DOUBLE-headers and a push for routine are on the menu for the 2026 NAB AFLW season, with the consolidation of a 12-round season.

For the first time, the AFLW season will kick off with a double-header alongside the AFL, forcing a split round one, while several regular venues have been replaced with new home grounds.

Doubling up

As confirmed last month, the AFLW season will feature at least four double-headers with the men's competition.

This will lean into the push for the 'one club, two teams' mentality, allowing fans to see both of their top sides in action in one day.

St Kilda, Carlton, Greater Western Sydney, West Coast, North Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, and Essendon are all locked into these double headers, with times to be confirmed across the AFL's rounds 23 and 24.

The last double-header took place back in week two, 2024, when the Western Bulldogs' clash with Port Adelaide was moved to the MCG to join the Dogs' AFL side.

Notably, the fixture also includes three women's-only double-headers: Richmond v Fremantle and Carlton v Collingwood will face off in round four; Carlton v Richmond and Melbourne v North Melbourne will headline round seven; and Collingwood v Sydney and Essendon v North Melbourne will play in round 10.

A change of venue

In alignment with last year, 28 different venues will be used across the 12 rounds, but those venues do look marginally different this year.

Three heavily used AFLW venues are no longer in the rotation this year, as three clubs move their home base. Adelaide has bid goodbye to Norwood Oval, opting to play all its home games at Thomas Farms Oval (Unley) instead. Of Adelaide's 107 games, 29 have been hosted at Norwood Oval, with a 65.5 per cent win rate at the venue.

Fremantle will shift away from Fremantle Oval, playing its six home games at the club's training base of Cockburn ARC Oval. This is another significant move, given the Dockers' have hosted 44 of their 96 games there.

Meanwhile Hawthorn will no longer call Kinetic Stadium in Frankston home, instead holding four of its six home games at its recently developed home, the Kennedy Community Centre in Dingley.

Cockburn and Dingley will become the 62rd and 63rd venues used across AFLW history.

North Sydney Oval also comes out of the fixture, set to host the Australia v Ireland representative match on August 1, but no games during the home and away season.

Travelling the country

The new era of Richmond won't have to do too much travelling, with it set to play six of its 12 home and away games at Ikon Park, while also hosting two matches at Windy Hill. Outside of that, the club will head to the Northern Territory, the ACT, and Queensland.

Of the 18 clubs, 12 will play across four different states. Collingwood, Fremantle, and North Melbourne will only visit three states, while Gold Coast, Hawthorn, and Port Adelaide will head to the most with five.

Hawthorn's now-annual fixture in Cairns is on the schedule once again, this time hosting North Melbourne at Cazalys Stadium in round six, and Dreamtime in the top end continues at TIO Stadium between Essendon and Richmond in round three.

Gold Coast will return to Mackay in round nine against Melbourne and the Swans will play St Kilda in Coffs Harbour in round three.

Meanwhile Greater Western Sydney and North Melbourne will each play their regular two home games in Canberra and Tasmania respectively.

Who your team doesn't play

As was the case last year, 18 teams don't go into 12 rounds, meaning each club will fail to play five others throughout the home and away season.

For Collingwood, Gold Coast, GWS, Port Adelaide, and West Coast, missing the juggernaut that is North Melbourne is a small blessing – notably the Eagles being the only finalist of 2026 to swerve the reigning premier.

Outside of last year's top four of Brisbane, Hawthorn, Melbourne, and North Melbourne, only Adelaide and Carlton are fixtured to face the quartet, while Fremantle will face just one – North Melbourne in round nine.

Meanwhile Essendon, Geelong, and Melbourne will each face all last year's bottom four of Collingwood, Gold Coast, GWS, and Richmond.

Carlton will play Adelaide for the first time since 2022 S6, and Melbourne for the first time since 2022 S7, while Geelong and St Kilda will play one another for the first time since 2022 S7.

Adelaide heads to Tasmania for just the second time in its history, the only other time being its greatest ever loss back in 2020, while the rivalry with Brisbane will have some extra vigour in meeting No.15 between the sides, after assistant coach Ryan Davis and head of footy Breeanna Brock made the jump from Lions to Crows over the summer.

Seeing old friends

Unfortunately, Melbourne premiership coach Mick Stinear won't be challenged with his old club in his first season at Geelong, with the Demons and Cats not fixtured to play one another in the home and away season, while former Melbourne spearhead Eden Zanker, now at Fremantle, will also avoid her old side.

New Sun Anne Hatchard takes on Adelaide in round 10, and following a drawn-out negotiation to get Taylor Smith to the Swans, she will line-up against Brisbane in round seven.

Former Hawthorn captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd will take on their old side donning the orange and charcoal in round 10, Nicola Stevens' Cats face the Saints in round two, and following a dramatic self-delisting in order to get to the Roos, Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner is scheduled to face her former suitors the Bulldogs in round three.