NEW Geelong coach Mick Stinear may have to wait another year before facing his former side Melbourne, with the two clubs not drawn to meet each other in this year's home-and-away season.
The 12-round fixture for the 2026 NAB AFLW season was released on Thursday, with four confirmed double-headers featuring men's and women's games, and another three AFLW double-headers at Ikon Park and Windy Hill.
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A men's and women's double-header for St Kilda v Carlton has already been locked in on Sunday August 9 to start the W season, but double-headers for Greater Western Sydney v West Coast, North Melbourne v Geelong and Sydney v Essendon (W) and North Melbourne (M) are yet to have their dates and times finalised, given the men's floating fixture for the final rounds of its home-and-away season.
There is potential for Geelong to also host a men's and women's double-header in round two of the AFLW season, depending on the fixturing of the men's match against Richmond.
There is no set order for these double-headers - women's game before the men's or vice versa - and it will vary from match to match.
As reported by AFL.com.au this week, Hawthorn will play most of its home games at its new base at the Kennedy Community Centre, while Fremantle has departed Fremantle Oval for the Cockburn ARC Oval (its club training base).
Adelaide will also play all its home games at Thomas Farms Oval (Unley), with no games at Norwood Oval.
With the 18 teams scheduled to play just 12 games each, there is interest - as always - in which clubs won't play each other this season.
West Coast will be counting its lucky stars as the sole 2025 finalist to have dodged the might of North Melbourne, which hasn't lost a game for two years.
The other teams to have avoided the Roos are 2025 bottom-four sides Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood, as well as Port Adelaide.
The other notable absence is a match between Melbourne and Geelong, meaning Demons premiership coach Stinear will only face his former side this year if the Dees and Cats are matched up in the finals.
Star Suns recruit Anne Hatchard will face former side Adelaide in round 10, while new Swan Taylor Smith will come up against her ex-Brisbane teammates in round seven.
All games in rounds two to five will be played on Saturdays and Sundays to avoid clashes with the end of the men's season, including the men's finals.
A return to Friday nights will come when Hawthorn plays North Melbourne at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns at 5:45pm on men's preliminary final weekend. The Hawks will then travel to GMHBA Stadium for the now-traditional Thursday evening clash with Geelong on men's Grand Final weekend.
Four matches will be played on the Grand Final public holiday in Melbourne (Friday Sep 25), including a double-header at Ikon Park, with Melbourne to play North Melbourne in the primetime evening slot in a re-match of last year's preliminary final, which was arguably the game of the season.
Men's Grand Final Saturday has once again been left free of W games, with four matches on the Sunday. West Coast and Port Adelaide are the only non-Victorian sides in Melbourne for that weekend, meaning cross-club support for potential men's Grand Finalists (i.e. strong men's sides Fremantle, Brisbane or Sydney) won't be possible.
Indigenous Round will be played over rounds three and four, with Essendon and Richmond returning to Darwin for the Dreamtime match, while Pride Round will sit across rounds nine and 10.
The Showdown (Port Adelaide v Adelaide at Alberton Oval), Western Derby (West Coast v Fremantle at Sullivan Logistics Stadium, Leederville) and QClash (Brisbane v Gold Coast at Brighton Homes Arena) will all be played in round eight, while the Sydney Derby (Sydney v Greater Western Sydney) will be at Henson Park on a Sunday afternoon in round five.
In a departure from previous years, the dates and times for the final round of the season has been locked in now, rather than being a floating fixture that is confirmed later in the season to maximise late-season blockbusters.
Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, 21 July, with more details to come.
Matches will be broadcast on the Seven Network, 7plus, Foxtel, Kayo and Binge.
