AFL 2026 Pre-Season Concludes, Opening Round Results Recorded Amidst Player Movements and Rule Changes

The Australian Football League (AFL) 2026 pre-season period concluded with various match simulations and the AAMI Community Series, followed by the initial four matches of the Opening Round and the subsequent Round 1 fixtures. These periods saw significant player movements, numerous injury updates across all 18 clubs, and the implementation of new rules. Initial match results have been recorded, and several players face suspensions following the season's commencement.

Off-Season Developments and Rule Adjustments

Clubs finalized their rosters through trades, drafts, and Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) signings. Key changes include the removal of the sub rule, allowing five players on the bench, and new ruck rules prohibiting rucks from crossing the center line before engaging an opponent. This rule change was observed in various pre-season games, influencing team strategies.

• Adelaide Crows acquired Callum Ah Chee and Finnbar Maley. Matt Crouch and Brodie Smith retired. Coach Matthew Nicks received a contract extension.
• Brisbane Lions gained Oscar Allen and Sam Draper but saw Callum Ah Chee depart. Lachie Neale stepped down as captain.
• Carlton Blues added Ben Ainsworth, Oliver Florent, and Will Hayward. Charlie Curnow moved to Sydney, and Sam Docherty retired.
• Collingwood Magpies traded Brody Mihocek and acquired Jack Buller. Craig McRae signed a two-year contract extension.
• Essendon Bombers gained Brayden Fiorini. Sam Draper departed for Brisbane, and Zach Merrett stepped down as captain, with Andrew McGrath taking over. Nic Martin was ruled out for the season.
• Fremantle Dockers signed Mason Cox and Judd McVee. Nat Fyfe, James Aish, and Michael Walters retired. Alex Pearce retained captaincy.
• Geelong Cats recruited James Worpel and signed Chris Scott to a three-year extension. Mitch Duncan and Cam Guthrie retired.
• Gold Coast Suns acquired Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. Ben Ainsworth, Brayden Fiorini, and Sam Flanders moved to other clubs.
• GWS Giants added Clayton Oliver and Jayden Laverde. Callan Ward retired.
• Hawthorn Hawks appointed Jai Newcombe and James Sicily as co-captains. James Worpel moved to Geelong, and Luke Breust retired.
• Melbourne Demons gained Jack Steele, Brody Mihocek, and Changkuoth Jiath. Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca were traded. Max Gawn sustained a fractured finger.
• North Melbourne Kangaroos acquired Charlie Spargo. Nick Larkey was appointed captain, replacing Jy Simpkin.
• Port Adelaide Power recruited Will Brodie, Corey Durdin, and Jacob Wehr. Travis Boak and Willie Rioli jnr retired. Josh Carr became the new coach.
• Richmond Tigers signed Sam Cumming, Samuel Grlj, and Patrick Retschko. Thomson Dow and Kamdyn McIntosh departed. Adem Yze signed a two-year extension.
• St Kilda Saints acquired Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Sam Flanders, and Liam Ryan. Jack Steele moved to Melbourne, and Mitch Duncan retired. Lenny Hayes became football boss.
• Sydney Swans gained Charlie Curnow, Malcolm Rosas jnr, and Jai Serong. Oliver Florent and Will Hayward departed.
• West Coast Eagles recruited Willem Duursma, Cooper Duff-Tytler, and Harry Schoenberg. Oscar Allen moved to Brisbane, and Jeremy McGovern retired.
• Western Bulldogs acquired Connor Budarick. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan moved to Gold Coast, and Liam Jones retired.

• Most Challenging Starts (Lower Difficulty Score): Western Bulldogs (5.7), St Kilda (7.2), Collingwood (7.3), Adelaide (7.5), Sydney (7.8), Geelong (8.3), Melbourne (8.8).
• Most Manageable Starts (Higher Difficulty Score): Port Adelaide (13.7), Gold Coast (12.7), North Melbourne (12.5), Brisbane (10.7), Carlton (10.8), Essendon (10.3), Richmond (10.2).

Pre-Season Match Simulations and AAMI Community Series Results

All matches in the AAMI Community Series were broadcast on Kayo and Foxtel.

