The Australian Football League has ignited a fierce debate among fans with its early fixture announcements for the 2026 season, showing a continued preference for the Carlton Blues in prime-time slots despite their recent on-field performances.
Carlton's Coveted 2026 Fixture Slots
In an extraordinary show of faith, the Victorian team is set to open the 2026 AFL season with a Thursday night clash against the Sydney Swans at the SCG on March 5 in what's known as Opening Round. This follows the revelation that Carlton will also kick off the highly popular Gather Round in South Australia with a primetime Thursday night match against the Adelaide Crows at Adelaide Oval.
Adding to their prized scheduling, the Blues will maintain their traditional Round 1 Thursday night slot against rivals Richmond. This means Carlton has secured three premium broadcasting positions before the official 2026 fixture has even been fully released.
Fan Backlash and Brisbane Lions Snub
The announcement of the Gather Round details on Wednesday left many supporters genuinely mystified and critical of the AFL's decision-making. One fan blasted on social media: "The AFL shouldn't put games that have massive blowout potential in the primetime slots of their special rounds of football."
Another Carlton supporter expressed frustration, questioning: "Primetime should be something that is earned... Do you like watching mediocre football in primetime? I'm seriously trying to understand this."
Perhaps the most glaring omission from the premium Adelaide Oval slots during Gather Round is the back-to-back premier Brisbane Lions. Veteran sports journalist Mark Gottlieb highlighted the astonishing statistic: "The Lions have played in four straight prelims. Three straight grand finals. Two straight premierships. Never played at Adelaide Oval during Gather Round."
One fan echoed this sentiment, stating: "Legitimately mind-boggling that the best team over the last 5 years can't get an Adelaide Oval game."
The Full Gather Round and Opening Round Schedule
The complete 2026 Gather Round schedule reveals a packed weekend of football across South Australian venues:
Thursday: Adelaide Crows vs Carlton Blues at Adelaide Oval
Friday Night: Collingwood vs Fremantle at Adelaide Oval
Saturday: North Melbourne vs Brisbane at Barossa, Essendon vs Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, Sydney vs Gold Coast at Norwood, Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval
Sunday: Geelong vs West Coast at Norwood, GWS vs Richmond at Barossa, Port Adelaide vs St Kilda at Adelaide Oval
For Opening Round, the expected fixtures include:
Thursday: Sydney vs Carlton at SCG
Other matches: Gold Coast vs Geelong, GWS vs Hawthorn, and Brisbane vs Western Bulldogs
Sunday Night: St Kilda vs Collingwood to close the round
The Commercial Reality Versus On-Field Performance
Despite Carlton's lack of recent success - having not won a grand final since 1995 and failing to appear in a grand final this century - the club continues to receive preferential treatment from AFL fixture planners. Some fans acknowledged the commercial reasoning behind these decisions.
One supporter noted: "Just because a club isn't doing well doesn't make them irrelevant. From a viewership perspective, Essendon are obviously relevant if they keep getting given primetime games."
This highlights the ongoing tension between rewarding on-field success and catering to the massive supporter bases of traditional clubs like Carlton, who continue to deliver strong television ratings regardless of their position on the ladder.
