Another seven rounds of the 2026 AFL fixture have been released, with two flag fancies to feature most prominently in prime time, while much-improved North Melbourne will be unleashed under the bright lights.
AFL fans can officially plan their activities between late June and early August after the league on Thursday released dates and start times for Rounds 16 to 22. See the round-by-round fixture below — and the original fixture here!
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Times and dates for Round 23 and 24 will be confirmed later in the 2026 season.
All home and away games will be live on Fox Footy — via Foxtel and Kayo Sports — with Fox Footy commentary and graphics available on every match. Fox Footy remains the home of Super Saturday LIVE.
Eleven games between Rounds 16 and 22 will be exclusively live nationally on Fox Footy, including five games featuring Hawthorn and four including Richmond.
FOX FOOTY EXCLUSIVELY LIVE NATIONALLY GAMES (times AST)
Round 16: Collingwood v Richmond (4.15pm)
Round 17: Hawthorn v Melbourne (1.15pm)
Round 17: Richmond v Carlton (7.35pm)
Round 18: Carlton v Hawthorn (7.35pm)
Round 19: North Melbourne v Melbourne (4.15pm)
Round 19: Collingwood v Carlton (7.35pm)
Round 19: Richmond v Hawthorn (Sunday — 1.10pm)
Round 20: Hawthorn v Essendon (4.15pm)
Round 20: Western Bulldogs v Richmond (7.40pm)
Round 21: Hawthorn v North Melbourne (1.35pm)
Round 22: Geelong Cats v Essendon (4.35pm)
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The Hawks were also handed two games across the Thursday and Friday night timeslots, which have been dominated by Sydney and Geelong.
The Swans, who are second in the premiership favourite market, feature in four prime time games — two on Thursday nights and two on Friday nights — as part of the latest fixture release. The Cats have been locked in for three Thursday night matches, as well as a Friday night clash at the MCG against Melbourne, which has emerged as a shock finals contender this year.
Fremantle, Western Bulldogs, Brisbane Lions, Adelaide Crows and Collingwood have all been scheduled into three prime time games.
One of the Magpies’ clashes will be in Round 18 on a Friday night against the Kangaroos. It’s one of two prime time matches for North, which will also face the Western Bulldogs on a Thursday night in Round 22. Excluding Good Friday twilight matches and a unique Gather Round timeslot in 2024, the Roos’ clash with Collingwood will be their first prime time Friday night match since Round 8, 2022 and just their second this decade.
Finals contender Gold Coast wasn’t given a Thursday or Friday fixture, along with Carlton, Essendon, Port Adelaide and Richmond. The Blues, who are 1-8, were slotted into seven prime time games across Opening Round to Round 15.
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PRIME TIME KINGS
Thursday night and Friday night timeslots between Rounds 16 and 22
4: Sydney Swans, Geelong
3: Fremantle, Western Bulldogs, Brisbane Lions, Adelaide Crows, Collingwood
2: North Melbourne, Hawthorn, West Coast Eagles
1: St Kilda, GWS Giants, Melbourne
0: Carlton, Essendon, Gold Coast Suns, Port Adelaide, Richmond
After scheduling six Friday double-headers across the first 15 rounds, the AFL has added another two for the next seven rounds. In Round 20, the Demons-Cats clash will start 30 minutes before the second western derby of the season, with Fremantle to host West Coast at Optus Stadium.
The AFL said its main reasoning for scheduling Friday double-headers was to “manage breaks between matches for clubs, while maximising prime time audiences and crowd outcomes for local fanbases”.
AFL Head of Strategy and Scheduling Josh Bowler said when finalising the second half of the fixture, the league’s priority was to “deliver the best prime time football to our fans right across the country as we build momentum ahead of the finals series”.
