• Centre bounce removed: The ball is now thrown up instead of bounced at the start of quarters and after goals, ending a tradition dating back to 1887
• Five player interchange: The substitute rule was removed in favour of a five player interchange bench
• Last disposal free kick: Awarded if the ball crosses the boundary from a disposal between the 50 metre arcs
• Ruckmen restricted: Cannot cross the centre line during centre ball ups
• Faster kick ins: Players get only 8 seconds to restart play, down from approximately 12 seconds
• Shrug tackle rule: Players who shrug a tackle are deemed to have had prior opportunity
• Protected area enforcement: Players inside the 5 metre protected area must stand the mark

AFL 2026 Wildcard Finals System

The AFL introduced a wildcard round for the first time, expanding finalists from eight to ten teams. This is the first change to the finals system since 2000.

• 7th vs 10th: Seventh placed team hosts tenth placed team
• 8th vs 9th: Eighth placed team hosts ninth placed team
• Winners advance to the existing Final Eight system
• The change means fewer dead rubber matches late in the home and away season

AFL 2026 Early Season Storylines

Several storylines have emerged in the opening weeks of the 2026 season.

• Gold Coast flying start: The Suns won all three opening matches, including a 128 to 60 demolition of Richmond at the MCG
• North Melbourne resurgence: Two wins from three matches including ending a 12 match losing streak against Essendon
• West Coast breakthrough: Ended a 14 match losing streak with a Round 2 win over North Melbourne at Optus Stadium
• Hawthorn’s 145: Their 145 points against Essendon in Round 1 was one of the highest scores of the opening rounds
• Sydney’s consistency: Won all three matches through Round 3 under coach Dean Cox
• ARC controversy: The AFL admitted an error in the Geelong vs Adelaide Round 3 match involving the last disposal rule and announced a review of ARC processes

AFL 2026 Finals Series Format

The 2026 finals series runs over five weeks for the first time, concluding with the Grand Final on September 26.

Week	Match	Format
Wildcard Round	7th vs 10th, 8th vs 9th	Single elimination
Qualifying Finals	1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 3rd	Winners advance to Preliminary Finals
Elimination Finals	5th vs Wildcard Winner, 6th vs Wildcard Winner	Single elimination
Semi Finals	Losers of QF vs Winners of EF	Single elimination
Preliminary Finals	Winners of QF vs Winners of SF	Single elimination
Grand Final	Winner PF1 vs Winner PF2	MCG, September 26

Also Check: Major Sporting Events in Australia

Conclusion: The Best AFL Season in Years Has Just Begun and Will Run Till 26 September

The 130th AFL season has already delivered record crowds, surprise results, and genuine drama through its opening rounds. Gold Coast’s flying start, North Melbourne’s resurgence, and West Coast’s streak breaking win have set the tone for what promises to be an unpredictable campaign. 

The removal of the centre bounce, the wildcard finals expansion to ten teams, and the five player interchange have fundamentally changed how the game looks and feels. 

With 22 rounds still remaining before the expanded finals series, every club has reason to believe they can push for September action.The race for the top 10 ensures fewer dead rubber matches and more meaningful football deeper into the season than ever before.