2026 AFL season

2026 AFL premiership season
Date5 March – 26 September 2026
Teams18
Attendance
Matches played21
Total attendance839,681 (39,985 per match)
Highest82,528 (Opening Round, St Kilda v Collingwood)
Updated to the end of round 2.

The 2026 AFL season is the 130th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest-level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia. The season features 18 clubs and will run from 5 March to 26 September, comprising a 23-match home-and-away season over 25 rounds, with a five-week finals series featuring the top ten clubs to occur for the first time.

Background

In October 2025, the AFL announced two major changes to be brought into the competition for the 2026 season: the substitute rule was removed in favour of a five-player interchange; and the ball would no longer be bounced in the centre of the ground by a field umpire at the start of quarters and after goals, and would be thrown up instead.[1] The removal of the centre bounce ended a tradition dating back to 1887, with AFL executive general manager of football performance Greg Swann explaining that the skill of bouncing the ball was hindering the development of umpires and that the change would allow umpires to focus more on decision-making and reduce the likelihood of players making accidental umpire contact.[1] The AFL announced seven rule changes to reduce game length by approximately three minutes:[2]

  • The 6–6–6 rule would no longer require at least one player from each team to be in the goalsquare for centre ball-ups.
  • A 'last disposal' free kick would be awarded if the ball crossed the boundary line from a disposal between the 50-metre arcs, unless a nearby player does not attempt to play the ball or blocks an opponent.[a]
  • Ruckmen would no longer be allowed to cross the centre line during centre ball-ups, intended to increase the frequency of jumping ruck contests.
  • Players taking kick-ins would only be given eight seconds to restart play, down from approximately twelve seconds.
  • Field umpires could immediately restart play at around-the-ground ball-ups if a nominated ruckman was too far away or no nomination was made, however the 'third man up' was still not allowed.[b]
  • Players who shrug a tackle would be deemed to have had prior opportunity when considering holding the ball free kicks.
  • Players inside the five-metre protected area after a mark or free kick to an opponent would be required to stand the mark and would no longer be allowed to move out of the area.

The AFL introduced a wildcard finals round, adding an extra week to the existing finals series and increasing the number of finalists from eight to ten; at the end of the home-and-away season, the seventh-placed team would host the tenth-placed team and eighth would host ninth in wildcard finals, before the remainder of the finals series would continue as per the previous final eight system.[3] The change was the first change to the AFL finals system since 2000.[4] The change was negatively received by the AFL Fans Association;[3] however, sports rights analyst Colin Smith explained that the league was protecting the value of the current $4.5 billion broadcast right deal by implementing the new system, with more finalists meaning fewer dead rubber matches later in the home-and-away season.[5]

A State of Origin match took place for the first time since 1999, with Western Australia playing Victoria at Optus Stadium in February 2026;[6] Victoria won the match by 24 points.[7]

Rules governing voting for the Brownlow Medal were changed, to provide umpires a set of player statistics prior to the lodging of votes.[8]

Coach appointments

New coach Club Date of appointment Previous coach Ref.
Josh Carr Port Adelaide 12 February 2025[c] Ken Hinkley [9]
Steven King Melbourne 12 September 2025 Simon Goodwin [10]

Club leadership

Club Coach Leadership group
Captain(s) Vice-captain(s) Other leader(s) Ref.
Adelaide Matthew Nicks[11] Jordan Dawson Ben Keays, Alex Neal-Bullen Isaac Cumming, Darcy Fogarty, Reilly O'Brien, Riley Thilthorpe [12]
Brisbane Lions Chris Fagan[11] Harris Andrews, Josh Dunkley,
Hugh McCluggage		 Oscar Allen, Will Ashcroft, Jarrod Berry, Jaspa Fletcher, Cam Rayner [13]
Carlton Michael Voss[14] Patrick Cripps Sam Walsh, Jacob Weitering [15]
Collingwood Craig McRae[11] Darcy Moore Nick Daicos, Brayden Maynard Darcy Cameron, Jamie Elliott, Isaac Quaynor, Lachie Schultz [16]
Essendon Brad Scott[17] Andrew McGrath Jye Caldwell, Sam Durham, Brayden Fiorini, Kyle Langford, Nic Martin, Mason Redman [18]
Fremantle Justin Longmuir[19] Alex Pearce Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong Jordan Clark, Jaeger O'Meara, Sam Switkowski, Josh Treacy, Hayden Young [20]
Geelong Chris Scott[11] Patrick Dangerfield Tom Stewart [21]
Gold Coast Damien Hardwick[11] Noah Anderson Sam Collins, Touk Miller Ben King, Wil Powell, Matt Rowell [22]
Greater Western Sydney Adam Kingsley[11] Toby Greene Jack Buckley, Tom Green, Connor Idun [23]
Hawthorn Sam Mitchell[24] Jai Newcombe, James Sicily [25]
Melbourne Steven King[26] Max Gawn Jack Viney [27]
North Melbourne Alastair Clarkson[28] Nick Larkey Harry Sheezel Charlie Comben, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tristan Xerri, Cameron Zurhaar [29]
Port Adelaide Josh Carr[30] Connor Rozee Zak Butters, Willem Drew Aliir Aliir, Miles Bergman, Mitch Georgiades, Jack Lukosius [31]
Richmond Adem Yze Toby Nankervis Tim Taranto Nathan Broad, Tom Lynch, Jack Ross, Jayden Short [32]
St Kilda Ross Lyon[11] Jack Sinclair, Callum Wilkie Mitch Owens, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Marcus Windhager, Mason Wood [33]
Sydney Dean Cox[11] Callum Mills Isaac Heeney [34]
West Coast Andrew McQualter[11] Liam Baker, Liam Duggan Matt Flynn, Reuben Ginbey, Jack Graham, Brandon Starcevich, Jake Waterman [35]
Western Bulldogs Luke Beveridge[11] Marcus Bontempelli Aaron Naughton, Ed Richards Bailey Dale, Matthew Kennedy, Tom Liberatore, Cody Weightman, Rhylee West [36]