2026 NAB AFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON FIXTURE
(all times AEST)
Round 1
Sunday Aug 9
St Kilda v Carlton, Marvel Stadium, 4.35pm
Thursday Aug 13
Hawthorn v Melbourne, Ikon Park, 7.15pm
Saturday Aug 15
Gold Coast v Western Bulldogs, People First Stadium, 2.05pm
Richmond v Collingwood, Ikon Park, 7.15pm
Sunday Aug 16
Essendon v Brisbane, Windy Hill, 12.35pm
Adelaide v Sydney, Thomas Farms Oval, 2.35pm
Fremantle v Port Adelaide, Cockburn ARC Oval, 4.35pm
Date TBC
Greater Western Sydney v West Coast, Engie Stadium, TBC
North Melbourne v Geelong, Marvel Stadium, TBC
Round 2
Saturday Aug 22
Geelong v St Kilda, GMHBA Stadium, 2.05pm
Western Bulldogs v Richmond, Mission Whitten Oval, 5.05pm
Brisbane v North Melbourne, Brighton Homes Arena, 7.15pm
Sunday Aug 23
Collingwood v Fremantle, Victoria Park, 12.35pm
Carlton v Adelaide, Ikon Park, 1.05pm
Melbourne v Greater Western Sydney, Casey Fields, 2.35pm
Port Adelaide v Hawthorn, Alberton Oval, 3.05pm
West Coast v Gold Coast, Mineral Resources Park, 5.05pm
Date TBC
Sydney v Essendon, SCG, TBC
Round 3
Saturday Aug 29
North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs, UTAS Stadium, 12.35pm
Adelaide v West Coast, Thomas Farms Oval, 2.35pm
Sydney v St Kilda, C.ex Coffs International Stadium, 4.35pm
Sunday Aug 30
Greater Western Sydney v Port Adelaide, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka, 12.35pm
Melbourne v Brisbane, Casey Fields, 1.05pm
Gold Coast v Geelong, People First Stadium, 3.05pm
Collingwood v Hawthorn, Victoria Park, 3.05pm
Fremantle v Carlton, Cockburn ARC Oval, 5.05pm
Essendon v Richmond, TIO Stadium, 7.15pm
Round 4
Saturday, Sep 5
Western Bulldogs v Sydney, Mission Whitten Oval, 12.35pm
St Kilda v North Melbourne, RSEA Park, 1.05pm
Port Adelaide v Gold Coast, Alberton Oval, 2.35pm
Brisbane v Greater Western Sydney, Brighton Homes Arena, 4.35pm
Sunday, Sep 6
Richmond v Fremantle, Ikon Park, 12.30pm
Hawthorn v Adelaide, Kennedy Community Centre, 1.05pm
Geelong v Essendon, GMHBA Stadium, 2.35pm
Carlton v Collingwood, Ikon Park, 3.05pm
West Coast v Melbourne, Mineral Resources Park, 5.05pm
Round 5
Saturday, Sep 12
Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs, Kennedy Community Centre, 1.05pm
Gold Coast v Collingwood, People First Stadium, 2.35pm
Adelaide v Geelong, Thomas Farms Oval, 3.05pm
West Coast v Brisbane, Mineral Resources Park, 4.35pm
Sunday, Sep 13
Melbourne v Port Adelaide, Casey Fields, 12.35pm
Richmond v St Kilda, Windy Hill, 1.05pm
Sydney v Greater Western Sydney, Henson Park, 2.35pm
North Melbourne v Carlton, Arden Street Oval, 3.05pm
Fremantle v Essendon, Cockburn ARC Oval, 5.05pm
Round 6
Friday, Sep 18
Hawthorn v North Melbourne, Cazalys Stadium, 5.45pm
Saturday, Sep 19
Collingwood v Geelong, Victoria Park, 12.35pm
Melbourne v Carlton, Casey Fields, 1.05pm
Port Adelaide v Sydney, Alberton Oval, 2.35pm
Fremantle v Western Bulldogs, Cockburn ARC Oval, 3.05pm
Sunday, Sep 20
Greater Western Sydney v Richmond, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka, 12.35pm
Essendon v Gold Coast, Windy Hill, 1.05pm
St Kilda v West Coast, RSEA Park, 3.05pm
