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AFL Teams: Opening Round

Updated
Christian Petracca is one of the high-profile movers who will be under the spotlight in Opening Round
Christian Petracca is one of the high-profile movers who will be under the spotlight in Opening RoundBRADLEY KANARIS / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The matchday squads for the first week of the 2026 AFL season have been announced.

Sydney Swans v Carlton Blues (Thursday, 7:30pm)

Sydney: Charlie Curnow, Jai Serong and Malcolm Rosas will make their club debuts. 

FB: Callum Mills, Tom McCartin, Dane Rampe

HB: Lewis Melican, Nick Blakey, Jai Serong

C: Riley Bice, Justin McInerney, Matthew Roberts

HF: Malcolm Rosas, James Rowbottom, Jake Lloyd

FF: Joel Amartey, Charlie Curnow, Isaac Heeney

R: Brodie Grundy, Errol Gulden, Chad Warner

(IC: Sam Wicks, Angus Sheldrick, James Jordon, Tom Papley, Logan McDonald)

(EMG: Corey Warner, Peter Ladhams, Hayden McLean)

Carlton: Oliver Florent, Campbell Chesser, Ben Ainsworth, Will Hayward, Jagga Smith, Harry Dean and Liam Reidy will make their club debuts. 

FB: Zac Williams, Jacob Weitering, Lewis Young

HB: Adam Saad, Mitch McGovern, Oliver Florent

C: Elijah Hollands, Patrick Cripps, Campbell Chesser

HF: Ben Ainsworth, Harry McKay, Will Hayward

FF: Jagga Smith, Brodie Kemp, Ashton Moir

R: Marc Pittonet, Sam Walsh, Oliver Hollands

(IC: Harry Dean, Cooper Lord, George Hewett, Lachie Fogarty, Liam Reidy)

(EMG: Talor Byrne, Hudson O'Keeffe, Jordan Boyd)

Gold Coast Suns v Geelong Cats (Friday, 8:05pm AEDT)

Gold Coast: Zeke Uwland and Christian Petracca will make club debuts. Bodhi Uwland will play his 50th game and Sam Collins his 150th.

FB: Mac Andrew, Bodhi Uwland, Sam Collins

HB: John Noble, Daniel Rioli, Joel Jeffrey

C: Lachie Weller, Wil Powell, Sam Clohesy

HF: Christian Petracca, Bailey Humphrey, Will Graham

FF: Ethan Read, Ben King, Leo Lombard

R: Jarrod Witts, Noah Anderson, Touk Miller

(IC: Alex Davies, Ben Long, Zeke Uwland, Oscar Adams, Jy Farrar)

(EMG: Ned Moyle, Lachlan Gulbin, Caleb Graham)

Geelong: James Worpel will make his club debut.

FB: Connor O'Sullivan, Sam De Koning, Jack Henry

HB: Zach Guthrie, Tom Stewart, Lawson Humphries

C: Oliver Dempsey, Max Holmes, Mark O'Connor

HF: Bradley Close, Shaun Mannagh, Gryan Miers

FF: Oliver Henry, Shannon Neale, Jack Martin

R: Mark Blicavs, Tom Atkins, Bailey Smith

(IC: Tanner Bruhn, Oisin Mullin, Mitch Knevitt, James Worpel, Jhye Clark)

(EMG: Jay Polkinghorne, Lennox Hofmann, Mitchell Edwards)

GWS Giants v Hawthorn Hawks (Saturday, 4:15pm AEDT)

GWS: Phoenix Gothard, Clayton Oliver and Jayden Laverde will make their club debuts. 