Pre-season

State of Origin

Main article: 2026 AFL Origin

Starting time is local time. Source: afl.com.au

2026 AFL Origin
Saturday, 14 February (4:40 pm) Western Australia 15.11 (101) def. by Victoria 18.17 (125) Optus Stadium (crowd: 58,141)
3.1 (19)
8.4 (52)
11.6 (72)
15.11 (101)
 Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
 6.3 (39)
11.8 (74)
15.11 (101)
18.17 (125)
 Graham Moss Medal: Jesse Hogan (Greater Western Sydney)
E. J. Whitten Medal: Lachie Ash (Greater Western Sydney)
Hogan 5, C. Cameron 3, Jackson 2, Waterman 2, Bolton, Hill, Warner Goals King 4, Dangerfield 2, Greene 2, McCluggage 2, Merrett 2, Bontempelli, Butters, Daicos, Serong, Smith, Xerri
Hogan, Warner, Barrass, Hill, Baker, Bolton Best Daicos, Bontempelli, Serong, King, Butters, Ash, Stewart

Practice matches

All starting times are local time. Source: afl.com.au

Official practice matches
Wednesday, 25 February (7:10 pm) Carlton 13.8 (86) def. Geelong 11.5 (71) Ikon Park
Thursday, 26 February (4:10 pm) Sydney 14.13 (97) def. Greater Western Sydney 8.11 (59) Henson Park
Thursday, 26 February (6:10 pm) Brisbane Lions 19.12 (126) def. Gold Coast 15.11 (101) Brighton Homes Arena
Friday, 27 February (4:10 pm) Melbourne 12.6 (78) def. Richmond 6.7 (43) Mars Stadium
Friday, 27 February (7:10 pm) Western Bulldogs 18.9 (117) def. Hawthorn 11.7 (73) Mission Whitten Oval
Saturday, 28 February (3:10 pm) St Kilda 17.13 (115) def. Essendon 10.12 (72) Mars Stadium
Saturday, 28 February (3:10 pm) Fremantle 12.12 (84) def. Adelaide 9.14 (68) Lane Group Stadium
Sunday, 1 March (3:10 pm) North Melbourne 12.18 (90) def. Collingwood 14.5 (89) Mars Stadium
Sunday, 1 March (3:10 pm) West Coast 9.13 (67) def. by Port Adelaide 22.8 (140) Mineral Resources Park
  • The Melbourne v Richmond match was abandoned with 14 minutes remaining in the third quarter after play was halted twice due to nearby lightning strikes.[37]

Home-and-away season

All starting times are local time. Source: afl.com.au

Opening Round

Opening Round
Thursday, 5 March (7:30 pm) Sydney 20.12 (132) def. Carlton 10.9 (69) Sydney Cricket Ground (crowd: 40,372)
Friday, 6 March (7:05 pm) Gold Coast 19.11 (125) def. Geelong 10.9 (69) People First Stadium (crowd: 19,859)
Saturday, 7 March (4:15 pm) Greater Western Sydney 19.8 (122) def. Hawthorn 14.11 (95) Engie Stadium (crowd: 16,157)
Saturday, 7 March (6:35 pm) Brisbane Lions 15.16 (106) def. by Western Bulldogs 16.15 (111) The Gabba (crowd: 31,606)
Sunday, 8 March (7:20 pm) St Kilda 9.12 (66) def. by Collingwood 11.12 (78) Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 82,528)
Bye
  • The crowd of 82,528 for the St Kilda v Collingwood match was the largest crowd for a home-and-away match involving St Kilda.[38]