Brisbane v Adelaide, Brighton Homes Arena, 5.05pm
Round 7
Thursday, Sep 24
Geelong v Hawthorn, GMHBA Stadium, 7.15pm
Friday, Sep 25
Essendon v West Coast, Windy Hill, 12.05pm
Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide, Mission Whitten Oval, 2.05pm
Carlton v Richmond, Ikon Park, 4.05pm
Melbourne v North Melbourne, Ikon Park, 7.15pm
Sunday, Sep 27
Collingwood v Greater Western Sydney, Victoria Park, 1.05pm
Adelaide v Fremantle, Thomas Farms Oval, 1.05pm
Sydney v Brisbane, Henson Park, 3.05pm
Gold Coast v St Kilda, People First Stadium, 5.05pm
Round 8
Thursday, Oct 1
Carlton v Hawthorn, Ikon Park, 7.15pm
Friday, Oct 2
Richmond v Geelong, Ikon Park, 7.15pm
Saturday, Oct 3
Greater Western Sydney v Essendon, Henson Park, 1.05pm
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda, Mars Stadium, 3.05pm
Brisbane v Gold Coast, Brighton Homes Arena, 5.05pm
Port Adelaide v Adelaide, Alberton Oval, 7.15pm
Sunday, Oct 4
North Melbourne v Sydney, Arden Street Oval, 1.05pm
Collingwood v Melbourne, Victoria Park, 3.05pm
West Coast v Fremantle, Sullivan Logistics Stadium, 5.05pm
Round 9
Friday, Oct 9
Western Bulldogs v Essendon, Mission Whitten Oval, 7.15pm
Saturday, Oct 10
St Kilda v Collingwood, RSEA Park, 1.05pm
Port Adelaide v West Coast, Alberton Oval, 3.05pm
Geelong v Greater Western Sydney, GMHBA Stadium, 5.05pm
Richmond v Adelaide, Ikon Park, 7.15pm
Gold Coast v Melbourne, Great Barrier Reef Arena, 8.15pm
Sunday, Oct 11
North Melbourne v Fremantle, Arden Street Oval, 12.35pm
Hawthorn v Brisbane, Kennedy Community Centre, 1.05pm
Sydney v Carlton, Henson Park, 3.05pm
Round 10
Friday, Oct 16
Melbourne v Richmond, Ikon Park, 7.15pm
Saturday, Oct 17
Adelaide v Gold Coast, Thomas Farms Oval, 1.05pm
Carlton v Western Bulldogs, Ikon Park, 3.05pm
Brisbane v Port Adelaide, Brighton Homes Arena, 5.05pm
West Coast v Geelong, Sullivan Logistics Stadium, 7.15pm
Sunday, Oct 18
Collingwood v Sydney, Windy Hill, 12.30pm
Greater Western Sydney v Hawthorn, Henson Park, 2.35pm
Essendon v North Melbourne, Windy Hill, 3.05pm
Fremantle v St Kilda, Cockburn ARC Oval, 5.05pm
Round 11
Friday, Oct 23
Port Adelaide v Collingwood, Alberton Oval, 7.15pm
Saturday, Oct 24
St Kilda v Brisbane, RSEA Park, 1.05pm
Geelong v Fremantle, GMHBA Stadium, 3.05pm
Gold Coast v Richmond, People First Stadium, 5.05pm
Western Bulldogs v Melbourne, Mission Whitten Oval, 7.15pm
Sunday, Oct 25
Sydney v West Coast, Henson Park, 12.35pm
North Melbourne v Adelaide, North Hobart Oval, 1.05pm
Hawthorn v Essendon, Kennedy Community Centre, 3.05pm
Carlton v Greater Western Sydney, Ikon Park, 5.05pm
Round 12
Friday, Oct 30
Geelong v Western Bulldogs, GMHBA Stadium, 7.15pm
Saturday, Oct 31
St Kilda v Port Adelaide, RSEA Park, 1.05pm
Richmond v North Melbourne, Windy Hill, 3.05pm
Brisbane v Carlton, Brighton Homes Arena, 5.05pm
West Coast v Hawthorn, Sullivan Logistics Stadium, 7.15pm
Sunday, Nov 1
Greater Western Sydney v Gold Coast, Henson Park, 12.35pm
Essendon v Collingwood, Windy Hill, 1.05pm
Adelaide v Melbourne, Thomas Farms Oval, 3.05pm
Fremantle v Sydney, Cockburn ARC Oval, 5.05pm
