The Club’s full home-and-away schedule has been unveiled.
By Western Bulldogs Media
The Western Bulldogs will launch their 2026 AFL season with the Club’s first appearance in Opening Round in early March, where they will face the reigning premier Brisbane Lions ahead of a campaign that will see the team push towards a return to finals footy.
The Bulldogs feature prominently across the AFL home-and-away season, including:
- Hosting Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon at Marvel Stadium;
- Marquee games throughout the season – Opening Round, Easter Sunday Night, and a feature game during Gather Round under lights at Adelaide Oval; and
- Featuring nine of the team’s first thirteen matches on Channel 7 that ensures broad national free-to-air broadcast audiences, with seven matches to be played in Thursday or Friday night time slots.
A bumper home fixture featuring a mix of opponents should again draw Bulldogs fans and members to match day, with the Club recording the highest aggregate attendance of any Marvel Stadium tenant club in 2025.
After the success of its launch this year, Easter Sunday Night will again return to be a marquee occasion for the Club as it faces Essendon at Marvel Stadium in Round 4.
A Saturday night Gather Round blockbuster against the Hawks will ignite Adelaide Oval in Round 5, before a Premiership anniversary celebration against Sydney as the Club honours its 2016 heroes 10 years on.
As revealed yesterday, the Club’s Ballarat home games have been moved to Marvel Stadium due to capacity restrictions during the Mars Stadium redevelopment project, with those games to be played in 2028.
These changes will see eleven home matches played at Marvel Stadium in 2026, giving Bulldogs fans and members even more opportunity to watch their heroes under the roof in Melbourne.
Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains said he was delighted with the overall fixture, pointing to a balance of family-friendly slots and prime-time blockbuster for the Bulldogs faithful to enjoy.
“As a Club, we’re really excited to take to be playing in Opening Round for the first time and the challenge Brisbane provides, while also continuing our new tradition of Easter Sunday Night,” Bains said.
“Our Marvel Stadium attendances led the way this year, and we expect that to continue with enticing home matches against Essendon, Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and Melbourne.
“After celebrating 100 years in the VFL / AFL in 2025, we’ll have the opportunity to honour our 2016 Premiership-winning team next year, with different celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of that famous achievement.
“While we won’t have Ballarat AFL matches next year, we look forward to that partnership extending into 2028, with the Club’s commitment to the region remaining absolute.
“Our success as a Club this year resulted in us breaking our all-time crowd and membership records and we’re confident this fixture presents an opportunity for the Bulldogs faithful to help us go one step further.”
“With our sights set on pushing past 70,000 members and so much to look forward to for the Club, now is the perfect time to join the Bulldogs family and share in the exciting journey ahead.”
Information regarding ticketing will be released in due course.