• Hawthorn 111 defeated Geelong 94 (Match Simulation, Feb 16):
  • Hawthorn: Josh Ward, Connor Macdonald, Dylan Moore (2 goals), Nick Watson (2 goals), Flynn Perez (1 goal), Jarman Impey, James Sicily, Mitch Lewis (2 goals), Aidan Schubert (1 goal) were noted. Calsher Dear sustained a rib blow but returned.
  • Geelong: Jay Polkinghorne (3 goals), Shannon Neale (4 goals), Ollie Henry (3 goals), Jhye Clark, Ollie Dempsey were noted. James Worpel played his first game for Geelong. Jeremy Cameron (quad strain), Tyson Stengle (unavailable), Tanner Bruhn (illness), Zach Guthrie (illness) were absent.
• Sydney 99 defeated Western Bulldogs 66 (Match Simulation, Feb 19):
  • Sydney: Charlie Curnow (4 goals), Malcolm Rosas (2 goals) were noted. Co-captains Isaac Heeney and Callum Mills played.
  • Western Bulldogs: Arty Jones (3 goals) and Will Lewis (2 goals) were noted. Ryley Sanders played following hamstring issues.
• St Kilda 107 defeated Gold Coast 36 (Match Simulation, Feb 19):
  • St Kilda: Max Hall (4 goals) and Jack Higgins (3 goals) were notable. Recruits Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Sam Flanders, and Liam Ryan made their debuts. Jack Silvagni sustained a concussion.
  • Gold Coast: Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan made their debuts. David Swallow and Alex Sexton participated.
• Carlton 103 defeated Brisbane 88 (Match Simulation, Feb 18):
  • Carlton: Talor Byrne (3 goals), Jagga Smith (1 goal), Ben Ainsworth (4 goals), Will Hayward (2 goals), Harry Dean, and Wade Derksen were noted. Adam Cerra sustained a hamstring injury.
  • Brisbane: Oscar Allen (1 goal), Keidean Coleman (1 goal), Lincoln McCarthy, and Conor McKenna (2 goals) were noted.
• Essendon 118 defeated Richmond 68 (Match Simulation, Feb 20):
  • Essendon: Darcy Parish (2 goals), Hussien El Achkar (2 goals), and Nate Caddy (4 goals) were notable. Draftees Jacob Farrow and Dyson Sharp made their debuts.
  • Richmond: Sam Lalor, Sam Grlj, and Sam Cumming were noted. Sam Cumming sustained a shoulder injury.
• Adelaide 94 defeated Port Adelaide 75 (Match Simulation, Feb 20):
  • Adelaide: Riley Thilthorpe (5 goals) and Jordan Dawson were notable.
  • Port Adelaide: Todd Marshall played in defense.
• Melbourne 129 defeated North Melbourne 49 (Match Simulation, Feb 20):
  • Melbourne: Kysaiah Pickett (5 goals), Jack Steele, Brody Mihocek (2 goals), Luker Kentfield (3 goals), Latrelle Pickett (1 goal), and Caleb Windsor were noted. Brody Mihocek sustained a concussion.
  • North Melbourne: Nick Larkey (2 goals) and Jack Darling (2 goals) were notable. Tristan Xerri experienced challenges with new ruck rules.
• Fremantle 81 defeated West Coast 53 (Match Simulation, Feb 21):
  • Fremantle: Jye Amiss (4 goals), Pat Voss (3 goals), Luke Jackson, Mason Cox, Judd McVee, and Chris Scerri made their debuts. Brennan Cox exited due to a calf knock.
  • West Coast: Willem Duursma (1 goal), Cooper Duff-Tytler, and Josh Lindsay made their debuts. Noah Long sustained a leg injury. Harry Edwards entered concussion protocols.
• Carlton 86 defeated Geelong 71 (AAMI Community Series, Feb 25):
  • Carlton: Jagga Smith, Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps (1 goal), Ollie Hollands (1 goal), Zac Williams, and Elijah Hollands (2 goals) were noted.
  • Geelong: Jack Martin (3 goals), Max Holmes (1 goal), Lawson Humphries, Tanner Bruhn, and Patrick Dangerfield (1 goal) were noted.
• Sydney 97 defeated GWS 59 (AAMI Community Series, Feb 26):
  • Sydney: Isaac Heeney (1 goal), Angus Sheldrick, Chad Warner, Justin McInerney (1 goal), and Charlie Curnow (2 goals) were noted. Errol Gulden sustained an ankle injury but was anticipated to be available for Opening Round.
  • GWS: Clayton Oliver (1 goal) made his debut. Toby Greene, Jesse Hogan (2 goals), Harry Rowston, and Jayden Laverde were noted. Nick Madden may face MRO scrutiny. Jesse Hogan sustained an early ankle injury but returned.
• Melbourne 78 defeated Richmond 43 (AAMI Community Series, Feb 27, abandoned):
  • The match was abandoned in the third quarter due to lightning. Melbourne led by 35 points.
  • Melbourne: Jacob van Rooyen (3 goals), Caleb Windsor, Max Gawn, Jack Steele, and Latrelle Pickett (1 goal) were noted. Luker Kentfield sustained a knee injury.
  • Richmond: Tom Lynch (2 goals) and Jayden Short were noted. Sam Cumming sustained a shoulder injury.
• Western Bulldogs defeated Hawthorn by 44 points (AAMI Community Series, Feb 27):
  • Western Bulldogs: Jordan Croft (3 goals) and Arty Jones (3 goals) were noted. Ryley Sanders was concussed.
  • Hawthorn: Jai Newcombe was noted. Cam Mackenzie sustained a head knock. Hawthorn converted 20.8% of 53 inside 50s.
• Fremantle 84 defeated Adelaide 68 (AAMI Community Series, Feb 28):
  • Fremantle: Murphy Reid (30 disposals), Josh Treacy (5 goals), Luke Jackson, and Mason Cox were notable. Jye Amiss sustained an ankle concern but returned.
  • Adelaide: Charlie Edwards (17 disposals) was notable. Riley Thilthorpe was absent due to back soreness.
• North Melbourne 90 defeated Collingwood 89 (AAMI Community Series, Mar 1):
  • North Melbourne: Lachy Dovaston (3 goals), Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tom Blamires (24 disposals), Cooper Trembath (2 goals), and Nick Larkey (3 goals) were notable.
  • Collingwood: Dan McStay (3 goals), Charlie West (2 goals), Jack Buller (2 goals), Harry Perryman (1 goal), Lachie Schultz (1 goal), Beau McCreery (1 goal), Oscar Steene (1 goal), Harry Hayes (1 goal), Ed Allan (1 goal), and Joel Cochrane (1 goal) were notable. Collingwood fielded a youthful team with several key players rested.
• Port Adelaide 140 defeated West Coast 67 (AAMI Community Series, Mar 1):
  • Port Adelaide: Zak Butters (36 disposals, 2 goals), Connor Rozee (33 disposals), Mitch Georgiades (6 goals), and Jack Whitlock (2 goals) were notable.
  • West Coast: Josh Lindsay (22 disposals, 1 goal), Jacob Newton (2 goals), and Matt Owies (2 goals) were notable. Harry Edwards entered concussion protocols.

