Collingwood’s 2026 AFL Season kicks off this Sunday when the Pies take on St Kilda in the final match of Opening Round.
While they have been part of the showpiece opening week of the season since it was brought into the league two years ago, this year is the first time the Pies will play in Melbourne as they take to the MCG to take on the Saints.
It will be the first of their 23-game home and away season to kick off another exciting campaign.
Ahead of the 2026 season, here are all your questions answered:
Who are the new faces?
While former Sydney forward Jack Buller was the only new face to enter via last year’s trade period, the Pies got busy across the draft in 2025.
Taking five young players in the national and rookie drafts, the Club’s youth stocks were significantly boosted all across the ground.
Tyan Prindable, Sam Swadling, Zac McCarthy and Angus Anderson all joined via the national draft, while Jai Saxena was signed as a Category A rookie.
He and McCarthy are Next Generation Academy (NGA) graduates and have spent their junior careers in the KGM Centre, while the remaining trio arrived from interstate.
Prindable, a Brisbane Lions Academy player, alongside Western Australian Swadling and NSW-raised SANFL recruit Anderson will all be vying for midfield spots as they kick of their Collingwood careers in 2026.
The NGA pair meanwhile both starred as forwards in their Under 18 Oakleigh Chargers side and have been working closely in attack over the summer.
While not a new face, Harvey Harrison is also set to be a faux recruit in 2026 having spent the entirety of last season on the sidelines while rehabbing a knee injury sustained in 2024.
His magnet, alongside defender Reef McInnes, who has been doing the same after his ACL injury in Round 2 last year, will be welcome additions at the selection table this year for Craig McRae.
Who are the leaders?
The Pies unveiled a largely stable leadership group from last year’s crop earlier this pre-season, with small forward Lachie Schultz the only new addition.
Darcy Moore remains Captain for what will be his fourth season in charge, while Brayden Maynard and Nick Daicos are again the side’s Vice-Captains.
Schultz joins Jamie Elliott, Darcy Cameron, and Isaac Quaynor as the other members of the group.
What’s the fixture like?
While the Pies are still part of Opening Round ahead of its third iteration in 2026, this time they’ll be staying put in Melbourne for a blockbuster clash with St Kilda to close out the first weekend of the year.
They’ll then host the Adelaide Crows in a return-bout from last year’s Qualifying Final clash in Round 1, before jumping across town to take on the GWS Giants at Marvel Stadium in Round 2.
A hectic start to the year is broken up by a bye the following week, before they hit the road for a fortnight - first to Brisbane for the traditional Easter Thursday clash, before they take on Fremantle in the Friday night fixture of Gather Round.
A quartet of MCG games follow against powerhouses Carlton (away), Essendon (home), Hawthorn (home) and Geelong (away), before they jump on their third plane of the year to take on Sydney in Round 10.
The Pies are in Victoria for their next five games, starting with a Saturday twilight fixture against the West Coast Eagles at the MCG, before they head back to Marvel Stadium in a Round 12 match hosted by the Western Bulldogs, and then come back to the MCG for games against Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Richmond.
Their mid-year bye falls between the Melbourne (Round 13) and Port Adelaide (Round 15) clashes, while the Pies head to Queensland again in Round 17 to take on the Gold Coast Suns.
The run home features games against North Melbourne, Carlton and then the Crows at the Adelaide Oval, followed by a final month where the Pies host the Cats at the MCG, travel to Perth to take on the Eagles, and close out the home and away season with matches against Hawthorn and the Lions at the ‘G.
All in all, the Pies take to the MCG 14 times in 2026, Marvel Stadium three times, and have six interstate trips to Queensland (twice), South Australia (twice), Western Australia, and NSW.
What milestones are on the horizon?
Scott Pendlebury – V/AFL games record
Pendlebury currently sits third on the all-time V/AFL games record list, behind only North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey and Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck.
Pendlebury will equal Tuck’s 426 games and join him in second spot in his first game of the 2026 season, which all going well will be the Pies’ Opening Round clash against the Saints.
Entering the season seven games adrift from Harvey, the left-footer is on track to equal the record in Round 7, which happens to fall on Anzac Day in the traditional clash with Essendon.
Bigger celebrations will perhaps be saved for his record-breaking 433rd game however, which will likely fall the following week when the Pies host Hawthorn in a blockbuster Thursday night game at the MCG.
Regardless of when Pendlebury’s record-breaking matches come, 2026 is set to be a momentous year for the two-time premiership winner who enters his 21st season at the top level.
Brayden Maynard – 250 games
One of the Pies’ Vice-Captains in 2025 and a fan favourite, Maynard is on track to hit a significant career milestone this season as he enjoys the prime of his career.
Maynard sits on 229 career games and with 23 home and away games scheduled, and ideally a finals series to follow, the defender is on track to notch up his 250th match late in the season.
Only twice has he played less than 20 games in a season – in his debut year of 2015, and the Covid-shortened season of 2020 – so all signs point to a celebration of the 29-year-old in the later rounds of 2026.
Daniel McStay – 200 games
Ahead of his fourth year in black and white, McStay is on the cusp of the 200-game mark early in his 2026 campaign.
Ending the 2025 season on 198 matches, the coveted double-century should fall in the opening rounds of the season.
Darcy Moore – 200 games
Much like McStay, the Magpies skipper is on the verge of the 200-game milestone early in the 2026 season.
Finishing 2025 with 195 games next to his name, Moore is on track to celebrate game 200 in Round 5 of the season – a game in which the Pies are set to take on Fremantle as part of Gather Round.
After injuries curtailed the opening years of his career, Moore has played over 20 matches for the past four seasons straight as he prepares to bring up the milestone in his 12th AFL season.
Dan Houston – 200 games
Similar to McStay, the vast majority of Houston’s career matches have been played elsewhere, however he too is set to celebrate his 200th match in 2026.
The half-back flanker notched up most of his 189 career games during his time with Port Adelaide and played 21 games in his first season in black and white last year.
The milestone will fall in Round 11 when the Magpies host the West Coast Eagles at the MCG should Houston play all available games.
Jordan De Goey – 200 games
2026 is shaping up to be a celebration of the Pies’ 2014 draft crop, with De Goey – just like Moore and Maynard – likely to celebrate a major milestone throughout the season.
With 182 career games next to his name, De Goey will be hoping for a clean run of games this year so he can bring up the double century at AFL level as the season goes on.
How can I watch?
If you’re not in the stands cheering the Magpies on, there are important details to be abreast of when going to watch the black and white in 2026.
Now in the second year of the league’s freshest broadcast deal, the Pies will feature heavily in the prime-time slots in the first half of the season, with the majority of their games shown on Channel Seven.
Saturday games are shown exclusively on Kayo Sports & Foxtel however, with the Pies’ Rounds 1, 9, 11, 12 and 15 matches all without free to air coverage.
Rounds 16 – 24 are yet to have dates and times confirmed at this stage, with those decisions made after the first half of the year has unfolded.
How do I stay connected?
All your news, video and Club updates will be right here on collingwoodfc.com.au, while the Club’s social channels will be heaving with everything you need to know throughout the season.
To stay up to date, be sure to follow Collingwood across the social channels belo