Round 1

Round 1
Thursday, 12 March (7:30 pm) Carlton 10.15 (75) def. Richmond 9.17 (71) Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 74,313)
Friday, 13 March (7:40 pm) Essendon 13.5 (83) def. by Hawthorn 21.19 (145) Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 71,384)
Saturday, 14 March (1:15 pm) Western Bulldogs 21.8 (134) def. Greater Western Sydney 7.11 (53) Marvel Stadium (crowd: 28,318)
Saturday, 14 March (4:15 pm) Geelong 16.14 (110) def. Fremantle 14.16 (100) GMHBA Stadium (crowd: 28,715)
Saturday, 14 March (7:10 pm) Sydney 15.14 (104) def. Brisbane Lions 8.12 (60) Sydney Cricket Ground (crowd: 38,128)
Saturday, 14 March (7:35 pm) Collingwood 11.13 (79) def. by Adelaide 13.15 (93) Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 62,482)
Sunday, 15 March (1:10 pm) North Melbourne 17.11 (113) def. Port Adelaide 9.13 (67) Marvel Stadium (crowd: 23,318)
Sunday, 15 March (3:15 pm) Melbourne 18.12 (120) def. St Kilda 15.17 (107) Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 44,577)
Sunday, 15 March (5:10 pm) Gold Coast 20.11 (131) def. West Coast 10.12 (72) People First Stadium (crowd: 13,309)
  • Fremantle's quarter-time score of 8.4 (52) was its highest in a match outside of Western Australia,[39] the equal-highest conceded by Geelong since 1983 and the highest conceded by Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.[40]

Round 2

Round 2
Thursday, 19 March (7:30 pm) Hawthorn 14.15 (99) def. Sydney 13.4 (82) Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 47,945)
Friday, 20 March (7:10 pm) Adelaide 13.10 (88) def. by Western Bulldogs 14.10 (94) Adelaide Oval (crowd: 49,185)
Saturday, 21 March (1:15 pm) Richmond 9.6 (60) def. by Gold Coast 19.14 (128) Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 30,468)
Saturday, 21 March (4:15 pm) Greater Western Sydney 10.14 (74) def. by St Kilda 11.12 (78) Engie Stadium (crowd: 9,149)
Saturday, 21 March (4:35 pm) Fremantle 17.16 (118) def. Melbourne 10.10 (70) Optus Stadium (crowd: 44,736)
Sunday, 22 March (2:45 pm) Port Adelaide 20.13 (133) def. Essendon 10.10 (70) Adelaide Oval (crowd: 36,049)
Sunday, 22 March (3:10 pm) West Coast 17.9 (111) def. North Melbourne 15.4 (94) Optus Stadium (crowd: 47,083)
Bye
  • The crowd of 49,185 for the Adelaide v Western Bulldogs match was the largest crowd for a home-and-away match between the two clubs.[41]
  • The start of the Greater Western Sydney v St Kilda match was delayed by 50 minutes due to nearby lightning.[42] During the match, which St Kilda won by four points, the second quarter ended with the final 29 seconds wiped from the timeclock due to a technical issue that occurred during a software update, with timekeepers unaware of the issue at the time.[43]
  • West Coast's win over North Melbourne ended a 14-match losing streak.[44]

Round 3

Round 3
Thursday, 26 March (7:30 pm) Geelong v Adelaide GMHBA Stadium
Friday, 27 March (7:40 pm) Collingwood v Greater Western Sydney Marvel Stadium
Saturday, 28 March (12:35 pm) St Kilda v Brisbane Lions Marvel Stadium
Saturday, 28 March (1:15 pm) Fremantle v Richmond Optus Stadium
Saturday, 28 March (7:35 pm) Essendon v North Melbourne Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 29 March (12:00 pm) Port Adelaide v West Coast Adelaide Oval
Sunday, 29 March (3:15 pm) Carlton v Melbourne Melbourne Cricket Ground
Bye

Round 4

Round 4
Thursday, 2 April (6:30 pm) Brisbane Lions v Collingwood The Gabba
Friday, 3 April (3:15 pm) North Melbourne v Carlton Marvel Stadium
Friday, 3 April (6:45 pm) Adelaide v Fremantle Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 4 April (4:15 pm) Richmond v Port Adelaide Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 4 April (4:35 pm) West Coast v Sydney Optus Stadium
Sunday, 5 April (3:15 pm) Melbourne v Gold Coast Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sunday, 5 April (7:20 pm) Western Bulldogs v Essendon Marvel Stadium
Monday, 6 April (3:15 pm) Hawthorn v Geelong Melbourne Cricket Ground
Bye

Round 5

Round 5 (Gather Round)
Thursday, 9 April (7:10 pm) Adelaide v Carlton Adelaide Oval
Friday, 10 April (7:10 pm) Collingwood v Fremantle Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 11 April (12:05 pm) North Melbourne v Brisbane Lions Barossa Park
Saturday, 11 April (12:45 pm) Essendon v Melbourne Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 11 April (3:45 pm) Sydney v Gold Coast Norwood Oval
Saturday, 11 April (7:05 pm) Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs Adelaide Oval
Sunday, 12 April (12:00 pm) Geelong v West Coast Norwood Oval
Sunday, 12 April (2:45 pm) Greater Western Sydney v Richmond Barossa Park
Sunday, 12 April (6:45 pm) Port Adelaide v St Kilda Adelaide Oval

Round 6

Round 6
Thursday, 16 April (7:30 pm) Carlton v Collingwood Melbourne Cricket Ground
Friday, 17 April (7:20 pm) Geelong v Western Bulldogs GMHBA Stadium
Friday, 17 April (7:50 pm) Sydney v Greater Western Sydney Sydney Cricket Ground
Saturday, 18 April (1:15 pm) Gold Coast v Essendon People First Stadium
Saturday, 18 April (4:15 pm) Hawthorn v Port Adelaide Marvel Stadium
Saturday, 18 April (7:05 pm) Adelaide v St Kilda Adelaide Oval
Sunday, 19 April (1:10 pm) North Melbourne v Richmond Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 19 April (3:15 pm) Melbourne v Brisbane Lions Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sunday, 19 April (3:10 pm) West Coast v Fremantle Optus Stadium

Round 7

Round 7 (Anzac Appeal Round)
Thursday, 23 April (7:30 pm) Western Bulldogs v Sydney Marvel Stadium
Friday, 24 April (7:40 pm) Richmond v Melbourne Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 25 April (12:15 pm) Hawthorn v Gold Coast University of Tasmania Stadium
Saturday, 25 April (3:15 pm) Essendon v Collingwood Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 25 April (6:05 pm) Port Adelaide v Geelong Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 25 April (6:15 pm) Fremantle v Carlton Optus Stadium
Sunday, 26 April (1:10 pm) St Kilda v West Coast Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 26 April (3:15 pm) Brisbane Lions v Adelaide The Gabba
Sunday, 26 April (4:40 pm) Greater Western Sydney v North Melbourne Corroboree Group Oval

Round 8

Round 8
Thursday, 30 April (7:30 pm) Collingwood v Hawthorn Melbourne Cricket Ground
Friday, 1 May (7:30 pm) Western Bulldogs v Fremantle Marvel Stadium
Friday, 1 May (7:40 pm) Adelaide v Port Adelaide Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 2 May (12:35 pm) Essendon v Brisbane Lions Marvel Stadium
Saturday, 2 May (2:15 pm) West Coast v Richmond Optus Stadium
Saturday, 2 May (4:35 pm) Geelong v North Melbourne GMHBA Stadium
Saturday, 2 May (7:35 pm) Carlton v St Kilda Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 3 May (3:15 pm) Sydney v Melbourne Sydney Cricket Ground
Sunday, 3 May (7:20 pm) Gold Coast v Greater Western Sydney People First Stadium

Round 9

Round 9
Thursday, 7 May (6:10 pm) Fremantle v Hawthorn Optus Stadium
Friday, 8 May (7:30 pm) Brisbane Lions v Carlton The Gabba
Friday, 8 May (7:40 pm) Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 9 May (12:35 pm) North Melbourne v Sydney Marvel Stadium
Saturday, 9 May (4:15 pm) Greater Western Sydney v Essendon Engie Stadium
Saturday, 9 May (6:40 pm) Gold Coast v St Kilda TIO Stadium
Saturday, 9 May (7:35 pm) Geelong v Collingwood Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sunday, 10 May (1:10 pm) Melbourne v West Coast Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 10 May (3:15 pm) Richmond v Adelaide Melbourne Cricket Ground

Round 10

Round 10 (Sir Doug Nicholls Round week 1)
Thursday, 14 May (7:30 pm) Brisbane Lions v Geelong The Gabba
Friday, 15 May (7:30 pm) Sydney v Collingwood Sydney Cricket Ground
Friday, 15 May (7:40 pm) Gold Coast v Port Adelaide TIO Stadium
Saturday, 16 May (12:45 pm) Adelaide v North Melbourne Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 16 May (4:15 pm) Melbourne v Hawthorn Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 16 May (7:35 pm) Carlton v Western Bulldogs Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 17 May (1:10 pm) Essendon v Fremantle Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sunday, 17 May (3:15 pm) St Kilda v Richmond Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 17 May (4:15 pm) West Coast v Greater Western Sydney Optus Stadium

