St Kilda plotting bold shake-up to Opening Round match-ups with stand-alone clash against Magpies in Melbourne

The AFL could still start 2026 in the northern states, but a major twist on Opening Round is gaining momentum and there could be plenty of spice in the first few games of next season.

St Kilda wants to help launch the new season with a blockbuster Sunday night clash against Collingwood in Opening Round next year.

On a mega day of sport in Melbourne, the Saints could host the Magpies on Sunday night, March 8, at the MCG only hours after the Formula 1 race winds up at Albert Park.

It would represent a tweak to the AFL’s Opening Round which in recent years has seen four games played in New South Wales and Queensland to open the season in northern markets.

But the AFL may heed calls to schedule a fifth match at the home of footy on Sunday night to give Melbourne a slice of the action in the first weekend of the AFL season.

Mitch Owens and the Saints want a prime-time MCG game to open the season. Picture: Mark Stewart

The traditional Richmond-Carlton blockbuster would follow four days later at the MCG, while Essendon is expected to host Hawthorn in a round one grudge match after the failed Zach Merrett trade.

While multiple Melbourne clubs have shown interest in the Sunday night Opening Round slot, St Kilda’s trade period plunge adding four new faces could help catapult them to the front of the queue.

The Saints added former Carlton pair Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni, ex-Gold Coast playmaker Sam Flanders and West Coast premiership high-flyer Liam Ryan this month.

It means the quartet could make their prime time debuts in front of a capacity MCG crowd and monster television audience against Collingwood, but the AFL is yet to make a final call.

Final decisions will be made over the next month, but the Saints are eager to make a splash next year with a new-look side eager to rise up the ladder after two years out of finals.

The Saints have been bold in recent months, paying superstar playmaker Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera $2 million a season and new ruckman De Koning about $1.7 million to wear red, white and black next year.

Collingwood will also be out to show it remains a premiership contender after showing signs of fading late this year.

The Magpies missed out on Silvagni’s signature in the free agency window after they were pipped at the post by the Saints following a lucrative late play for the gun defender.

Jack Silvagni in his new Saints colours. Picture: St Kilda FC

New Saint Tom De Koning is a marquee signing.

Collingwood has travelled to Sydney to play GWS Giants in each of the first two Opening Rounds in 2024-2025 but are open to the Sunday night spot against the Saints at the MCG in 2026.

And a game at the MCG could attract hordes of international visitors with Formula 1 fans set to flock to Albert Park for the first race of the season in the afternoon.

The race attracted a record 465,498 fans across the four days in March this year.

The MCG is available for use on March 8 and would likely attract a capacity crowd due to the public holiday in Melbourne the following day.

The league could still start the season in the northern markets for Opening Round next season after two years of games in Queensland and New South Wales across the first weekend.

However, the plan hit a snag last year when the Brisbane-Geelong game and Gold Coast-Essendon clash were postponed due to a cyclone which hit Queensland.

Potential juicy match-ups next year include Clayton Oliver’s first tussle against his former Melbourne teammates, Christian Petracca’s first clash against the Demons, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s return bout against Western Bulldogs and Charlie Curnow’s first-up battle against the Blues.

Reigning premier Brisbane Lions have also welcomed former Bomber Sam Draper to lead the Lions’ ruck stocks.

The league is also considering the makeup of the bye rounds for next season including the pre-finals bye.

Originally published as St Kilda plotting bold shake-up to Opening Round match-ups with stand-alone clash against Magpies in Melbourne