AFL

AFLW fixtures in spotlight on men's grand-final weekend

May 21, 2026

Kangaroos — Reigning premiers North Melbourne will take on Melbourne as part of a double-header on September 25. -AAP Image

AFLW will feature heavily on a jam-packed AFL grand-final weekend with four matches scheduled in Victoria on the public holiday before the men's premiership decider.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

The women's fixture, released by the league on Thursday, features six games in Victoria around the men's grand final.

The league hopes to cash in on the Friday, September 25 public holiday in Melbourne by pulling in crowds after the traditional men's grand-final parade.

A women's double-header at Ikon Park is the highlight, with Carlton hosting Richmond and defending back-to-back premiers North Melbourne taking on Melbourne.

Geelong take on Hawthorn on the Thursday night, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs will host West Coast and Port Adelaide respectively on the Friday, and Collingwood do battle with GWS on the Sunday.

The men's grand final is on Saturday, September 26, with no women's matches scheduled that day.

As previously confirmed, the AFLW season will start when St Kilda host Carlton on Sunday, August 9 as part of a double-header with an AFL clash between the clubs.

The remaining eight round-one fixtures will be played the following week, starting with a Hawthorn-Melbourne clash on the Thursday night.

Two more AFL/AFLW double-headers will feature in round one: North Melbourne-Geelong and GWS-West Coast.

The fourth confirmed AFL/AFLW double-header is a Sydney-Essendon women's clash at the SCG in round two ahead of a Swans-Kangaroos men's game.

Brisbane will host North Melbourne in an AFLW grand final re-match in round two, while Indigenous Round (rounds three and four) and Pride Round (rounds nine and 10) will both be celebrated across two weeks.

The season will again span 12 home-and-away rounds, followed by a four-week finals series, culminating in the grand final on the last weekend of November.

"The fixture is another exciting step forward for the competition, featuring a strong mix of traditional rivalries, marquee moments and fan-focused scheduling, as well as new ways to showcase AFLW across the country," AFL head of scheduling Josh Bowler said.

"The inclusion of AFL/AFLW double-headers during the season crossover period will provide a unique experience for fans and clubs alike, and we're especially excited to launch the season at Marvel Stadium as part of Spud's Game."

Two new AFLW venues will be used this season, with Fremantle playing home games at Cockburn ARC Oval and Hawthorn hosting matches at the Kennedy Community Centre.