The AFL has brushed off criticism around suspended Adelaide star Izak Rankine and two-time defending premiers Brisbane, following the highly anticipated release of fixtures for 2026. Critics have hit out after the Lions were largely left out of the prime-time slots to start the new season, while many have suggested the AFL deliberately scheduled Adelaide to play Collingwood in their first game of 2026 to avoid an ugly situation around Rankine.
The Crows star was suspended for four games at the back-end of last season after his homophobic slur on a Collingwood rival. Rankine missed Adelaide’s final home and away game against the Kangaroos, as well as the Crows’ two defeats in their finals campaign as they became the first minor premiers since 1983 to bow out in straight-sets.
The AFL has responded to criticism around Adelaide star Izak Rankine and defending premiers the Brisbane Lions, following the release of the 2026 fixtures. Pic: Getty
It means Rankine still has one game to serve on his suspension and it will come in Adelaide’s first game of the new season against the Pies at the MCG, in what promises to be a fiery showdown. The last meeting between the two sides was overshadowed by the Adelaide crowd’s incessant booing of Magpies ace Isaac Quaynor, who became public enemy No.1 for Crows supporters after Rankine’s ban.
Many feared Rankine would cop the same treatment from Pies fans when Adelaide returned to play them at the MCG next year. But Crows chairman John Olsen denied his club asked the AFL to schedule the fixture in round one so Rankine wouldn’t face the pro-Collingwood crowd.
“No, absolutely not,” Olsen told reporters. “The AFL fixture has many metrics to it, many components about how they structure the metric. Whether that was part of a metric or not, I’m unsure.”
The AFL’s scheduling and strategy boss Josh Bowler also downplayed suggestions the scheduling was a deliberate move from the league to avoid any controversy. “Round one is very important for us to get off to a really strong start,” he said. “Fans will be pretty excited to see that game, regardless of who’s playing in it.”
While the March 14 match will be Adelaide’s first of the season, Collingwood will be involved in the first Opening Round game to be played in Victoria six days earlier. After four matches in NSW and Queensland, the Magpies will face St Kilda in a Sunday night game at the MCG after the Australian F1 Grand Prix on March 8 to end the first weekend of the season.
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Lack of prime-time fixtures for Brisbane Lions criticised
Another major criticism of the AFL fixture release centred on two-time defending premiers Brisbane being largely overlooked for prime-time slots to begin 2026. Over the first 15 rounds of new season, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Geelong, Adelaide, Fremantle, Gold Coast, as well as non-finalists Carlton and the Western Bulldogs, all have more Thursday and Friday night teams than the most dominant team of the decade.
Two-time defending AFL premiers the Brisbane Lions have been largely ignored in the prime-time fixtures for the first half of the 2026 season. Pic: Getty
The Lions host the Bulldogs at the Gabba in Opening Round on a Saturday night, before three more enticing free-to-air matches – Collingwood (Easter Thursday), Carlton (round nine), and Geelong (grand final rematch, round 10) in the first four months. But the lack of prime-time fixtures for the Lions over the first 15 rounds of 2026 has sparked backlash from the likes of AFL premiership winner and pundit, Kane Cornes.
The AFL insists it would have liked to schedule more blockbuster Lions games but conceded it was impossible to satisfy everyone. “There is always one club who you’d probably sit there and say you’d like to get a few more games in,” AFL scheduling and strategy boss Bowler said. “They’ve got a pretty strong run home. We’d expect to see more of Brisbane in the back part of the fixture.”
The Lions will also be sent to a secondary venue away from the Adelaide Oval during Gather Round for a fourth-straight year. After playing at Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills, then at Norwood Oval, Brisbane will head to the Barossa in 2026. It will also be the third time in four years the Lions have gone up against North Melbourne in Gather Round.