THE FIRST Friday night Western Derby in more than two decades and a standalone Saturday night Showdown are some of the features of the round 16-22 fixture, which was released in full on Thursday.
As reported by AFL.com.au on Wednesday night, Sydney and Geelong are the darlings of primetime football in the final third of the season, with each of the Swans and Cats getting four Thursday or Friday night games between rounds 16 and 22, while none of Carlton, Essendon, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide or Richmond feature in the blockbuster slots.
The Blues and Bombers had a combined seven Thursday or Friday night games in rounds 16-22 last year, but have been overlooked altogether after managing just two wins between them so far in 2026.
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There will be two Friday night double-headers in the R16-22 fixture block, both featuring West Coast, meaning the Eagles have the same number of blockbuster games (two) as high flyers Hawthorn.
The Fremantle v West Coast derby on the Friday night of round 20, which will begin 30 minutes after the start of Melbourne's game against Geelong at the MCG, will be just the second Friday night derby ever between the Dockers and Eagles and the first since 2005.
The other Friday night double will come in round 17, when the Swans will host the Western Bulldogs in their Pride Game at the SCG and the Eagles host Adelaide in Perth.
The Showdown between the Crows and Power has been given a standalone slot on June 27, the Saturday night of round 16, after it shared the Friday night billing in round eight.
The second Sydney derby of the year will be a 4.35pm start on the Saturday of round 20, while the second QClash of 2026 is scheduled for round 23, with details yet to be confirmed.
There will also be two double headers in the popular Saturday twilight slot, with one game in both rounds 20 and 22 to start at 4.15pm and another to start at 4.35pm, meaning the night game on those Saturdays will be a standalone match.
There will be a Sunday night game at Marvel Stadium between St Kilda and Carlton to conclude round 22, with reports this week that the match will be preceded by the AFLW season-opener at the same venue.
Rounds 16 to 19, which coincides with the school holidays, will be Kids Footy Month, where kids aged 14 years old and under can access free general admission tickets. General public tickets for Rounds 16 to 19 are on sale from Wednesday, 3 June.
The full details of rounds 23 and 24 will be announced closer to the dates, with the AFL keeping those weeks as a floating fixture to maximise the excitement in the climax to the home-and-away season.
The AFL announced the full 24-round fixture in November last year, but only released the dates and timings to round 15 as part of a staggered schedule that enables the League to place more blockbuster games in marquee slots.
Thursday & Friday night games, R16-22
Sydney - 4
Geelong - 4
Adelaide - 3
Brisbane - 3
Collingwood - 3
Fremantle - 3
Western Bulldogs - 3
Hawthorn - 2
North Melbourne - 2
West Coast - 2
Greater Western Sydney - 1
Melbourne - 1
St Kilda - 1
Carlton - 0
Essendon - 0
Gold Coast - 0
Port Adelaide - 0
Richmond - 0
2026 TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON FIXTURE, R16-22
(all times AEST)
Round 16
Thursday Jun 25
Brisbane v Sydney, Gabba, 7.30pm
Friday Jun 26
Hawthorn v Greater Western Sydney, MCG, 7.40pm
Saturday Jun 27
Carlton v West Coast, Marvel Stadium, 1.15pm
Collingwood v Richmond, MCG, 4.15pm
Port Adelaide v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval, 7.35pm
Sunday Jun 28
North Melbourne v Essendon, Marvel Stadium, 3.15pm
Fremantle v Gold Coast, Optus Stadium, 5.10pm
Byes: Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs
Round 17
Thursday Jul 2
Geelong v Brisbane, GMHBA Stadium, 7.30pm
Friday Jul 3
Sydney v Western Bulldogs, SCG, 7.40pm
West Coast v Adelaide, Optus Stadium, 8.10pm
Saturday Jul 4
Hawthorn v Melbourne, UTAS Stadium, 1.15pm
Greater Western Sydney v Fremantle, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka, 1.35pm
Gold Coast v Collingwood, People First Stadium, 4.15pm
Richmond v Carlton, MCG, 7.35pm
Sunday Jul 5
Essendon v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium, 3.15pm
Port Adelaide v North Melbourne, Adelaide Oval, 4.40pm
Round 18
Thursday Jul 9
Fremantle v Sydney, Optus Stadium, 8.10pm
Friday Jul 10
Collingwood v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium, 7.40pm
Saturday Jul 11
St Kilda v Port Adelaide, Marvel Stadium, 1.15pm
Greater Western Sydney v Geelong, Engie Stadium, 4.15pm
Carlton v Hawthorn, MCG, 7.35pm
Adelaide v Gold Coast, Adelaide Oval, 8.10pm
Sunday Jul 12
Western Bulldogs v West Coast, Marvel Stadium, 1.10pm
Melbourne v Richmond, MCG, 3.15pm
Brisbane v Essendon, Gabba, 4.40pm
Round 19
Thursday Jul 16
Geelong v St Kilda, GMHBA Stadium, 7.30pm
Friday Jul 17
Sydney v Adelaide, SCG, 7.40pm
Saturday Jul 18
Port Adelaide v Fremantle, Adelaide Oval, 1.15pm
North Melbourne v Melbourne, Marvel Stadium, 4.15pm
Collingwood v Carlton, MCG, 7.35pm
West Coast v Brisbane, Optus Stadium, 8.10pm
Sunday Jul 19
Richmond v Hawthorn, MCG, 1.10pm
Gold Coast v Western Bulldogs, People First Stadium, 3.15pm
Essendon v Greater Western Sydney, Marvel Stadium, 4.40pm
Round 20
Thursday Jul 23
Adelaide v Collingwood, Adelaide Oval, 7.30pm
Friday Jul 24
Melbourne v Geelong, MCG, 7.40pm
Fremantle v West Coast, Optus Stadium, 8.10pm
Saturday Jul 25
Carlton v Gold Coast, Marvel Stadium, 1.05pm
Hawthorn v Essendon, MCG, 4.15pm
Greater Western Sydney v Sydney, Engie Stadium, 4.35pm
Western Bulldogs v Richmond, Marvel Stadium, 7.40pm
Sunday Jul 26
Brisbane v Port Adelaide, Gabba, 1.10pm
North Melbourne v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium, 3.15pm
Round 21
Thursday Jul 30
Collingwood v Geelong, MCG, 7.30pm
Friday Jul 31
Fremantle v Western Bulldogs, Optus Stadium, 8.10pm
Saturday Aug 1
St Kilda v Sydney, Marvel Stadium, 1.05pm
Hawthorn v North Melbourne, UTAS Stadium, 1.35pm
Port Adelaide v Greater Western Sydney, Adelaide Oval, 6.35pm
Carlton v Brisbane, Marvel Stadium, 7.40pm
Sunday Aug 2
Richmond v West Coast, MCG, 1.10pm
Gold Coast v Melbourne, People First Stadium, 3.15pm
Essendon v Adelaide, Marvel Stadium, 4.40pm
Round 22
Thursday Aug 6
Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium, 7.30pm
Friday Aug 7
Brisbane v Hawthorn, Gabba, 7.40pm
Saturday Aug 8
Melbourne v Fremantle, MCG, 1.15pm
Sydney v Port Adelaide, SCG, 4.15pm
Geelong v Essendon, GMHBA Stadium, 4.35pm
Adelaide v Richmond, Adelaide Oval, 7.35pm
Sunday Aug 9
Greater Western Sydney v Gold Coast, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka, 1.10pm
West Coast v Collingwood, Optus Stadium, 4.10pm
St Kilda v Carlton, Marvel Stadium, 7.20pm