Round 11

Round 11 (Sir Doug Nicholls Round week 2)
Thursday, 21 May (7:30 pm) Hawthorn v Adelaide University of Tasmania Stadium
Friday, 22 May (7:40 pm) Richmond v Essendon Melbourne Cricket Ground
Friday, 22 May (6:30 pm) Fremantle v St Kilda Optus Stadium
Saturday, 23 May (1:15 pm) North Melbourne v Gold Coast Marvel Stadium
Saturday, 23 May (4:15 pm) Geelong v Sydney GMHBA Stadium
Saturday, 23 May (4:35 pm) Collingwood v West Coast Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 23 May (7:05 pm) Port Adelaide v Carlton Adelaide Oval
Sunday, 24 May (12:30 pm) Greater Western Sydney v Brisbane Lions Engie Stadium
Sunday, 24 May (3:15 pm) Western Bulldogs v Melbourne Marvel Stadium

Round 12

Round 12
Thursday, 28 May (7:30 pm) St Kilda v Hawthorn Marvel Stadium
Friday, 29 May (7:40 pm) Carlton v Geelong Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 30 May (1:15 pm) Sydney v Richmond Sydney Cricket Ground
Saturday, 30 May (4:15 pm) Brisbane Lions v Fremantle The Gabba
Saturday, 30 May (7:35 pm) Western Bulldogs v Collingwood Marvel Stadium
Sunday, 31 May (2:45 pm) Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney TIO Traeger Park
Sunday, 31 May (5:20 pm) West Coast v Essendon Optus Stadium
Bye

Round 13

Round 13
Thursday, 4 June (7:00 pm) Adelaide v Geelong Adelaide Oval
Friday, 5 June (7:40 pm) Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 6 June (12:15 pm) North Melbourne v Fremantle Hands Oval
Saturday, 6 June (5:15 pm) Gold Coast v Brisbane Lions People First Stadium
Saturday, 6 June (6:15 pm) West Coast v Port Adelaide Optus Stadium
Sunday, 7 June (3:15 pm) Sydney v St Kilda Sydney Cricket Ground
Sunday, 7 June (7:20 pm) Essendon v Carlton Melbourne Cricket Ground
Monday, 8 June (3:15 pm) Collingwood v Melbourne Melbourne Cricket Ground
Bye

Round 14

Round 14
Thursday, 11 June (7:30 pm) Western Bulldogs v Adelaide Marvel Stadium
Friday, 12 June (7:40 pm) Geelong v Gold Coast GMHBA Stadium
Saturday, 13 June (1:15 pm) Melbourne v Essendon Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday, 13 June (2:15 pm) North Melbourne v West Coast Optus Stadium
Saturday, 13 June (7:05 pm) Port Adelaide v Sydney Adelaide Oval
Sunday, 14 June (1:10 pm) Richmond v Brisbane Lions Ninja Stadium
Sunday, 14 June (3:15 pm) St Kilda v Greater Western Sydney Marvel Stadium
Bye

Round 15

Round 15
Thursday, 18 June (6:10 pm) Fremantle v Geelong Optus Stadium
Friday, 19 June (7:40 pm) Gold Coast v Hawthorn People First Stadium
Saturday, 20 June (12:45 pm) Adelaide v Melbourne Adelaide Oval
Saturday, 20 June (4:15 pm) Greater Western Sydney v Carlton Engie Stadium
Saturday, 20 June (7:35 pm) Collingwood v Port Adelaide Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sunday, 21 June (1:10 pm) Richmond v North Melbourne Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sunday, 21 June (3:15 pm) St Kilda v Western Bulldogs Marvel Stadium
Bye

Round 16

Round 16
Dates and times TBC Brisbane Lions v Sydney The Gabba
Carlton v West Coast Marvel Stadium
Collingwood v Richmond Melbourne Cricket Ground
Fremantle v Gold Coast Optus Stadium
Hawthorn v Greater Western Sydney Melbourne Cricket Ground
North Melbourne v Essendon Marvel Stadium
Port Adelaide v Adelaide Adelaide Oval
Bye

Round 17

Round 17
Dates and times TBC Essendon v St Kilda Marvel Stadium
Geelong v Brisbane Lions GMHBA Stadium
Gold Coast v Collingwood People First Stadium
Greater Western Sydney v Fremantle Corroboree Group Oval
Hawthorn v Melbourne University of Tasmania Stadium
Port Adelaide v North Melbourne Adelaide Oval
Richmond v Carlton Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sydney v Western Bulldogs Sydney Cricket Ground
West Coast v Adelaide Optus Stadium

