Footy is back on Seven and 7plus Sport
AFL Opening Round kicks off this Thursday on Seven and 7plus Sport
The Seven Network’s full slate of weekly AFL programming is set to get back into action as the highly anticipated 2026 AFL Premiership Season returns, with the Sydney Swans v Carlton blockbuster kicking off the season at the SCG this Thursday, 5 March, live and free from 7.00pm AEDT on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
With a stellar team of experts, headlined by the most experienced voices in the game, there’s no other place footy fans should turn for the 2026 AFL Premiership Season than Seven and 7plus Sport.
Before the on-field action starts, Seven’s weekly programming schedule begins with football’s most popular show, The Front Bar, which returns to Seven and 7plus from 8.30pm, Wednesday 4 March. Iconic trio Andy Maher, Mick Molloy and Sam Pang will be back in their seats at the bar to share a lighthearted look at the 2026 season, alongside the biggest names of yesteryear and today.
On opening night, Mick, Sam and Andy will be joined by St Kilda legend and 7AFL commentator Nick Riewoldt, alongside his former teammate Justin Koschitzke, before four-time AFLW Premiership player and Seven AFLW Expert Libby Birch swings by the bar for a guest appearance.
Straight after The Front Bar, footy fans will be treated to incredible access inside two big Victorian clubs, Collingwood and St Kilda, with the debut of inner sanctum documentaries Marching In (St Kilda) and On The Inside (Collingwood) on Seven and 7plus Sport.
Debuting straight after The Front Bar on Seven and 7plus Sport, Marching In presents an hour-long special inside the 2025-26 pre-season of the St Kilda Football Club under coach Ross Lyon.
The program goes inside the Saints’ pre-season as they integrate a flurry of high-profile recruits alongside some of the game’s brightest stars, including Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, offering rare access to the preparation, personalities and pressure leading into the 2026 AFL season.
Following Marching In, fans will get a look behind the curtain at the Collingwood Football Club’s 2025 season, as the first episode of On The Inside debuts on Seven and 7plus Sport.
Captured across the 2025 AFL season, On The Inside is a three-part series that weaves together personal and on-field storylines, from Jeremy Howe’s injury challenges and Brayden Maynard’s recontracting journey to Jordan De Goey’s life in regional Victoria and the passion of cheer squad members Robby and Feim.
All three episodes will also be made available from 7.00pm AEDT Tuesday, 3 March, on 7plus Sport.
Then, from 7.00pm AEDT Thursday night, football’s #1 commentary team will join viewers live from the SCG ahead of the highly anticipated opening night clash between the Sydney Swans and Carlton.
As Charlie Curnow lines up to face his old side, Seven’s Thursday Night Footy coverage will be hosted by Rebecca Maddern and Hamish McLachlan, with play-by-play commentary by iconic voices Brian Taylor alongside McLachlan. Kane Cornes, and Luke Hodge remain in the expert chair, while Nick Riewoldt returns to Thursday for out-of-play special comments. 7NEWS Chief Football Reporter Mitch Cleary also returns to the boundary.
Thursday Night Footy doesn’t end there, with fan favourite segment “Roaming Brian” to feature weekly in the post-match coverage on Thursday nights, giving viewers unprecedented access into the winners’ rooms each week.
Prime-time football continues on Seven the following night, when Seven’s Friday Night Footy team deliver every moment of the Gold Coast SUNS v Geelong Cats clash from People First Stadium, from 7.00pm AEDT on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
Seven’s Friday Night Footy coverage in 2026 will be hosted by Abbey Holmes and James Brayshaw, with play-by-play commentary called by Brayshaw and Alister Nicholson.
Matthew Richardson and Dale Thomas return as expert commentators, while 7NEWS Sport Reporter Xander McGuire will be on deck to report all the biggest breaking news stories affecting the game. Holmes also returns to the boundary for field commentary.
Sundays on Seven will be more action packed than ever, starting with the return of Sunday Footy Feast hosted by Jason Richardson alongside Campbell Brown. Before Kate McCarthy returns to the show in Round One, Brownlow Medallist, Tom Mitchell will be at the desk alongside Richardson and Brown.
The star trio will unpack the key stories from the round so far and preview the matches to come from 12.00pm AEDT Sunday, 8 March, on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
In Opening Round, Seven’s St Kilda v Collingwood Sunday Night Footy coverage will be led by host James Brayshaw alongside experts Kane Cornes and Nick Riewoldt. Abbey Holmes and Mitch Cleary will be positioned on the boundary at the MCG, while Brian Taylor and James Brayshaw call the match.
From Round One onwards, Seven’s Sunday Afternoon Footy returns, led by expert commentator Joel Selwood alongside a rotating group of Seven’s callers, experts and field commentators, live and free on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
Following the on-field action of Opening Round, Seven’s full weekly programming schedule returns with the first episode of The Agenda Setters, which expands to a third night in 2026, premiering on Monday, 9 March, on Seven and 7plus Sport.
The show will continue to be spearheaded by Australia’s most respected football journalist, Caroline Wilson, alongside a line-up of the game’s most trusted voices in Craig Hutchison, Kane Cornes, Luke Hodge, Dale Thomas, Nick Riewoldt and 7NEWS Chief Football Reporter Mitch Cleary.
The third show on a Wednesday night will see Craig Hutchison start the year in the hosting chair alongside Nick Riewoldt and Mitch Cleary, plus a rotating third panelist. Collingwood Captain Darcy Moore will appear regularly on the Wednesday show throughout the season, including the first Wednesday night episode on Wednesday, 11 March.