Opening Round 2026 Results (March 5-8)

• Sydney 132 defeated Carlton 69 (March 5):
  • Sydney: Charlie Curnow (3 goals), Matt Roberts (2 goals), Justin McInerney, Logan McDonald, Isaac Heeney, and Errol Gulden were noted. Charlie Curnow, Malcolm Rosas jnr, and Jai Serong made their club debuts. Isaac Heeney was cleared after a concussion test.
  • Carlton: Marc Pittonet (3 goals), Brodie Kemp (1 goal), and Jagga Smith (debut) were noted. Adam Saad exited due to hamstring tightness. Jagga Smith and Harry Dean made their AFL debuts. Will Hayward, Ollie Florent, Ben Ainsworth, Campbell Chesser, and Liam Reidy made their club debuts. Jacob Weitering played after recovering from a rib fracture.
• Gold Coast 125 defeated Geelong 69 (March 6):
  • Gold Coast: Christian Petracca (34 disposals, 3 goals, 6 clearances) made his debut. Bailey Humphrey (4 goals), Ben King (4 goals), John Noble (2 goals), and Touk Miller (1 goal) were noted.
  • Geelong: Ollie Dempsey (4 goals) and Tanner Bruhn (31 disposals) were noted. Jeremy Cameron (quad) and Patrick Dangerfield (calf) were absent.
• GWS 122 defeated Hawthorn 95 (March 7):
  • GWS: Jake Stringer (5 goals), Phoenix Gothard (debut, 1 goal), Clayton Oliver (debut, 27 touches, 9 clearances), Jesse Hogan (3 goals), and Jake Riccardi (3 goals) were noted. Finn Callaghan (26 disposals) also contributed.
  • Hawthorn: Jack Gunston (4 goals), Ben Butler (2 goals), Mabior Chol (2 goals), Jack Ginnivan (2 goals), Nick Watson (2 goals), Lloyd Meek (1 goal), and Mitch Lewis (1 goal) were noted. Jai Newcombe, James Sicily, Josh Weddle, Nick Watson, and Josh Ward were noted performers.
• Western Bulldogs 111 defeated Brisbane 106 (March 7):
  • Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli, Aaron Naughton, Tim English, and Ed Richards played. Sam Darcy and Bailey Dale played after overcoming injury concerns.
  • Brisbane: Cam Rayner played.

