The AFL is under fire for what experts and fans believe is a fixturing debacle.
The AFL’s Opening Round concept — that was devised to shine a light on footy in the northern states but this year included one game in Victoria — causes early chaos due to the fact that not all teams participate and rolling byes have to be quickly inserted to get games parity across all clubs.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Dale Thomas slams AFL’s 2026 fixture
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But among the byes, teams have also been faced with multiple short breaks from week to week, while Hawthorn, when it plays on Easter Monday, is coming off a whopping 18-day break.
Collingwood premiership hero Dale Thomas has slammed the fixture, saying he has had “an absolute gutful”.
“I am selling the fixture,” Thomas said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters on Tuesday night.
The AFL great highlighted the Brisbane Lions as a prime example of the fixture’s inequities, pointing to the Lions’ challenging schedule that sees them come off a bye in Round 2, only to be sent to Marvel Stadium for a 12.35pm AEDT game (11.35am for Queenslanders) on Saturday, only to get four clear days off before their next game against Collingwood at the Gabba on Thursday.
Collingwood also had a bye in Round 2, but they played on Friday night in what was a rare Marvel home game.
“So the Brisbane Lions, right … they get themselves a nice opportunity to come off a bye. Yeah, sweet. We’ll send them to Marvel, then we’ll send them to a five-day break and (into a game) against the Pies who had a bye, then a six-day break.
“You can have Adelaide in there, too, who had to go to the Cattery (to play Geelong on Thursday night after their Friday game) and then go back to Adelaide (to front up again on Good Friday for a game against Fremantle).”
In fact Adelaide’s game against Geelong was their third in 13 days and is in stark contrast with the Cats, who had a bye ahead of their clash with the Crows and are currently on a luxurious 10-day break before their clash with Hawthorn.
“It is a mess. Get me to Gather Round, get me to the Barossa, and I’ll sort it out in 15 minutes,” Thomas said.
West Coast might also feel aggrieved, playing in Adelaide (against Port at the weird time of 12.30pm AEDT, which was 9.30am WST) on Sunday, and are now having to take on Sydney on Saturday, with the Swans coming in fresh off their bye.
When the Swans last stepped out in Round 2, they had to fly down to Melbourne to take on Hawthorn on a Thursday night, following a Saturday night clash against reigning premier Brisbane. Hawthorn, in the meantime, had played in Melbourne on Friday (so no travel, plus an extra day).
Thomas was also highly critical of the Round 3 fixture just gone when the MCG was left vacant on Thursday night, Friday and Saturday, with Marvel hosting two games on Saturday after its Friday night clash between Collingwood and the GWS Giants.
And he noted that all the top-four teams ahead of the round — Gold Coast, Western Bulldogs, Sydney, Hawthorn — were not playing (due to their byes).
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“I’ve had enough,” Thomas said ahead of the round on Triple M.
“What is going on? … How does it get to this point? …. It’s ridiculous.
“It seems like they’re almost trying to wreck the product.
“A double-header at Marvel on Saturday and no games at the MCG, the best stadium in the world.”
Fans agreed.
“The fixture is horrendous. Like seriously, how can they f*** it up so badly,” one fan fumed on social media.
And another: “Crows had their 3rd game in 13 days while Geelong had a 12 day break. It was round THREE … absolutely nailed it.”
And another: “Its an absolute disaster.”
And another: “It’s ridiculous. I’m pretty engaged as a fan and I’m totally confused.”