Round 18

Round 18
Dates and times TBC Adelaide v Gold Coast Adelaide Oval
Brisbane Lions v Essendon The Gabba
Carlton v Hawthorn Melbourne Cricket Ground
Collingwood v North Melbourne Marvel Stadium
Fremantle v Sydney Optus Stadium
Greater Western Sydney v Geelong Engie Stadium
Melbourne v Richmond Melbourne Cricket Ground
St Kilda v Port Adelaide Marvel Stadium
Western Bulldogs v West Coast Marvel Stadium

Round 19

Round 19
Dates and times TBC Collingwood v Carlton Melbourne Cricket Ground
Essendon v Greater Western Sydney Marvel Stadium
Geelong v St Kilda GMHBA Stadium
Gold Coast v Western Bulldogs People First Stadium
North Melbourne v Melbourne Marvel Stadium
Port Adelaide v Fremantle Adelaide Oval
Richmond v Hawthorn Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sydney v Adelaide Sydney Cricket Ground
West Coast v Brisbane Lions Optus Stadium

Round 20

Round 20
Dates and times TBC Adelaide v Collingwood Adelaide Oval
Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide The Gabba
Carlton v Gold Coast Marvel Stadium
Fremantle v West Coast Optus Stadium
Greater Western Sydney v Sydney Engie Stadium
Hawthorn v Essendon Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne v Geelong Melbourne Cricket Ground
North Melbourne v St Kilda Marvel Stadium
Western Bulldogs v Richmond Marvel Stadium

Round 21

Round 21
Dates and times TBC Carlton v Brisbane Lions Marvel Stadium
Collingwood v Geelong Melbourne Cricket Ground
Essendon v Adelaide Marvel Stadium
Fremantle v Western Bulldogs Optus Stadium
Gold Coast v Melbourne People First Stadium
Hawthorn v North Melbourne University of Tasmania Stadium
Port Adelaide v Greater Western Sydney Adelaide Oval
Richmond v West Coast Melbourne Cricket Ground
St Kilda v Sydney Marvel Stadium

Round 22

Round 22
Dates and times TBC Adelaide v Richmond Adelaide Oval
Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn The Gabba
Geelong v Essendon GMHBA Stadium
Greater Western Sydney v Gold Coast Corroboree Group Oval
Melbourne v Fremantle Melbourne Cricket Ground
St Kilda v Carlton Marvel Stadium
Sydney v Port Adelaide Sydney Cricket Ground
West Coast v Collingwood Optus Stadium
Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne Marvel Stadium

Round 23

Round 23
Dates and times TBC Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast The Gabba
Essendon v Sydney Melbourne Cricket Ground
Fremantle v Adelaide Optus Stadium
Greater Western Sydney v West Coast Engie Stadium
Hawthorn v Collingwood Melbourne Cricket Ground
North Melbourne v Geelong Marvel Stadium
Port Adelaide v Melbourne Adelaide Oval
Richmond v St Kilda Melbourne Cricket Ground
Western Bulldogs v Carlton Marvel Stadium

Round 24

Round 24
Dates and times TBC Adelaide v Greater Western Sydney Adelaide Oval
Carlton v Fremantle Marvel Stadium
Collingwood v Brisbane Lions Melbourne Cricket Ground
Essendon v Port Adelaide Marvel Stadium
Geelong v Richmond GMHBA Stadium
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs Melbourne Cricket Ground
St Kilda v Gold Coast Marvel Stadium
Sydney v North Melbourne Sydney Cricket Ground
West Coast v Hawthorn Optus Stadium

Ladder

Updated to the end of round 2.

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Gold Coast 3 3 0 0 384 201 191.0 12 Finals series
2 Western Bulldogs 3 3 0 0 339 247 137.2 12
3 Sydney 3 2 1 0 318 228 139.5 8
4 Hawthorn 3 2 1 0 339 287 118.1 8
5 Fremantle 2 1 1 0 218 180 121.1 4
6 North Melbourne 2 1 1 0 207 178 116.3 4
7 Port Adelaide 2 1 1 0 200 183 109.3 4
8 Adelaide 2 1 1 0 181 173 104.6 4
9 Collingwood 2 1 1 0 157 159 98.7 4
10 St Kilda 3 1 2 0 251 272 92.3 4
11 Melbourne 2 1 1 0 190 225 84.4 4
12 West Coast 2 1 1 0 183 225 81.3 4
13 Greater Western Sydney 3 1 2 0 249 307 81.1 4
14 Geelong 2 1 1 0 179 225 79.6 4
15 Carlton 2 1 1 0 144 203 70.9 4
16 Brisbane Lions 2 0 2 0 166 215 77.2 0
17 Richmond 2 0 2 0 131 203 64.5 0
18 Essendon 2 0 2 0 153 278 55.0 0
Source: afl.com.au
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for

Progression by round

Updated to the end of round 2.

