# 2026 AFLW season commencement

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/2026-aflw-season-commencement
> Updated: 2026-08-16T09:25:00.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

The 2026 AFLW season commenced with North Melbourne beginning its premiership defence against Geelong at Marvel Stadium. Heading into the opening round, North Melbourne held a 27-game winning streak, while Geelong entered the season under new leadership with coach Mick Stinear.

Following the initial matchups, North Melbourne established itself as the competition benchmark after securing a 73-point victory over Geelong. Other early season highlights included Melbourne’s Mia Austin scoring four goals in her club debut and St Kilda’s Tyanna Smith receiving attention for her performance against Carlton.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-16: AFLW round one highlights North Melbourne dominance and standout players

North Melbourne set the AFLW benchmark with a dominant 73-point win over Geelong in round one, while Mia Austin and Tyanna Smith emerged as standout individual performers.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aflw-round-one-highlights-north-melbourne-dominance-and-standout-players

### 2026-08-13: AFLW season kicks off with North Melbourne premiership defence

North Melbourne begins its AFLW premiership defence against Geelong, while Richmond and Collingwood face off in a season marked by new coaching and roster changes.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aflw-season-kicks-off-with-north-melbourne-premiership-defence

---
Cite as: 2026 AFLW season commencement. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/2026-aflw-season-commencement