Going in under an intense blowtorch, Carlton had plenty of nervous moments against old rivals Richmond before hanging on for their first win of the AFL season.
Shayne Hope
The premiership hero has continued to let his frustration boil over ‘far too often in recent times’.
Glenn Valencich
The wife of a former AFL legend has denied a young girl stayed at their home, as he fights historical child sex abuse charges in court.
Emma Kirk
For players, round one seems less important than finals, but for some reason more significant than any other home-and-away game, writes Xavier Ellis.
Xavier Ellis
Brisbane Lions midfielder Lachie Neale’s potential move to a WA team is in jeopardy as two surprising clubs have now been tied to the embattled superstar.
Fraser Williams
West Coast will unveil a quartet of AFL debutants this weekend - their most in any match since Peter Matera and Dean Kemp were unleashed all the way back in 1990. See the details here!
Mitchell Woodcock
Last year, Fremantle went down to Geelong in round one and were throttled by 78 points. But I can assure Fremantle supporters last year’s result is in the rear-view mirror, writes Xavier Ellis.
West Coast are the least likely side to win an AFL season opener in more than a decade, according to bookmakers - but Andrew McQualter remains bullish on their chances.
Mitchell Woodcock & Chris Robinson
Peel product Mitch Edwards is set to make his AFL debut - two years on from being drafted to the Cats - with the former Freo NGA member set to come up against a few familiar faces.
James Palumbo
We already knew Brennan Cox wouldn’t play on Saturday, but now, it’s confirmed that Fremantle will be without two more stalwarts when they face Geelong. See who travelled and who didn’t here!
Jake Santa Maria
A former AFL club president has hit back at claims he defamed his wife during an investigation into a lewd photo posted to his social media account.
News Corp Australia
Collingwood captain Darcy Moore’s expected return on Saturday night from a calf injury has been shelved.
Marco Monteverde
Months after Zach Merrett unsuccessfully attempted to leave Essendon, new skipper Andrew McGrath has been able to lean on his predecessor.
Anna Harrington
Brisbane's Lincoln McCarthy will play his first AFL game in almost two years while Geelong have been bolstered by the return of two premiership stars.
West Coast could be in for some big pain in their season opener against premiership fancies Gold Coast, with at least a dozen players unavailable for the match.
Justin Chadwick
West Coast have pulled a selection shock, handing pre-season signing Milan Murdock a debut in their season opener against Gold Coast.
CAPTAIN’S LETTER: Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce has revealed his message to Dockers fans ahead of a 2026 season brimming with optimism. Read it HERE.
Alex Pearce
Diehard Fremantle fan Rebecca Kiriakidis hopes her early tipping win is a good omen for the Dockers fortunes this year as she took home the $10,000 early bird prize thanks to Thirsty Camel and The Game.
I know some readers may pause here. Admirers of law and order may question whether Cousins, renowned for more front pages than every other Eagle combined, should be a Hall of Famer.
Adrian Barich
Elijah Hewett is the latest casualty ahead of West Coast’s season opener, with the luckless midfielder to miss the trip east with a quad setback.
Collingwood will take on Adelaide's potent forward line without star defender and captain Darcy Moore, who pulled up short in his bid to return from injury.
A Hawthorn great has landed the job as list manager at AFL rivals Adelaide.
Steve Larkin
Rarely does a new player at a club have such a bearing on the match and it’s why I hold genuine fear for West Coast, writes Mick Malthouse.
Mick Malthouse
