Lions snubbed but AFL explains lack of prime-time games
Oliver Caffrey |
The AFL insists it would have liked to schedule more blockbuster Brisbane Lions games after the dual reigning premiers were moved largely out of prime-time to begin 2026.
During the first 15 rounds of next season, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Geelong, Adelaide, Fremantle, Gold Coast, as well as non-finalists Carlton and the Western Bulldogs, have more Thursday and Friday night teams than the most dominant team of the decade.
The AFL’s fixturing treatment of the Lions prompted criticism from former players turned commentators such as Kane Cornes and Josh Jenkins.
The Lions host the Bulldogs at the Gabba in Opening Round on a Saturday night, before three more enticing free-to-air matches – Collingwood (Easter Thursday), Carlton (round nine), and Geelong (grand final rematch, round 10) in the first four months.
“There is always one club who you’d probably sit there and say you’d like to get a few more games in,” AFL scheduling and strategy boss Josh Bowler said on Thursday.
Times and dates are only locked in for the first 15 rounds, with the floating fixture announced at a later date in 2026.
“They’ve got a pretty strong run home,” Bowler said of the Lions.
“We’d expect to see more of Brisbane in the back part of the fixture.”
The Lions will also be sent to a secondary venue away from the Adelaide Oval during Gather Round for a fourth-straight year.
After playing at Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills, then at Norwood Oval, Brisbane will head to the Barossa in 2026.
It will also be the third time in four years the Lions have gone up against North Melbourne in Gather Round.
“The Gather Round fixture and the way we allocate venues is to maximise the access to the games,” Bowler said.
“Clearly, Gather Round’s been a great success.
“We have a lot of people travelling from Melbourne, so we want to ensure the main travelling fans can access their games so we’ve got some big games at Adelaide Oval.”
The Lions will also travel to Ninja Stadium in Hobart to face Richmond after the Tigers agreed to sell one home game to Tasmania.
Richmond’s home match against the Lions at the MCG this year attracted a crowd of 42,578 – more than double the largest attendance for an AFL game in Hobart.
AAP
