The AFL has confirmed the Victorian Football League (VFL) 2022 fixture for Rounds Two to Eight.

Round Two will commence with Footscray hosting Northern Bullants in a twilight clash on Thursday 31 March at VU Whitten Oval, starting at 5:35pm. Sydney Swans will host Gold Coast Suns in a Friday night battle at Blacktown International Sports Park at 7:05pm, before six matches take place on Saturday 2 April. 

Round Two Saturday daytime clashes include Coburg’s opening match, a home game against standalone counterpart Port Melbourne, Williamstown travel to Southport in another standalone clash, Brisbane welcome North Melbourne, Collingwood host Geelong and Casey Demons take on Essendon. Frankston host GWS Giants at SkyBus Stadium in a Saturday night match.

Matches to conclude Round Two on Sunday 3 April are Sandringham v Richmond and Box Hill Hawks v Carlton. Werribee has the bye in the second week of the season.

The VFL season starts with Round One matches taking place from Friday 25 – Sunday 27 March.

The 2022 VFL season fixture, including match details from Rounds One to Eight, is available here. Match-ups from Round Nine onwards have been confirmed, with specific venue and timing details to follow once the AFL fixture for that period is locked in.

Broadcast and streaming: VFL broadcast partner the Seven Network will show a weekly game plus finals, live and free on 7 in Victoria and 7Plus nationally. Fans can catch up from anywhere around the nation on 7plus. All VFL matches in 2022 will be live streamed and available on demand via the AFL website (afl.com.au) and AFL Live Official App.

In Round One, the Seven Network will broadcast the Collingwood v Box Hill Hawks clash, to be played at Victoria Park at 12:00pm on Sunday 27 March. In Round Two, the feature match on Seven will be the Sandringham v Richmond game at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval at 12:00pm on Sunday 3 April.

AFL Head of State Leagues, Jennie Loughnan, said: “I would like to thank all stakeholders across the VFL for their understanding and patience as we’ve worked through the development of the fixture. There have been a number of added complexities and considerations, however we’re pleased to be able to provide clarity on the first eight rounds of the season.

“We appreciate the cooperation of the broadcasters, clubs and venues who we’ve worked closely with on the fixture. To the fans and players, we know you’ve had to wait for confirmation of the fixtures so hopefully we can now all look forward to what will be a fantastic first eight weeks of the VFL season.

“Having the Seven Network broadcasting one match per week and having all remaining matches live streamed free via AFL platforms is very exciting for our competition and will make the VFL accessible to more people.

“It’s been a difficult two years for many in the VFL community and while we remain vigilant because of the pandemic, there is a huge amount of excitement going into the season and I wish everyone the best for a great 2022.”

Ticketing: Where matches are ticketed, entry is $10 for adults, $5 for concession holders and kids under 15 are free. Some venues don't charge for entry.

The 2022 VFL season structure at a glance:

  • 21 teams will play 18 games each in a 22-round home-and-away season
  • Top eight will contest a four-week finals series
  • Grand Final scheduled for the weekend of 17/18 September
  • Rounds One to Eight details have been confirmed, with match ups locked in for the remainder of the season

While COVID-19 continues to impact the community, the health and welfare of all involved remains the priority and all matches will operate in a safe manner based on advice of respective governments, public health officials and medical experts. Protocols designed to protect those involved in the VFL have been communicated to clubs.

Like most football competitions across Victoria last year, the VFL 2021 season was called off prematurely, with no premier awarded because of the COVID situation and government restrictions. With the 2020 season cancelled, the last VFL premiership was won by Richmond in 2019.

2022 VFL Clubs
AFL-aligned clubs (14)
Box Hill Hawks
Brisbane Lions
Carlton
Casey Demons
Collingwood
Essendon
Footscray
Geelong
Gold Coast Suns
GWS Giants
North Melbourne
Richmond
Sydney Swans
Sandringham

Standalone clubs (7)
Coburg
Frankston
Northern Bullants
Port Melbourne
Southport Sharks
Werribee
Williamstown