The AFL is pleased to announce a total 389,922 fans attended Round 6 of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season – the largest round attendance of the season so far and the 10th highest attended AFL H&A round all-time.
2,131,676 fans have attended the footy so far this season, with an average of 39,465 fans per game, ahead of the 2025 per game average of 36,969.
Seven matches with 60,000 plus. Four of those are 70,000 plus. Two of those 80,000 plus.
Across Round 6, match highlights included:
CARLTON v COLLINGWOOD (78,058)
- Third largest crowd of the year behind Hawthorn vs Geelong (84,712) and St Kilda vs Collingwood (82,528)
SYDNEY v GWS GIANTS (43,986)
- Highest attended Sydney Derby all-time, surpassing Round 8, 2024 (40,337)
- Only the second time the match-up has delivered an AFL H&A crowd of 40,000+
- 6th highest attended Sydney Swans home game at the SCG all-time
GEELONG v WESTERN BULLDOGS (33,200)
- Third highest Geelong home crowd vs Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium in over 69 years. (Rd1,1957 - 34,844; Rd9,1954 33,400)
GOLD COAST SUNS v ESSENDON (19,039)
- Second highest ever SUNS home crowd vs Essendon
- The best is Rd12, 2024 - 21,759
HAWTHORN v PORT ADELAIDE (37,070)
- Highest ever Hawthorn home crowd vs Port Adelaide
- Best in 17 years (Prev Best: Rd4,2009 - 33,274 @ MCG).
- Hawthorn third highest ever home crowd at Marvel Stadium, and best since 2017 (Rd 23,2017 Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs - 48,090)
WEST COAST EAGLES v FREMANTLE (54,232)
- Highest West Coast home crowd since Rd6, 2024 (v Fremantle - 54,473)
“It has been a big start to the season, and Round 6 delivered some of the best footy and biggest crowds of the season so far.” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
“The perfect lead into ANZAC Appeal Round across the country, with the traditional ANZAC Day match between Essendon and Collingwood expected to see more than 90,000 at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.”
Total viewership for Round 6 was more than 5.6 million.
Thursday night’s match between Carlton and Collingwood saw the 2nd highest average audience for any match so far this season, with an average of approximately 1.3 million, reaching over 3 million Australians.
The game was the most watched match on free to air for the year in Victoria. (Collingwood v Fremantle still holds the most watched match from Gather Round Friday night).
Friday night’s Sydney derby saw a record Sydney metro free to air audience for the local derby, when played as a home & away season game.
Sunday afternoon’s Melbourne vs Brisbane match was the most-watched Sunday afternoon 3.15pm match in Melbourne for any match so far in 2026, reaching over 2 million Australians even without being a Channel 7 national game (not on Ch 7 in WA due to WA Derby).
The Sunday twilight Western Derby match between West Coast and Fremantle was the most watched match for the year in Western Australia. The local free to air audience up 16% on the highest rating Derby in 2025, and up over 28% on the next highest local WA audience for any match so far in 2025.
“The perfect lead into ANZAC Appeal Round across the country, with the traditional ANZAC Day match between Essendon and Collingwood expected to see more than 90,000 at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.”
Total viewership for Round 6 was more than 5.6 million.
Thursday night’s match between Carlton and Collingwood saw the 2nd highest average audience for any match so far this season, with an average of approximately 1.3 million, reaching over 3 million Australians.
The game was the most watched match on free to air for the year in Victoria. (Collingwood v Fremantle still holds the most watched match from Gather Round Friday night).
Friday night’s Sydney derby saw a record Sydney metro free to air audience for the local derby, when played as a home & away season game.
Sunday afternoon’s Melbourne vs Brisbane match was the most-watched Sunday afternoon 3.15pm match in Melbourne for any match so far in 2026, reaching over 2 million Australians even without being a Channel 7 national game (not on Ch 7 in WA due to WA Derby).
The Sunday twilight Western Derby match between West Coast and Fremantle was the most watched match for the year in Western Australia. The local free to air audience up 16% on the highest rating Derby in 2025, and up over 28% on the next highest local WA audience for any match so far in 2025.
