ALL 18 clubs will play in the first round of the 2027 season, and the Grand Final will be played at the MCG in October for the first time in more than a decade.

The AFL has released the dates for the 2027 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, which will begin on either Wednesday, March 17 or Thursday, March 18, and finish with the Grand Final on Saturday, October 2.

The Opening Round concept has been scrapped after three years, with all 18 teams to play in a traditional round one.

While the season is certain to begin in mid-March, the traditional season opener between Carlton and Richmond at the MCG is not locked in. The MCG will host the 150th anniversary cricket Test match between Australia and England on March 11-15, leaving potentially less than three days to complete the necessary ground renovations to prepare the venue for footy.

In 2015, the MCG had a four-day turnaround between the cricket World Cup final on March 29 and the Blues v Tigers season opener on April 2.

The later start to the 2027 season means the Grand Final has shifted into October for the first time - apart from the COVID-interrupted season in 2020 - since 2016.

Introduced in 2024, Opening Round saw the four northern clubs host matches against Victorian sides in early March, with the season starting as early as March 5 this year.

But the absence of some clubs on the first weekend of the season, and the fact the teams that played in Opening Round then needed a bye early in the season, led to criticism of the concept, particularly in traditional footy states. However, Opening Round was viewed as a success by clubs in NSW and Queensland. 

The home and away season will finish in round 24 on Sunday, August 30, while Gather Round will take place from Thursday, April 8 to Sunday, April 11 in South Australia. 

Dates for pre-season matches and the 2027 AAMI AFL Origin game will be confirmed in coming weeks, while the fixture for the 2027 Toyota AFL Premiership Season will be released later in the year.  

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the 150th anniversary cricket Test had prompted the AFL to revisit the structure of the season start. 

"After important feedback from fans and stakeholders and consultation with clubs and broadcasters, round one will see the return of a traditional nine-game round played across the country," Dillon said. 

"Before we get there, we are focused on making the end to the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership season one to remember, after an all-time record-breaking home and away attendance and the inaugural wildcard finals delivering record broadcast and crowd numbers.

"The passion of footy fans is unmatched. We’re looking forward to another four big matches this coming weekend across Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia."