Melbourne is finally set to get in on the AFL Opening Round action with a blockbuster likely to be scheduled for the 2026 season.
St Kilda are believed to be pushing to host Collingwood at the MCG on the Sunday night of AFL Opening Round 2026 - which is a few hours after Melbourne's Formula 1 Grand Prix finishes and the night before the Labour Day public holiday.
Several AFL clubs are interested in hosting the Melbourne-based Opening Round match but the Saints are leading the charge after a boom off-season attracting new recruits, reports Jay Clark on CODE Sports.
The AFL is currently undecided on which clubs would participate in the match, but are understood to be keen on the fixture idea, with a capacity MCG crowd likely due to F1 visitors and the public holiday eve timeslot.
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Opening Round has been played across NSW and Queensland the past two seasons and has been widely criticised for the concept of only playing in two states to start the season.
The 2025 Opening Round saw only the NSW-based matches play after a cyclone forced the postponement of the two Queensland-located contests.
When will the AFL fixture 2026 be released?
During the last two seasons, the AFL has released its fixture on the Thursday in the week before the AFL National Draft - which is scheduled for commencement on Wednesday, November 19 this year.
This means the full AFL fixture will most likely be announced around Thursday, November 13, with Opening Round and Gather Round likely to be revealed in the days before.
When does the 2026 AFL season start?
The 2026 AFL season will likely begin on Thursday, March 5 with a fixture in Opening Round that is yet to be determined.
This prediction is based on the fact the 2025 season started on Thursday, March 6 with a blockbuster between premiers Brisbane and Geelong at the Gabba.
Round 1 is likely to feature the traditional 'season opener' between Carlton and Richmond that could be scheduled on Thursday, March 12 at the MCG.