FB: Jayden Laverde, Jack Buckley, Connor Idun

HB: Joe Fonti, Lachie Whitfield, Lachie Ash

C: Ryan Angwin, Clayton Oliver, Harvey Thomas

HF: Phoenix Gothard, Jake Riccardi, Josaia Delana

FF: Toby Greene, Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer

R: Kieren Briggs, Stephen Coniglio, Finn Callaghan

(IC: Harry Himmelberg, Harry Rowston, Xavier O'Halloran, Callum Brown, Max Gruzewski)

(EMG: James Leake, Nick Madden, Oliver Hannaford)

Hawthorn: Josh Battle will play his 150th game.

FB: Blake Hardwick, Thomas Barrass, Jack Scrimshaw

HB: Josh Battle, James Sicily, Josh Weddle

C: Dylan Moore, Conor Nash, Jarman Impey

HF: Finn Maginness, Jack Ginnivan, Nick Watson

FF: Mitchell Lewis, Mabior Chol, Jack Gunston

R: Lloyd Meek, Jai Newcombe, Josh Ward

(IC: Connor MacDonald, Harry Morrison, Massimo D'Ambrosio, Sam Butler, Karl Amon)

(EMG: Flynn Perez, Noah Mraz, Ned Reeves)

Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs (Saturday, 7:35pm AEDT)

Brisbane: Zane Zakostelsky and Oscar Allen will make their club debuts. 

FB: Keidean Coleman, Darcy Gardiner, Ryan Lester

HB: Darcy Wilmot, Harris Andrews, Dayne Zorko

C: Jaspa Fletcher, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry

HF: Charlie Cameron, Oscar Allen, Zac Bailey

FF: Will Ashcroft, Logan Morris, Ty Gallop

R: Darcy Fort, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Neale

(IC: Kai Lohmann, Levi Ashcroft, Cameron Rayner, Zane Zakostelsky, Bruce Reville)

(EMG: Lincoln McCarthy, Dan Annable, Darragh Joyce)

Western Bulldogs: Lachie Jaques, Connor Budarick and Michael Sellwood will make their club debuts. Rory Lobb will play his 200th game.

FB: Rory Lobb, Buku Khamis, Lachie Jaques

HB: Lachlan Bramble, James O'Donnell, Connor Budarick

C: Bailey Williams, Marcus Bontempelli, Sam Davidson

HF: Joel Freijah, Sam Darcy, Cooper Hynes

FF: Tom Liberatore, Aaron Naughton, Jordan Croft

R: Tim English, Matthew Kennedy, Ed Richards

(IC: Michael Sellwood, Oskar Baker, Rhylee West, Arthur Jones, Bailey Dale)

(EMG: Harvey Gallagher, Will Lewis, Luke Kennedy)

St Kilda Saints v Collingwood Magpies (Sunday, 7:20pm AEDT)

St Kilda: Liam Ryan, Sam Flanders, Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni will make their club debuts. 

FB: Jack Silvagni, Callum Wilkie, Anthony Caminiti

HB: Alixzander Tauru, Bradley Hill, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera

C: Marcus Windhager, Max Hall, Darcy Wilson

HF: Mattaes Phillipou, Hugh Boxshall, Mitchito Owens

FF: Rowan Marshall, Cooper Sharman, Jack Higgins

R: Tom De Koning, Sam Flanders, Jack Sinclair

(IC: Jack Macrae, Jack Carroll, Liam Ryan, Mason Wood, Hugo Garcia)

(EMG: Liam Stocker, Isaac Keeler, Charlie Banfield)

Collingwood: Jack Buller will make his club debut. 

FB: Billy Frampton, Isaac Quaynor, Brayden Maynard

HB: Dan Houston, Josh Daicos, Harry Perryman

C: Wil Parker, Nick Daicos, Roan Steele

HF: Lachlan Schultz, Steele Sidebottom, Beau McCreery

FF: Tim Membrey, Jamie Elliott, Daniel McStay

R: Darcy Cameron, Jack Crisp, Jordan De Goey

(IC: Patrick Lipinski, Scott Pendlebury, Edward Allan, Jack Buller, Ned Long)

(EMG: Oscar Steene, Joel Cochran, Lachie Sullivan)

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