AFL boss backflips by scrapping controversial 'Opening Round' experiment
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon says the 2027 season will start with all 18 teams in action despite previously defending the staggered start.
AFL chief Andrew Dillon has reversed his stance on the controversial Opening Round experiment, announcing that it will no longer be part of the 2027 season. The three-season trial, aimed at increasing Australian rules football's popularity in Queensland and New South Wales, will be scrapped in favor of the traditional nine-game first week.
The decision, announced today, follows criticism over the fixture that created a staggered start and early-season byes. Initially, Dillon defended the Opening Round, citing record attendances and membership rises. However, the experiment has been replaced with a traditional start to the AFL season, set to begin on March 17 or 18, just after the final day of the historic Ashes Test cricket match.
The 24-round home-and-away season will conclude on August 30, with the finals series beginning in September.
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