Introduced in 2025 and proving a major hit, immediately after The Front Bar on Wednesday nights Hamish McLachlan sit down with key football stars and personalities, offering a raw and unique insight into key figures across the AFL in Unfiltered. In episode one, Hamish is joined by AFL Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Dillon, with a never-before-seen insight into the game’s most prominent figure.
Seven’s Head of AFL and Sport Innovation, Gary O’Keeffe, said: “With anticipation building ahead of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season, footy is officially back on Seven and 7plus Sport, and fans can once again experience the biggest moments of the game live and free, all season long.
“Opening Round has quickly become one of the most exciting additions to the football calendar, and the blockbuster clash at the MCG will provide a fitting finale to what promises to be four spectacular days of football.
“There is nothing like the return of footy – the noise, the passion and the roar of the crowd – and we are proud to bring the biggest moments to fans across the country, live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport,” he said.
Following its launch in 2025, Australians can once again stream every round of the footy live and free on 7plus Sport, offering unprecedented access to game day action and new programs all season long.
Seven’s AFL match coverage in 2026 includes matches on Thursday nights, Friday nights, Sunday afternoons and more Sunday night games than ever before. Plus, SANFL and WAFL nation-wide on 7plus Sport.
Seven will also show marquee games and every match in the AFL Finals Series including – exclusive to Seven and 7plus Sport – the Charles Brownlow Medal and the 2026 AFL Grand Final. Plus, fans in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia can watch every game involving teams from their home states on Seven and 7plus.
Seven’s 2026 AFL Coverage
The Agenda Setters – Monday nights on 7mate and 7plus Sport Returns Monday, 9 March
Host: Craig Hutchison
Panelists: Kane Cornes, Caroline Wilson and Nick Riewoldt
The Agenda Setters –Tuesday nights on 7mate and 7plus Sport Returns Tuesday, 10 March
Host: Kane Cornes
Panelists: Caroline Wilson, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge
The Agenda Setters – Wednesday nights on 7mate and 7plus Sport Returns Wednesday, 11 March
Host: Craig Hutchison
Panelists: Nick Riewoldt and Mitch Cleary alongside a rotating guest schedule
The Front Bar – 8.30pm (local) Wednesday nights on Seven and 7plus Sport Returns Wednesday, 4 March
Hosts: Mick Molloy, Sam Pang and Andy Maher
Unfiltered – 9.30pm (local) Wednesday nights on Seven and 7plus Sport Returns Wednesday, 11 March
Host: Hamish McLachlan
Thursday Night Footy – 7.00pm AEDT live on Seven and 7plus Sport Hosts: Rebecca Maddern and Hamish McLachlan
Callers: Brian Taylor and Hamish McLachlan Experts: Kane Cornes and Luke Hodge
Out-of-play: Nick Riewoldt
7NEWS : Mitch Cleary
Friday Night Footy – 7.00pm AEDT live on Seven and 7plus Sport Host: Abbey Holmes and James Brayshaw
Callers: James Brayshaw and Alister Nicholson
Experts: Matthew Richardson, Dale Thomas, with special guest appearances from key current players
7NEWS : Xander McGuire
State Leagues : The match of the week from the SANFL and WAFL are available every Saturday of the season on Seven in the competition’s home state and streamed nationally on 7plus Sport
Sunday Footy Feast – 12.00pm AEDT live on Seven and 7plus Sport Host: Jason Richardson
Panellists: Campbell Brown and Kate McCarthy
Sunday Afternoon Footy – 2.30pm AEDT live on Seven and 7plus Sport Hosts: Abbey Holmes and Alister Nicholson
Callers: A rotation between Seven’s group of callers
Experts: Joel Selwood alongside a rotation of Seven’s expert commentators
Sunday Night Footy and marquee matches:
Rotating group of Seven’s AFL talent lineup.
Club docuseries : Showcasing exclusive pre-season action at the St Kilda Football Club plus a three-part series going behind the scenes of Collingwood’s 2025 campaign. Both to air the week of AFL Opening Round**.** Plus, No Holds Barred – a look into the GWS Giants is available to stream now on 7plus Sport.
Centimetre Perfect : Celebrating the career of Dennis Cometti, coming soon to Seven and 7plus Sport
7AFL Hub on 7plus Sport
In addition to live and on-demand streaming of Seven’s AFL matches, the 7plus AFL Hub
will also showcase further live and on demand footy content, including:
Highlights: Catch all major moments missed in a previous game with highlights on 7plus Sport. Every match, every round
Roaming Brian: Watch as Seven’s Brian Taylor hits the changerooms with the toughest questions after each side’s Thursday Night Footy win. Viewers can also tune into old Roaming Brian segments on demand on 7plus Sport
The Front Bar: Viewers can tune in live and on-demand on 7plus when Mick Molloy, Sam Pang and Andy Maher share a laugh each week of the 2026 season
The Agenda Setters: Viewers can stream Seven’s new AFL panel show live and on-demand on 7plus Sport
Unfiltered: Stream live and on demand as Hamish McLachlan sits down with the
AFL industry’s most fascinating personalities, every Wednesday night on 7plus Sport
Sunday Footy Feast: Jason Richardson, Campbell Brown and Kate McCarthy will play host to a rotating group of the game’s biggest names on the Sunday Footy Feast, streamed live and on-demand on 7plus Sport
7AFL Channel: The best content from our coverage each week is served in a 24/7 FAST Channel
State Leagues: The best matches from the SANFL and WAFL are available nationally every week on 7plus Sport
Retro Row: Footy fans can head to Retro Row on 7plus Sport to re-live all the golden historic AFL moments from yesteryear
AFL Kids Call: Returning in 2026 for select matches, Seven knows how much kids love their footy, and once again this season families can tune into alternate commentary for kids, by kids on 7plus Sport