The AFL is being urged to seize a rare opportunity to completely re-imagine its 2027 fixture, with a panel of football experts arguing the league should redesign its schedule to avoid head-to-head clashes with rival sporting codes.
The push comes from a group of prominent football analysts who say the 2027 season presents an ideal window to rethink how games are scheduled, minimising the competition for fans' attention that has long plagued the code when fixtures overlap with other major sports.
The panel's view is that proactive planning now could deliver a smoother, more fan-friendly calendar that benefits both the AFL and its audience when the 2027 season arrives.
