Five games of footy are officially in the books, and we’re already starting to learn plenty about who might be contending and who might be pretending in 2026.
Opening Round saw the Bulldogs pull off an upset against the Lions and the Suns make an equally large statement at home against the Cats, not to mention the Giants adding further concern to Hawthorn’s season.
A full slate awaits looking ahead to Round 1, headlined by four monstrous games on Saturday that could easily be an early taste of finals.
Once the traditional season-opener, and now a game the Blues can’t afford to lose. The takeaways from the first half last week against the Swans were positive, but surrendering a whopping 74 points in the third quarter has heaped further pressure on Michael Voss. The ball movement looked better, but the Blues were still smashed through the midfield once the Swans started to control possession. The Tigers are still rebuilding, but with an up and coming list and the memories of last year’s 13-1 upset on this same stage, all the pressure is firmly on the Blues to respond.
If the theory ‘you’re only as good as your last game’ is true, then the Hawks have some serious work to do in 2026. There were a few signs of a comeback in Saturday’s 27-point loss to GWS, but Sam Mitchell will be wanting more from his back line after allowing Jake Stringer to kick five goals. Questions around Hawthorn’s small forward line and reliance on Jack Gunston appear warranted, while their ability to find targets inside 50 still needs some work. Essendon, meanwhile, left a lot to be desired in their blowout preseason loss to St Kilda a few weeks ago and have lost more than they’ve gained on the personnel front this year. The Hawks should win, but it may not be the blowout many expect.
Another chapter in what is sure to be a feisty encounter between two sides that don’t get along. The Dogs’ come-from-behind win over the Lions last week was a genuine statement, while the Giants reminded everyone that there is still plenty of talent left in Western Sydney, even without superstar midfielder Tom Greene. It was only one game, but the Dogs looked to have the killer blow of a serious Premiership contender, led by Ed Richards, Tim English and Marcus Bontempelli during the final quarter up in Brisbane. The Giants, on the other hand, left the door open for times against Hawthorn, relying on some unforeseen brilliance from Jake Stringer. Back at the Kennel with their tails up, I’m leaning the Dogs by a few.
A tough start to the season for the Dockers, but one Justin Longmuir’s side will certainly be up for given two of their last three visits to the Cattery have resulted in a win. Geelong coach Chris Scott said all is calm following last week’s dismal loss to the Suns, a game that saw the Cats blown out of the water early with only two first quarter goals. Turnovers and some key outs were to blame, and there’s still no news on the Jeremy Cameron or Patrick Dangerfield front at time of writing. After years of defensive-first footy, it’s hard to put too much stock in Freo’s offseason promise that they are focusing on attacking and scoring points this year. That said, they are a dangerous team up forward and through the middle, one that could easily send the Cats to 0-2 if they aren’t careful.
A tough trip to the SCG awaits the Lions on Saturday, who will likely be without key defender Harris Andrews, as well as Zac Bailey and superstar midfielder Hugh McCluggage. Replacing Andrews is an insurmountable task down back for coach Chris Fagan, although there were plenty of positives about the way the back to back Premiers played last week despite allowing the Dogs to finish over the top. The Swans, meanwhile, flexed their muscle after a slow start against the Blues, piling on the points in the second half. It’s too early to say that the Bloods are back, but they’ve already shown the ability to switch things up a gear when needed. Errol Gulden and Justin McInerney dominated when it mattered most, while Charlie Curnow kicked a lazy three goals. On the road with some massive outs, this is a tough spot for the Lions.
We get our first look at the Crows in what is a tall order away from home against a rejuvenated Pies outfit. After resting almost everyone in their preseason hit-out against North, Collingwood came out with a chip on its shoulder on Sunday night, getting a hold of St Kilda thanks to some classy play from the Daicos brothers. The decision to play Scott Pendlebury as the sub already looks like a stroke of genius, while the Pies are set to get even stronger down back with Darcy Moore a chance at returning. The Crows have had their problems on the road for the better part of three years, although all things considered, they remain one of the healthiest teams in the league. Despite how impressive they were at times, the Pies let St Kilda back into the game on a handful of occasions, and a more potent team up forward probably could have taken advantage. Adelaide has that firepower and are arguably being disrespected a little in the market.
A definite must-watch game between two sides fancied to finish toward the bottom of the ladder this year. North has some serious questions to answer with a depleted defensive line down back, and it sounds like we’ll have to wait until Round 3 to see George Wardlaw return to the field. Port has less to worry about on the injury front, but under a new head coach with a handful of top-line talent in the midst of a contract year, it’s hard to get a gauge on the Power right now. Sitting on the fence is preferable, until you remember Port has won six in a row over North dating right back to 2020. With the easiest draw in the comp over the opening six rounds, the Power could surprise early.
The new-look Dees take to the ‘G on Sunday with a couple of familiar faces missing. With Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver gone, this shapes as a tall order against a St Kilda side that still has everything to prove following a disappointing – yet familiar – loss to the Pies in Opening Round. New recruit Tom deKoning impressed, but it was still a case of the Saints lacking consistency up forward as Cooper Sharman and Liam Ryan squandered some serious opportunities late in the final term. Ross Lyon will be ruing the decision not to tag Nick Daicos, but he should rest easy knowing there isn’t the same level of superstar talent on this Melbourne roster capable of hurting his club the same way. On the flip side, how the Dees choose to approach Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is one of many fascinating stories worth watching in this one. Nothing would be more disastrous than an 0-2 start for a club pegged as a serious Top 4 hope, but until we see something change, you could easily entertain the Dees here to keep this interesting.
A tough start for the reigning wooden spooners as the Eagles travel East to face a Suns side that looks every bit a Premiership contender. Gold Coast’s demolition job against Geelong was one of the biggest storylines to emerge from Opening Round, highlighted by a monstrous three-goal, 34 disposal game by Christian Petracca on debut. The Suns are humming and looking to give their home crowd something to cheer about for the second week in a row, but rest assured coach Damien Hardwick will be stressing the importance of his side taking this week’s opponent seriously. They say the great sides take care of inferior opponents, so look for the Suns to rack up the score with a nice percentage booster.