Pour one out for 'Opening Round'... or maybe not!
The AFL's much-maligned experiment has been abandoned in favour of a March 17 start to the 2027 AFL season with a full slate of nine matches.
The 2027 season will start two weeks later than the 2026 one due in part to the unavailability of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which is hosting an historic 150th anniversary Test match between Australia and England from March 11-15.
The MCG will then have a four-day turnaround to Hawthorn's first game of the season against reigning Premiers Brisbane on a Friday night.
There will also be primetime footy on the Wednesday and Thursday evenings with the Swans and runners-up Fremantle Dockers also to host Round 1 matches, the latter at a brutally challenging time of 5:10pm.
The traditional season opener between Richmond and Carlton will still take place, but has been demoted from the season opener to a 12:35pm Saturday bounce at the MCG.
“We have listened to feedback and are pleased to be able to deliver a Round One for all our 18 clubs and fans as we bring back a traditional nine-game opening weekend across the country,” AFL chief Andrew Dillon said on Tuesday.
“The 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season was one to remember with some of the best footy of the modern era, which resulted in record crowd and broadcast numbers, and we are excited for what 2027 will bring.
“We have the best fans in the world. Their passion is unmatched and we see this Round One fixture as delivering a perfect start the season.”
AFL Round 1 Fixtures:
Sydney Swans v Geelong (Wednesday, 7:30pm local)
Fremantle v Western Bulldogs (Thursday, 5:10pm local)
Hawthorn v Brisbane (Friday, 7:40pm local)
Richmond v Carlton (Saturday, 12:35pm local)
Adelaide v GWS Giants (Saturday, 3:45pm local)
St Kilda v Collingwood (Saturday, 7:40pm local)
North Melbourne v Port Adelaide (Sunday, 1:10pm local)
Melbourne v Essendon (Sunday, 3:15pm local)
West Coast v Gold Coast Suns (Sunday, 3:10pm local)
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
