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Full Noise by SN
Important update on 1476AMAFL looking to scrap practice matches ahead of Tassie fixture squeeze
Sam Edmund • April 22nd, 2026 7:26 pm
The AFL will attempt to stretch the season to 24 rounds, but it won’t be playing games overseas to facilitate it.
While debate rages over how the league should accommodate Tasmania’s entry into the competition from 2028, there is currently no thought being given to taking matches back outside the country.
The season structure will have to change from 2028 given the Devils’ entry as the 19th team means an even number of games will need to be played to avoid some sides playing extra matches.
As things stand, each of the 18 clubs gets 11 home games across 22 matches, with the 23rd appearance being the almost-neutral Gather Round.
To get Gather Round over the line in 2023, the AFL told the players it was happy to scrap one of two official practice matches and pay them to play an extra home-and-away round in the season-proper.
But stretching it to 24 will be far more difficult.
It’s understood that the AFL’s preference is to scrap all official practice matches to get the 19 clubs to 24 games, but whether it can convince those who already believe the game is too demanding and the season too long remains to be seen.
And while playing games outside Australia guarantees a neutral venue for a 24th game, matches in the US, India or any other overseas market is not on the table in any form.
The AFL has not staged a game in another country since Port Adelaide faced St Kilda in Shanghai in 2019.
Some thought has been given to spreading that extra weekend around the country and focusing on non-traditional markets, or instituting another version of Gather Round in a state like Queensland.
Another more radical scenario being discussed in a move to 24 matches is whether the AFL buys home games off some clubs similar to how North Melbourne have sold matches to WA.
