North Melbourne e Melbourne abriram a temporada 2026 da AFL com vitórias, enquanto Essendon falhou contra o Hawthorn. North Melbourne and Melbourne opened the 2026 AFL season with wins, while Essendon faltered against Hawthorn.

Os North Melbourne Kangaroos começaram a temporada 2026 da AFL com uma forte vitória sobre Port Adelaide, gerando esperança após seis anos de mau desempenho, destacado por jogadas marcantes de Harry Sheezel, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Nick Larkey, Dylan Stephens e Cooper Trembath. The North Melbourne Kangaroos began the 2026 AFL season with a strong win over Port Adelaide, sparking hope after six years of poor performance, highlighted by standout plays from Harry Sheezel, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Nick Larkey, Dylan Stephens, and Cooper Trembath. Melbourne também abriu com uma vitória de 13 pontos sobre St Kilda, mostrando um estilo enérgico sob o novo treinador Steven King, com Jacob Van Rooyen marcando seis gols na carreira e jovens jogadores Caleb Windsor, Kysaiah Pickett e Latrelle Pickett contribuindo. Melbourne also opened with a 13-point victory over St Kilda, showcasing an energetic style under new coach Steven King, with Jacob Van Rooyen scoring a career-best six goals and young players Caleb Windsor, Kysaiah Pickett, and Latrelle Pickett contributing. Em contraste, o Essendon lutou contra o Hawthorn, com uma equipe desengajada e baixa participação de torcedores sublinhando os desafios em andamento apesar da reconstrução focada na juventude. In contrast, Essendon struggled against Hawthorn, with a disengaged team and low fan turnout underscoring ongoing challenges despite a youth-focused rebuild.