4 Finished the round in first place 0 Finished the round in last place
4 Finished the round inside the top ten
41 Subscript indicates the ladder position at the end of the round
41 Underlined points indicate the team had a bye that round
Team O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Gold Coast 42 82 121
Western Bulldogs 45 83 122
Sydney 41 81 83
Hawthorn 08 46 84
Fremantle 0 013 45
North Melbourne 0 44 46
Port Adelaide 0 016 47
Adelaide 0 45 48
Collingwood 44 48 49
St Kilda 07 014 410
Melbourne 0 47 411
West Coast 0 018 412
Greater Western Sydney 43 410 413
Geelong 09 49 414
Carlton 010 411 415
Brisbane Lions 06 015 016
Richmond 0 012 017
Essendon 0 017 018

Source: AFL Tables

Home matches and membership

Updated to the end of round 2.

The following table includes all home match attendance figures from the home-and-away season, excluding neutral matches (Gather Round).

Team Home match attendance Membership
Hosted Total Highest Lowest Average 2025[45] 2026 Change
2025[46] 2026[47] Change
Adelaide 1 49,185 49,185 49,185 45,120 49,185 81,067
Brisbane Lions 1 31,606 31,606 31,606 30,598 31,606 75,115
Carlton 1 74,313 74,313 74,313 49,182 74,313 100,743
Collingwood 1 62,482 62,482 62,482 68,873 62,482 112,491
Essendon 1 71,384 71,384 71,384 40,034 71,384 85,568
Fremantle 1 44,736 44,736 44,736 45,758 44,736 66,179
Geelong 1 28,715 28,715 28,715 35,439 28,715 92,379
Gold Coast 2 33,168 19,859 13,309 15,679 16,584 30,107
Greater Western Sydney 2 25,306 16,157 9,149 12,026 12,653 37,705
Hawthorn 1 47,945 47,945 47,945 41,484 47,945 87,204
Melbourne 1 44,577 44,577 44,577 36,805 44,577 58,563
North Melbourne 1 23,318 23,318 23,318 25,266 23,318 56,283
Port Adelaide 1 36,049 36,049 36,049 35,556 36,049 72,656
Richmond 1 30,468 30,468 30,468 44,398 30,468 92,531
St Kilda 1 82,528 82,528 82,528 31,644 82,528 65,509
Sydney 2 78,500 40,372 38,128 34,277 39,250 76,674
West Coast 1 47,083 47,083 47,083 42,576 47,083 107,079
Western Bulldogs 1 28,318 28,318 28,318 36,764 28,318 65,584
Total/overall 21 839,681 82,528 9,149 37,306 39,985 1,363,437

Source: AFL Tables

Win–loss table

Updated to the end of round 2.

The following table can be sorted from biggest winning margin to biggest losing margin for each round. If multiple matches in a round are decided by the same margin, these margins are sorted by percentage (i.e. the lowest-scoring winning team is ranked highest and the lowest-scoring losing team is ranked lowest). Home matches are in bold, neutral matches (Gather Round) are underlined and opponents are listed above the margins.