Round 1 2026 Results (March 12-15)

• Carlton 86 defeated Richmond 71 (March 12):
  • Carlton: Jagga Smith, Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps, Ollie Hollands, Zac Williams, and Elijah Hollands were noted. Lachie Cowan, Matt Carroll, and Hudson O’Keeffe returned. Adam Saad (hamstring) was absent.
  • Richmond: Sam Grlj (debut) and Noah Balta played. Nick Vlastuin (ankle) was unavailable. Tom Lynch (2 goals) was noted. Richmond recorded 9.17 inaccuracy.
• Hawthorn 145 defeated Essendon 83 (March 13):
  • Hawthorn: Jack Gunston (5 goals), Nick Watson (4 goals), Connor Macdonald (2 goals), Ned Reeves (2 goals), Josh Weddle (2 goals), Mabior Chol, Massimo D'Ambrosio, Dylan Moore, Conor Nash, Jack Ginnivan, and Jai Newcombe (1 goal each) were noted.
  • Essendon: Zach Merrett (32 disposals, 1 goal), Xavier Duursma (2 goals), and Dyson Sharp (2 goals) were noted.
• Western Bulldogs 134 defeated GWS 53 (March 14):
  • Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli (33 disposals, 3 goals), Aaron Naughton (6 goals), Sam Darcy (4 goals), Matthew Kennedy (27 disposals), Tom Liberatore (29 disposals), Tim English, and Buku Khamis were notable. Will Lewis sustained a head injury but passed a concussion test.
  • GWS: Toby Greene (26 disposals) and Clayton Oliver (26 disposals) were notable. Harry Himmelberg sustained a chin injury but passed a concussion test.
• Adelaide 93 defeated Collingwood 79 (March 14):
  • Adelaide: Riley Thilthorpe (3 goals), Josh Worrell (27 disposals), Wayne Milera (34 disposals), and Jake Soligo (1 goal) were notable.
  • Collingwood: Dan Houston (32 disposals), Nick Daicos (33 disposals, 2 goals), and Scott Pendlebury were notable. Collingwood's key defenders Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe were absent.

Post-Opening Round and Round 1 Developments

• Brisbane Lions: Co-captain Harris Andrews received a three-week suspension for high contact (careless, high, severe) on Western Bulldogs player Arty Jones, resulting in concussion. Zac Bailey received a one-game ban for an elbow to the head of Michael Sellwood (intentional, low impact, high contact). Darcy Gardiner received a one-game ban for high contact on Aaron Naughton (careless, medium impact, high contact). Hugh McCluggage sustained a minor calf strain, expected to miss one week.
• Carlton Blues: Adam Saad will miss approximately one month due to a hamstring injury sustained in the Opening Round.
• Western Bulldogs: Ryley Sanders will miss Round 1 due to concussion sustained in a pre-season match.
• West Coast Eagles: Harry Edwards entered concussion protocols during the AAMI Community Series. Noah Long sustained a leg injury in a pre-season match.

• Brisbane Lions: Sam Draper (foot soreness) and Noah Answerth (Achilles) are anticipated to return for subsequent matches.
• Geelong Cats: Jeremy Cameron (quad) and Patrick Dangerfield (calf) were available for Round 1 after missing Opening Round.
• Hawthorn Hawks: Tom Barrass (back) was available for Round 1. Cam Mackenzie missed Round 1 due to concussion.
• Port Adelaide Power: Miles Bergman (foot) was available for Round 1. Jack Lukosius (groin) was a test for Round 1. Ollie Wines was suspended for Round 3.
• Richmond Tigers: Noah Balta (hamstring) was available for Round 1. Nick Vlastuin (ankle) was unavailable for Round 1.
• St Kilda Saints: Jack Silvagni (concussion) was expected to clear protocols for Round 1. Rowan Marshall missed Round 1 due to concussion.
• Western Bulldogs: Sam Darcy (hip/groin soreness) and Bailey Dale (knee soreness) were available for Round 1. Adam Treloar (calf) and Cody Weightman (knee) remained sidelined.
• West Coast Eagles: Liam Baker missed Round 1 due to suspension. Liam Duggan (concussion), Reuben Ginbey (toe), Brandon Starcevich (calf), Jack Graham (hamstring), and Tim Kelly (hamstring) were unavailable for the AAMI Community Series match.