FULL AFL FIXTURE 2026: ROUND 16-24
Note: All times AEST
ROUND 16
Thursday June 25
Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans, The Gabba (7.30pm)
Friday June 26
Hawthorn v GWS Giants, MCG (7.40pm)
Saturday June 27
Carlton v West Coast Eagles, Marvel Stadium (1.15pm)
Collingwood v Richmond, MCG (4.15pm)
Port Adelaide v Adelaide Crows, Adelaide Oval (7.35pm)
Sunday June 28
North Melbourne v Essendon, Marvel Stadium (3.15pm)
Fremantle v Gold Coast Suns, Optus Stadium (5.10pm)
Byes: Geelong Cats, Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs
ROUND 17
Thursday July 2
Geelong Cats v Brisbane Lions, GMHBA Stadium (7.30pm)
Friday July 3
Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs, SCG (7.40pm)
West Coast Eagles v Adelaide Crows, Optus Stadium (8.10pm)
Saturday July 4
Hawthorn v Melbourne, UTAS Stadium (1.15pm)
GWS Giants v Fremantle, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka (1.35pm)
Gold Coast Suns v Collingwood, People First Stadium (4.15pm)
Richmond v Carlton, MCG (7.35pm)
Sunday July 5
Essendon v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium (3.15pm)
Port Adelaide v North Melbourne, Adelaide Oval (4.40pm)
ROUND 18
Thursday July 9
Fremantle v Sydney Swans, Optus Stadium (8.10pm)
Friday July 10
Collingwood v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium (7.40pm)
Saturday July 11
St Kilda v Port Adelaide, Marvel Stadium (1.15pm)
GWS Giants v Geelong Cats, ENGIE Stadium (4.15pm)
Carlton v Hawthorn, MCG (7.35pm)
Adelaide Crows v Gold Coast Suns, Adelaide Oval (8.10pm)
Sunday July 12
Western Bulldogs v West Coast Eagles, Marvel Stadium (1.10pm)
Melbourne v Richmond, MCG (3.15pm)
Brisbane Lions v Essendon, The Gabba (4.40pm)
ROUND 19
Thursday July 16
Geelong Cats v St Kilda, GMHBA Stadium (7.30pm)
Friday July 17
Sydney Swans v Adelaide Crows, SCG (7.40pm)
Saturday July 18
Port Adelaide v Fremantle, Adelaide Oval (1.15pm)
North Melbourne v Melbourne, Marvel Stadium (4.15pm)
Collingwood v Carlton, MCG (7.35pm)
West Coast Eagles v Brisbane Lions, Optus Stadium (8.10pm)
Sunday July 19
Richmond v Hawthorn, MCG (1.10pm)
Gold Coast Suns v Western Bulldogs, People First Stadium (3.15pm)
Essendon v GWS Giants, Marvel Stadium (4.40pm)
ROUND 20
Thursday July 23
Adelaide Crows v Collingwood, Adelaide Oval (7.30pm)
Friday July 24
Melbourne v Geelong Cats, MCG (7.40pm)
Fremantle v West Coast Eagles, Optus Stadium (8.10pm)
Saturday July 25
Carlton v Gold Coast Suns, Marvel Stadium (1.05pm)
Hawthorn v Essendon, MCG (4.15pm)
GWS Giants v Sydney Swans, ENGIE Stadium (4.35pm)
Western Bulldogs v Richmond, Marvel Stadium (7.40pm)
Sunday July 26
Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide, The Gabba (1.10pm)
North Melbourne v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium (3.15pm)
ROUND 21
Thursday July 30
Collingwood v Geelong Cats, MCG (7.30pm)
Friday July 31
Fremantle v Western Bulldogs, Optus Stadium (8.10pm)
Saturday August 1
St Kilda v Sydney Swans, Marvel Stadium (1.05pm)
Hawthorn v North Melbourne, UTAS Stadium (1.35pm)
Port Adelaide v GWS Giants, Adelaide Oval (6.35pm)
Carlton v Brisbane Lions, Marvel Stadium (7.40pm)
Sunday August 2
Richmond v West Coast Eagles, MCG (1.10pm)
Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne, People First Stadium (3.15pm)
Essendon v Adelaide Crows, Marvel Stadium (4.40pm)
ROUND 22
Thursday August 6
Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium (7.30pm)
Friday August 7
Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn, The Gabba (7.40pm)
Saturday August 8
Melbourne v Fremantle, MCG (1.15pm)
Sydney Swans v Port Adelaide, SCG (4.15pm)
Geelong Cats v Essendon, GMHBA Stadium (4.35pm)
Adelaide Crows v Richmond, Adelaide Oval (7.35pm)
Sunday August 9
GWS Giants v Gold Coast Suns, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka (1.10pm)
West Coast Eagles v Collingwood, Optus Stadium (4.10pm)
St Kilda v Carlton, Marvel Stadium (7.20pm)
ROUND 23 (dates and times TBC)
Thursday August 13 – Sunday August 16
Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast Suns, The Gabba
Essendon v Sydney Swans, MCG
Fremantle v Adelaide Crows, Optus Stadium
GWS Giants v West Coast Eagles, ENGIE Stadium
Hawthorn v Collingwood, MCG
North Melbourne v Geelong Cats, Marvel Stadium
Port Adelaide v Melbourne, Adelaide Oval
Richmond v St Kilda, MCG
Western Bulldogs v Carlton, Marvel Stadium
ROUND 24 (dates and times TBC)
Thursday August 20 – Sunday August 23
Adelaide Crows v GWS Giants, Adelaide Oval
Collingwood v Brisbane Lions, MCG
Carlton v Fremantle, Marvel Stadium
Essendon v Port Adelaide, Marvel Stadium
Geelong Cats v Richmond, GMHBA Stadium
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs, MCG
St Kilda v Gold Coast Suns, Marvel Stadium
Sydney Swans v North Melbourne, SCG
West Coast Eagles v Hawthorn, Optus Stadium
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