The 2026 AFL season overhauled its rules and expanded its finals to ten teams

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 130th season of the Australian Football League introduced a radical wildcard finals format and ended a 139-year tradition of bouncing the ball in the centre. Amidst record-breaking attendance and television viewership, the Brisbane Lions secured their third consecutive premiership, while Fremantle set new benchmarks for winning streaks and crowd support.

The 2026 season marked a significant evolution for the Australian Football League, featuring 18 clubs competing from 5 March to 26 September. The most notable structural change was the expansion of the finals series from eight to ten teams, incorporating a wildcard round for the first time since 2000. While the AFL Fans Association criticized the move, sports rights analyst Colin Smith noted that the change helped protect the league's $4.5 billion broadcast deal by reducing the number of dead rubber matches late in the season.

On the field, the game underwent substantial rule modifications aimed at increasing pace and reducing game length by about three minutes. A major shift was the removal of the traditional centre bounce, a practice dating back to 1887, replaced by a throw-up to allow umpires to focus on decision-making. Other adjustments included stricter rules on 'shrugging' tackles, new constraints on ruckmen during centre ball-ups, and a reduction in the time allowed for kick-ins. Despite these efforts to streamline play, the AFL Review Centre faced scrutiny after a high-profile officiating error in a round 3 match between Geelong and Adelaide.

Individual and team performances reached historic heights. The Brisbane Lions claimed their sixth overall premiership, defeating Fremantle by seven points in the Grand Final. Fremantle, however, dominated the home-and-away season, winning the minor premiership with a 19–4 record and setting a club-record 14-match winning streak. Collingwood's Nick Daicos enjoyed a standout year, winning the Brownlow Medal and the Leigh Matthews Trophy, while also setting a record for the most votes in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award. Sydney's Charlie Curnow secured his third Coleman Medal, becoming the first player since 2014 to win the award in his debut season at a new club.

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