AFL 2026 Season Kicks Off with Confusing 'Opening Round' Format
The footy season for 2026 has officially begun, albeit with a twist that might leave fans scratching their heads. This year, the AFL introduces an 'Opening Round' that precedes the traditional 'Round One,' creating a scheduling puzzle. Ten of the 18 teams will compete in this initial phase, with all teams joining in for round one the following weekend. This setup raises the amusing question: does round one feel like round two emotionally? The purpose behind this move is strategic, aimed at showcasing northern teams like the Swans, Giants, Lions, and Suns to expand the game's reach in rugby league heartlands and avoid clashes with major Melbourne events such as the Grand Prix.
Officially, opening round is about expansion and exposure, but unofficially, it's round one with a marketing degree—akin to the Netflix model of sport, offering a 'previously on football' vibe. For many, including experts, it's a bit like Professor Julius Sumner Miller: exciting, a little bizarre, and leaves you wondering, 'Why is it so?' Perhaps it should be dubbed 'Round Zero' for clarity.
Brisbane Lions Chase Historic Three-Peat Amid Off-Field Drama
As the main event unfolds, Brisbane emerges as the obvious headline maker, chasing a historic three-peat. Despite swirling dramas involving Lachie Neale, the team retains the talent to secure another championship. Traditionally, players respect private lives, keeping personal matters separate from the game. Compared to past off-field sagas—like the Kangaroos losing their captain and vice-captain in one headline—this situation, while sad, is unlikely to define the season. The focus remains on Brisbane's on-field prowess and their quest for glory.
West Coast Eagles: A Season of Growth and Resistance
For the West Coast Eagles, it's about time fans had something to cheer about. After a dismal season with just one win last year—a shocking statistic for the proud club—predictions suggest four to six wins this season. While this won't add another cup to the fifth pedestal, it represents growth, dragging the club off the canvas. It's not a resurgence yet, but it's resistance, signaling that the Eagles are done being pushed around. Former Eagles captain Oscar Allen may have made a brilliant off-season decision, adding to the optimism.
Fremantle Dockers: Premiership Dreams and Passionate Support
The Dockers are tipped to finish between fourth and sixth, with the firepower and grit to reach a preliminary final. Their fans have waited over three decades for a premiership, and 2026 feels like the year they need to break the drought. Fremantle supporters have been patient, loyal, and sometimes borderline masochistic, but this team can channel that long-suffering energy into victory. An example of footy's passion: at a West Perth networking restaurant, four captains of industry compiled their AFL ladder for 2026, even ranking Dockers players from one to 44, showing tribalism strikes all walks of life.
WAFL Season: Perth Demons' 49-Year Drought and Hope
At the WAFL level, the Perth Demons dare to think a 49-year wait might finally end. Perth last won a premiership in 1977—the year Star Wars was released, disco ruled, and mobile phones were unheard of. Since then, the club has specialized in patience, much like Subiaco, which endured 49 years between flags from 1924 to 1973. History suggests droughts don't last forever, but they feel eternal while living through them. Dockers fans speak of three decades of waiting; at Perth, they nod politely, having refined the technique over nearly five decades.
Now, it's all about seeing who rises, who falls, and which club will reward their true believers. Footy is more than just a game—it's theatre, irrational and glorious, filled with drama, surges, collapses, and boundary snaps that make fans jump off the couch. For WA clubs, this season is one of proof: the Eagles searching for authority, the Dockers chasing a breakthrough, and the Demons hoping for celebration. Every saga gets its final chapter, and this one starts now.
