AFL
3 weeks ago
Five changes the AFL fixture needs for 2026
By SEN
Ahead of the 2026 AFL fixture being released later this week, Cam Mooney has outlined the things he wants to see.
The Geelong and North Melbourne premiership player, who broadcasts for Fox Footy, has put together the five changes required to improve the fixture.
See his list below:
5 - Less Essendon in prime time
"Essendon played too many prime time games last year and were too often uncompetitive," Mooney said on SEN's The Warm Up.
"The can still have Anzac Day and Dreamtime at the ‘G, but it was more the Friday nights particularly at the end of the year.
"There were a lot of Thursday and Friday nights at the end of the year that were just pus."
4 - Longer floating fixture
"We got a floating fixture for the last six weeks.
"Let’s lock it in for the first 12 weeks then we can start manipulating for Thursday and Friday nights to get the better games on between the teams that are going well.
"I totally get the conversation about fans needing to organise tickets and travel, and clubs needing to lock their plans in.
"But for the good of the game, particularly when you’re broadcasting it, there’s nothing worse than getting a Thursday night and it’s 14th versus 16th."
3 - Fewer overlapping games
"I know it can be tough at times but this is why we have Thursday night games.
"We don’t want two games playing at once on a Saturday. On Sundays we don’t want two games playing at once.
"Fans should be given the opportunity to watch more games by having fewer concurrent games."
2 - Mid-season blockbusters
"At the start of the year we get all the best games, we want to kick the year off with a big bang.
"Then we get to the middle of the year and it’s just horrific. There’s a six-week patch where it’s bad until finals.
"Can we hold some big games, some big clubs off until the middle of the year so at least we’ve got something to draw us to the footy?"
1 - Alter Opening Round
"Just play every game (instead of four). Two in Queensland, two in New South Wales, two in Western Australia, two in South Australia, one in Victoria.
"If you want to make the game national then every state has at least a game, the interstate teams get their two home games and you play one in Victoria - that is how you do Opening Round."
