First game of AFLW season locked in as part of Spud’s Game as league commits to double-headers
Updated ,first published
In today’s AFL Briefing
- Dreamtime on ‘G Clash’ is no longer a fully ticketed game
- Matthew Lloyd believes the Bombers are in “crisis” and the manager has concerns about his future as we head into a crucial fortnight for the beleaguered club
- The AFLW season will feature five doubles matches, starting with Carlton and St Kilda
Essendon lost ruckman Peter Wright to a knee injury ahead of a tough three-game period against underdogs Richmond, West Coast and Carlton.
Dons coach Brad Scott confirmed Wright will miss at least one game after it was confirmed he suffered knee ligament damage in Sunday’s 43-point defeat against Fremantle.
“Yeah, that’s not good,” Scott said on Fox Footy.
“He actually took a knock to his knee in the first quarter… He was able to play the game under some pressure, but the scans showed some PCL and MCL damage.
“He definitely won’t play this week. We’re hoping it’ll only last a few weeks.”
The injury blow came as club legend Matthew Lloyd warned the Bombers were in “crisis” and outlined concerns over Scott’s future as manager entering a crucial period for the beleaguered club.
The Bombers (1-9) will face Richmond on Friday night in a Dreamtime clash between the bottom two sides of the table before taking on the West Coast in Perth.
“This is a big fortnight for them,” Lloyd told the AFL website.
“I don’t even want to think about what would happen for Brad Scott if they lost to Richmond because I think it’s a win that they just have to put pen to paper and get it.
“This will show them where they stand as a club, both internally and externally.”
-Scott Spits and AAP
Tigers give up ‘fully ticketed’ status for Dreamtime
A crowd of more than 70,000 is expected at Dreamtime on Friday night for the ‘G clash between fallen giants Richmond and Essendon after the Tigers reversed an earlier decision to make it a fully ticketed fixture.
The AFL’s estimate of 72,000 comes as both clubs rebuild their lists and occupy the bottom two spots of the rankings with a 1-9 win-loss record.
To make matters worse, the Tigers are struggling to identify 26 fit players. Football boss Tim Livingstone checked with the AFL last week to see if state league players should be called for reinforcements.
The Bombers lost to Fremantle in front of an MCG crowd of 25,100 on Sunday, while Richmond suffered a 36-point loss to St Kilda in front of 31,000 fans at Marvel Stadium.
The Dreamtime game was the only Richmond home game originally scheduled to be fully ticketed this season.
“Initially, due to the high demand for Dreamtime during ‘G games, this game was considered fully ticketed to ensure all fans could enjoy a blockbuster experience,” the Tigers website said.
“The club, together with the AFL, have decided to open this game to general admission.”
Football fans complained early in the season about paying extra for a reserved seat if they did not have a season reserve seat, due to inflationary pressures on household budgets and rising fuel costs.
Last year’s Dreamtime match was attended by 76,051 people, down from 79,359 in 2024. The lowest post-COVID crowd was 70,226 in 2022.
Richmond are certain to make one change after defender Campbell Gray injured his hamstring against the Saints, but they could make four changes if necessary and still name a 23-man squad and three emergency squads.
Mykelti Lefau, Samson Ryan, Jasper Alger and Kaleb Smith are also likely to be candidates. Tom Sims is closing in on a return via the VFL but the Tigers are still determining his return-to-play schedule.
Nick Vlastuin was not cited by the match review official for his dangerous tackle on Saint Ryan Byrnes.
Byrnes received a free kick but his header did not hit the ground and he continued playing.
Luke Trainor (dislocated toe) and Sam Grjl (corkie) are both expected to be healthy.
Steely Green had his thumb scanned on Monday, but the Tigers expect him to be available as well.
One day, two games: AFL locked in double header
Carlton and St Kilda will kick off the 2026 AFLW season with a double-header featuring both men’s and women’s teams at Marvel Stadium for the annual ‘Spud’s Game’ on 9 August.
The bold move to launch the 11th AFLW season was confirmed by the league’s general manager of football, Laura Kane, on Monday.
The event is the first of five double-headers that will take place as the AFLW and AFL seasons overlap. The women’s match between St Kilda and Carlton will start at 16.35, while the men’s match in the 22nd round will start at 19.20.
Doubleheads have both lovers and haters; Some argue that they give the women’s game greater attention in front of a wider and more diverse audience and the chance to play in bigger, better venues.
But critics argue that only the most die-hard football fans are willing to sit in a stadium for six hours, risking a thin crowd waiting for the curtains to be raised.
“Success looks like a lot of people coming, a lot of people watching, the players integrating and the fans of those two clubs seeing both teams back to back at Marvel Stadium,” said Kane.
“The players, especially our captains, asked me a few things… and they wanted to play rep football, they wanted to play double-headers with the men and they wanted to play in stadiums like this. [Marvel]so they need to come up with a few more things for us to wear our skates on next year.
The fixture announcement comes in a crucial week for the AFLW; Coaching changes have been locked in at Hawthorn and Richmond, with the league confirming there will be a football match with AFLW representing Ireland on 1 August.
The match, which will feature 46 Irish players in the AFLW competition, will be the first to represent the AFLW since Victoria’s match against the Allies in 2017.
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Hannah Kennelly is an award-winning sports journalist and Formula 1 writer for The Age.Connect via email.
