The AFL has released the fixture for the final two rounds of the 2026 home and away season, featuring the inaugural Wildcard Round and several dead rubber matches. The last Sunday of Round 24 includes Essendon versus Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, Sydney hosting North Melbourne at the SCG, and Hawthorn traveling to Optus Stadium to face West Coast.
Wildcard Round and Ladder Implications
With Sydney and Hawthorn near the top of the ladder and North Melbourne and West Coast out of Wildcard contention, upsets appear unlikely. Sydney and Hawthorn are separated by half a game due to a draw, meaning percentage will not affect their relative positions, with Sydney currently second and Hawthorn third. The AFL is banking on the Gold Coast-St Kilda clash on Thursday of Round 24 to shape the Wildcard race. If St Kilda wins, the top-10 race could effectively end early.
In Round 24, Carlton hosts ladder leader Fremantle at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, while GWS Giants face Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. These teams are all vying for Wildcard slots, but Carlton and GWS may be outsiders in what could be their final games of the season.
Finals Race and AFLW Double-Headers
Only one game separates fifth-placed Adelaide from ninth-placed Geelong, with Geelong half a game behind (but percentage clear) of eighth-placed Collingwood. Melbourne and Western Bulldogs are also in the mix. The Wildcard Round is a first for the AFL, and some believe it has diminished the drama of the top-eight race.
Four double-headers with AFLW matches will complete the final two rounds. The women's season begins with a standalone Thursday match between Hawthorn and Melbourne on August 13, followed by Fremantle versus Adelaide the next night. Double-headers include North Melbourne versus Geelong in both AFLW and AFL at Marvel Stadium on August 15, and the Kangaroos featuring again the following week when their AFL team plays Sydney after the Swans' AFLW match against Essendon.
Full Fixture for Rounds 23 and 24
Round 23
Friday, August 14: Fremantle v Adelaide, Optus Stadium, 6.10pm
Saturday, August 15: Richmond v St Kilda, MCG, 12.35pm; North Melbourne v Geelong, Marvel Stadium, 3.45pm; Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast, Gabba, 4.15pm; Hawthorn v Collingwood, MCG, 7.40pm; Port Adelaide v Melbourne, Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm
Sunday, August 16: GWS v West Coast, Engie Stadium, 1.40pm; Western Bulldogs v Carlton, Marvel Stadium, 3.15pm; Essendon v Sydney, MCG, 4.40pm
Round 24
Thursday, August 20: St Kilda v Gold Coast, Marvel Stadium, 7.30pm
Friday, August 21: Collingwood v Brisbane Lions, MCG, 7.40pm
Saturday, August 22: Carlton v Fremantle, Marvel Stadium, 1.15pm; Melbourne v Western Bulldogs, MCG, 4.15pm; Geelong v Richmond, GMHBA Stadium, 7.45pm; Adelaide v GWS, Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm
Sunday, August 23: Essendon v Port Adelaide, Marvel Stadium, 12.20pm; Sydney v North Melbourne, SCG, 3.20pm; West Coast v Hawthorn, Optus Stadium, 5.20pm
