By Evan Tudor
The remainder of Airport Toyota Premier Division Round 1 opens with a clash between two finals favourites who know each other well.
Hillside will unfurl its premiership flag when it welcomes Aberfeldie to Hillside Recreation Reserve.
It’s shaping up to be a very even contest to kick the season off for both these teams, with the Sharks and Two Blues entering this one with many positives of their own.
For the Sharks, it was a very strong off-season decorated with premiership celebrations, key signings, and very high player-retention that looks to set the team up well for 2026.
They’ll look to open the premiership defence in style with players like Caitlin Sargent and Emily Paterno who’ll again threaten opposition after kicking 36 goals each last year.
Aberfeldie enters its season opener after a big list turnaround, with 10 players departing Clifton Park, while nine will now call Abers home.
Among them are former VFLW/AFLW talents in Summer Hall, Jess Duffin, and Tahni Nestor.
Coming from the national stage, it will be interesting to see what kind of impact they can have this season.
Five Aberfeldie players named in last season's team of the year just shows how much of a powerhouse this club is.
These two sides last met in last season’s epic preliminary final that saw Hillside walk away victorious by eight points.
Last year’s runner-up Oak Park will return home to welcome a new look Maribyrnong Park to JP Fawkner Reserve.
The Roos will be looking to put last year's heartbreak behind them ahead of the new season, with last year’s dominant force back to do one better.
The Kangas opened their 2025 campaign with two straight losses to Hillside and Aberfeldie before 14 consecutive wins, cruising into the premiership decider.
They’ll be fielding six players in 2026 who were named in the team of the year for areas across the ground, proving the strength that they hold on this competition.
But their opposition isn’t necessarily the same Maribyrnong Park that we saw last year, with the Lions surviving relegation.
It was a busy off-season in and out of Monk Oval, with a plethora of ins and outs ready to shake up the entire Premier Division.
Some notable names include Tegan Matthews from Keilor, and ex-AFLW stars in Kerryn Peterson and Ellyse Gamble.
Peterson and Gamble will combine to bring an AFLW flavour to EDFL footy, with the duo holding an AFLW career of 64 and 63 games respectively.
Matthews, a big in for the Lions, will look to make an impact at her new home following a strong season of 32 goals, 11 best-on listings, and naming in the team of the year for the centre position.
It’s a game that will provide some further insight to players, officials, and onlookers alike into what they can expect for season 2026.
To close off the opening round of Airport Toyota Premier Division is a clash between Essendon Doutta Stars and Moonee Valley at Nipper Jordan Oval.
It’s the first time that these clubs will meet since Round 10 of last year, with Douttas taking home the 10-point win in a well-played game of footy.
They were knocked out in the first week of finals after finishing fourth on the ladder while the Fog didn’t progress to August action finishing sixth.
Some of the best-on in that encounter were Ada Pizzinga and Nadia Valenti who both kicked three for their respective clubs.
Pizzinga was a feature in last year’s team of the year in the forward position after her 31-goal season with 10-best-on listings for Doutta.
Captain of the Fog, Valenti, was also a feature in this team, positioned at half-forward.
The two opponents will be back on Saturday alongside Essendon Doutta Stars’ Harmony Mitsos and Camryn Bux who were also named in the honourable list after stunning seasons.
It’s fair to say that we have some of the division’s best going head-to-head in this match, and if last year’s encounter is anything to go by, then we’re set for another entertaining clash this weekend.
While both the Stars and Fog closed off last year’s campaign without a result they were desiring, the new season is here, and so is a new opportunity to write a new story.
By Jake Reeves & Michelle Dunstan
Tullamarine and Craigieburn will kick off the action in the early game at Leo Dineen Reserve, as well as the Airport Toyota Division One season and the tenth year of EDFL women's football.
The Dees hold their place in Division One from 2025 while Craigieburn re-enters a women's side after a hiatus.
It'll be the first time since 2019 the Eagles have fielded a women's side and will be full of young talent with Johnny Albrecht as coach.
Corey Dennehy was re-appointed as Tullamarine coach after stepping up during the 2025 season and with some new recruits, he'll be hoping for a good start to the year.
Both teams will be out to impress, and we're set for a ripping contest to start the season.
East Sunbury continues the search for its first women's win when it takes on Sunbury Lions at John McMahon Recreation Reserve.
The Thunder has been boosted by new coach Mark Hourigan and some new recruits that'll be hoping on-field success is around the corner.
The Lions will be led by club legend Jaimee-Lee Wilson in 2026 and hope to improve on their five-win season in 2025.
These two sides met each other twice in 2025 with the Lions winning by 77 and 56 points.
A spread of goal kickers highlighted both performances from the Lions which is something the Thunder will need to quell.
Keilor Park will look to get its season started well when it hosts Coburg Districts.
The Devils have been widely tipped to be premiership fancies, while Districts are looking to improve on a tough 2025 campaign that followed promotion.
Keilor Park finished second in 2025 and had the wood over the Lions securing two comfortable wins.
Caitlyn Crameri and Georgia O'Donovan combined for 14 goals across the two meetings and will need some attention from the Lions defenders.
Taylors Lakes will host the reigning Division Two premiers Gisborne in a grand final rematch at Lionheart Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
The two best sides across the Division Two home and away season will move up to Division One and will compete in what is set to be a redemption game for the Lions.
Joseph Antonetti's side was great throughout 2025, but did not overcome the powerhouse of Gisborne who they fell short to four times across the season.
How Gisborne will fare without the Kyneton talents of last year will be an interesting watch, but the finalists in this division from 2023 will be ready for the challenge.
Last season's runner-up Burnside Heights is set to host Westmeadows who dropped out of the 2025 campaign losing to the Bears in an elimination final by 57 points.
Both teams who were solid across last year and will want to start the season on the right note by picking up an early win against a similarly placed side.
The Bears will have to cover the losses of stars such as Krissy Trang, Holly McGregor, and Kayla Ravanello, while Westmeadows will welcome AFLW premiership player Sarah Wright who joins sister Gemma.
The Tigers picked up one win from four meetings with the Bears last season, a record they'll look to start reversing here.
Round 1 will be wrapped up at Eric Boardman Reserve with the Sunbury Kangaroos kicking off their season at home facing Roxburgh Park in a twilight clash.
Both teams in Division Two finished with seven wins throughout 2025, about as even as it gets in this competition, an incredible way to finish off the opening round of the season.
The two sides played some memorable games throughout the season with three games decided by single digits.
Roxy picked up two regular season wins, before the Kangaroos struck back with an elimination final victory.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
HILLSIDE v ABERFELDIE
🎥 Streamer
Saturday 1:50pm at Hillside Recreation Reserve
OAK PARK v MARIBYRNONG PARK
Saturday 1:50pm at JP Fawkner Reserve
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS v MOONEE VALLEY
Saturday 1:50pm at Nipper Jordan Oval
TULLAMARINE v CRAIGIEBURN
Saturday 10:00am at Leo Dineen Reserve
EAST SUNBURY v SUNBURY LIONS
Saturday 11:50am at John McMahon Recreation Reserve
TAYLORS LAKES v GISBORNE
Saturday 11:50am at Lionheart Reserve
KEILOR PARK v COBURG DISTRICTS
Saturday 11:50am at Keilor Park Recreation Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v WESTMEADOWS
Saturday 11:50am at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve
SUNBURY KANGAROOS v ROXBURGH PARK
Saturday 4:50pm at Eric Boardman Reserve
