"Garbage": Russell blasts AFL over rumoured 2027 schedule

The AFL is set for an interrupted start to the 2027 AFL season.

Officially set to scrap the Opening Round, the AFL are prepared to shuffle the schedule back, with the already delayed start set to potentially shift even further.

As reported by journalist Caroline Wilson, with an Ashes Test at the MCG pushing into mid-March, the stadium won’t be ready in time to host the season opener, causing quite the headache for the AFL.

“The issue this year is there’s a day-night Ashes Test at the MCG,” Wilson told Seven’s Agenda Setters.

“It could end on the Monday before the date the season is going to start, which is potentially Thursday, March 18th.

“We know the season is starting two weeks later, we know its going to be called - hallelujah - ‘Round 1’. It’s not going to be called Opening Round; everyone admits that was a failure.

“I can tell you too that the AFL and the broadcasters and the clubs now believe that they gave the NRL a one-month headstart, because of the failure of this year’s Opening Round.

“The MCG have told the AFL they cannot get the ground ready by Thursday if the Test goes all the way to Monday.

“They said Friday, to be safe. The opening game will have to be somewhere else. They might even open the season on a Wednesday.”

Dwayne Russell believes that the AFL holding out for the MCG is absurd, stating that the so-called ‘national game’ should be able to exist without the gloried stadium.

“I had a watch of the TV footy shows last night; my worst fears were confirmed,” Russell told SEN Afternoons.

“The AFL is considering – and almost about to – replace the dud, silly, failed Opening Round concept with an even worse idea, if you can believe that there could be such a thing.

“What’s worse than an Opening Round starting March 5 with only the elite 10 teams playing, and eight teams and their fanbases totally excluded?

“I’ll tell you what’s worse – no football. No football in early March. Instead of starting March 5 with just 10 teams, we’re going to have no football in early March. No team plays in early March. We might have a State of Origin game, and that’s about it.

“There will be a two-week delay to start the AFL season next year, because there is a cricket match on at the MCG, and our ‘national game’ can’t be opened until the MCG is available.

“To me, that’s garbage. Our national game is bigger and more important than that. Because of it, instead of our AFL season starting March 5, it’s not going to start until around 13 days later – Thursday, 18th of March according to reports last night.

“So, guess what, the rugby league isn’t waiting until the cricket’s finished. They’ll be playing in early March. They’ll be playing in late Feb! They’re going to get the start on everyone!

“Peter V’Landys is not going to hold back because there’s a cricket match on! They will be starting their season in Vegas and taking all of the limelight again.

“The rugby league is not Victoria-centric though. The rugby league is going to blow us out of the water again with a big start, and then the AFL will start three weeks later and miss the bus again.

“Get ready for the same chat this time next year, as we’ve had this year, and that is the soft start to the season and whether it’s going to cost us.

“I think we’re going to blow an opportunity here to actually be playing footy when we should be playing footy, with a full list of teams playing footy.

“Our national game, our AFL is big enough to have a start to the season that doesn’t include the MCG.”