+ Win Qualified for finals
− Loss Eliminated
X
 Bye
Team Home-and-away season Ladder Finals series
O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 F1 F2 F3 F4 GF
Adelaide X COL
+14		 WB
-6		 GEE FRE CAR STK BL PA RIC NM HAW X GEE WB MEL PA WC GC SYD COL ESS RIC FRE GWS 8
(1–1–0)
Brisbane Lions WB
–5		 SYD
–44		 X STK COL NM MEL ADE ESS CAR GEE GWS FRE GC RIC X SYD GEE ESS WC PA CAR HAW GC COL 16
(0–2–0)
Carlton SYD
–63		 RIC
+4		 X MEL NM ADE COL FRE STK BL WB PA GEE ESS X GWS WC RIC HAW COL GC BL STK WB FRE 15
(1–1–0)
Collingwood STK
+12		 ADE
–14		 X GWS BL FRE CAR ESS HAW GEE SYD WC WB MEL X PA RIC GC NM CAR ADE GEE WC HAW BL 9
(1–1–0)
Essendon X HAW
–62		 PA
–63		 NM WB MEL GC COL BL GWS FRE RIC WC CAR MEL X NM STK BL GWS HAW ADE GEE SYD PA 18
(0–2–0)
Fremantle X GEE
–10		 MEL
+48		 RIC ADE COL WC CAR WB HAW ESS STK BL NM X GEE GC GWS SYD PA WC WB MEL ADE CAR 5
(1–1–0)
Geelong GC
–56		 FRE
+10		 X ADE HAW WC WB PA NM COL BL SYD CAR ADE GC FRE X BL GWS STK MEL COL ESS NM RIC 14
(1–1–0)
Gold Coast GEE
+56		 WC
+59		 RIC
+68		 X MEL SYD ESS HAW GWS STK PA NM X BL GEE HAW FRE COL ADE WB CAR MEL GWS BL STK 1
(3–0–0)
Greater Western Sydney HAW
+27		 WB
–81		 STK
–4		 COL X RIC SYD NM GC ESS WC BL MEL X STK CAR HAW FRE GEE ESS SYD PA GC WC ADE 13
(1–2–0)
Hawthorn GWS
–27		 ESS
+62		 SYD
+17		 X GEE WB PA GC COL FRE MEL ADE STK WB X GC GWS MEL CAR RIC ESS NM BL COL WC 4
(2–1–0)
Melbourne X STK
+13		 FRE
-48		 CAR GC ESS BL RIC SYD WC HAW WB GWS COL ESS ADE X HAW RIC NM GEE GC FRE PA WB 11
(1–1–0)
North Melbourne X PA
+46		 WCE
-17		 ESS CAR BL RIC GWS GEE SYD ADE GC X FRE WC RIC ESS PA COL MEL STK HAW WB GEE SYD 6
(1–1–0)
Port Adelaide X NM
–46		 ESS
+63		 WC RIC STK HAW GEE ADE WB GC CAR X WC SYD COL ADE NM STK FRE BL GWS SYD MEL ESS 7
(1–1–0)
Richmond X CAR
–4		 GC
–68		 FRE PA GWS NM MEL WC ADE STK ESS SYD X BL NM COL CAR MEL HAW WB WC ADE STK GEE 17
(0–2–0)
St Kilda COL
–12		 MEL
–13		 GWS
+4		 BL X PA ADE WC CAR GC RIC FRE HAW SYD GWS WB X ESS PA GEE NM SYD CAR RIC GC 10
(1–2–0)
Sydney CAR
+63		 BL
+44		 HAW
-17		 X WC GC GWS WB MEL NM COL GEE RIC STK PA X BL WB FRE ADE GWS STK PA ESS NM 3
(2–1–0)
West Coast X GC
–59		 NM
+17		 PA SYD GEE FRE STK RIC MEL GWS COL ESS PA NM X CAR ADE WB BL FRE RIC COL GWS HAW 12
(1–1–0)
Western Bulldogs BL
+5		 GWS
+81		 ADE
+6		 X ESS HAW GEE SYD FRE PA CAR MEL COL HAW ADE STK X SYD WC GC RIC FRE NM CAR MEL 2
(3–0–0)

Source: AFL Tables

Milestones

Round Player/official Club Milestone
OR Isaac Heeney Sydney 300th AFL goal
Jesse Hogan Greater Western Sydney 400th AFL goal
Rory Lobb Western Bulldogs 200th AFL game
1 Blake Hardwick Hawthorn 200th AFL game
Daniel McStay Collingwood 200th AFL game
Darcy Fogarty Adelaide 200th AFL goal
Christian Salem Melbourne 200th AFL game

Source: AFL Tables

Leading goalkickers

Updated to end of round 2.

1 Led the goalkicking at the end of the round
11 Subscript indicates the player's goal tally to that point of the season
X Had a bye during that round
# Player Club Home-and-away season (Coleman Medal) Finals series Total Games Average
O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 F1 F2 F3 F4 GF
1 Ben King Gold Coast 44 59 716 16 3 5.33
2 Jack Gunston Hawthorn 44 59 413 13 3 4.33
3 Aaron Naughton Western Bulldogs 22 68 311 11 3 3.67
4 Nick Larkey North Melbourne X0 44 610 10 2 5.00
5 Joel Amartey Sydney 33 58 19 9 3 3.00
6 Marcus Bontempelli Western Bulldogs 33 36 17 7 3 2.33
Sam Darcy Western Bulldogs 22 46 17 7 3 2.33
Christian Petracca Gold Coast 33 47 07 7 3 2.33
Nick Watson Hawthorn 22 46 17 7 3 2.33
Other end-of-round leaders
Jake Stringer Greater Western Sydney 55 05 16 6 3 2.00

Source: AFL Tables

Notes

  1. ^ Consistent with the rule used in the AFL Women's (AFLW) and South Australian National Football League (SANFL)
  2. ^ Consistent with the rule used in the AFLW
  3. ^ Announcement of succession plan

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