The day has finally arrived, the Geelong Football Club is back in action and ready to commence their 2026 AFL campaign. 

First up is no easy task for the Cats, as they prepare to take on the Gold Coast Suns at People First Stadium on Friday night. 

Two finalists from last year, both Geelong and the Suns will be looking to start their season on a positive note, with the match also set to be the first time in three years that the Cats have visited the Gold Coast for an AFL match. 

Running through all the key details you need to know, take a look ahead to Friday night's match, proudly presented by Lee Kum Kee. 

KEY DETAILS 

2026 AFL Season | Opening Round
Gold Coast Suns vs Geelong Cats
People First Stadium, Gold Coast
Friday March 6, 8.05pm AEDT

TEAM SELECTION

LAST TIME WE MET

A 40 disposal and 10 clearance performance from Max Holmes powered the Cats to victory in their last clash with the Suns, which occurred at GMHBA Stadium midway through the 2025 season. 

In dour conditions and with scoring at a premium, Geelong handled the weather and kicked away in the second half behind a brilliant four-goal haul from Tyson Stengle.

Tom Atkins (23 disposals, eight clearances) and Tom Stewart (23 disposals, 14 marks) were also brilliant, as the Cats snapped their two game losing streak against Gold Coast in brilliant fashion. 

LEE KUM KEE - PIVOTAL MATCH-UP

Bailey Smith v Noah Anderson

With two teams stacked full of star power and with important players on every line, all eyes will head to the midfield first and a tantalising match-up that awaits between Bailey Smith and Noah Anderson. 

Smith was electric during his first season with the Cats, leading the AFL in average disposals per game en route to a third place finish in the Brownlow Medal, lighting up the competition with his run and carry through the middle of the ground. 

Anderson was ultra impressive for the Suns as he also led the competition in a number of key statistics, standing out with his ability to find the footy and have a strong impact around contests. 

The superstar duo shared the top honour in the 2025 AFL Coaches Association's Player of the Year Award, so expect Smith and Anderson to fight it out once again on Friday as they look to kick start their campaigns in a big way. 

KEY PLAYER TO WATCH

Mark Blicavs

Geelong's premium utility who can play any position on the ground, Blicavs will continue to be incredibly important for the Cats in 2026 and it starts with Friday night's clash on the Gold Coast. 

With the absence of Rhys Stanley this week, Blicavs is set to play a pivotal role in the ruck and will come up against Suns big man, Jarrod Witts, in an area of the ground that could go a long way to deciding the result. 

Blicavs has proven to be incredibly effective in the ruck throughout his career, evidenced by his performances in Geelong's two Finals victories last year. 

His ability to win the football around the ground and his incredible endurance are assets the Cats can utilise, so keep an eye on how Chris Scott deploys Blicavs on the Gold Coast in Opening Round. 

HOW TO GET TICKETS

For Geelong supporters looking to attend Friday's game, tickets can be purchased through Ticketek to secure your seat at People First Stadium. 

There are also a number of interstate and Queensland membership options available for 2026, with now the best time to join and catch all the action as the year unfolds. 

WHERE TO WATCH 

Geelong's Opening Round clash will be broadcast live and free on Channel 7, prior to the opening bounce at 8.05pm AEDT. 

The match will also be broadcast on Fox Footy and streamed through Kayo, while K rock will also be covering all the action from the Gold Coast. 

Secure a Digital Plus Membership to watch all the action, which provides a 12-month subscription to Kayo Sports and other member benefits. 

Geelong has slumped to a disappointing defeat to open their 2026 season, falling to a red-hot Suns outfit by 56 points at People First Stadium on Friday night. 

In hot and humid conditions on the Gold Coast, the Cats struggled to adapt as the Suns piled on the pressure early, falling behind in the first term before the margin slowly extended out of reach as the night unfolded. 

The main positive to take away for Geelong was the incredible performance by Tanner Bruhn, who finished the game with 31 disposals, six score involvements and six intercept possessions in a phenomenal display.

Tom Atkins did everything he could to inspire his side through the middle of the ground, consistently willing himself to contests to collect 26 disposals and six clearances, while Ollie Dempsey showed no signs of slowing down with four goals. 

It took less than 90 seconds for Tanner Bruhn to make his presence felt on return, pinpointing a beautiful left foot kick to Shaun Mannagh deep inside 50, setting up Geelong's opening goal of the season. 

Gold Coast gained the momentum shortly after and held it for the majority of the first term, the Cats struggling to cover the Suns' offensive power as they found themselves trailing by 29 points at quarter time. 

The deficit continued to grow in the second term, Gold Coast were able to crucify Geelong's errors in defence and despite goals to Ollie Henry and Mitch Knevitt, the Cats headed into half time 42 points adrift. 

Bruhn (18 disposals) provided a spark and was firmly among Geelong's best in the first half, able to work back and pick off an equal game-high six intercepts while also recording four score involvements in a brilliant start to the year. 

James Worpel (six clearances, five tackles) and Tom Atkins (14 disposals) had an influence around stoppages and willed themselves into the contest, while Max Holmes (13 disposals) and Gryan Miers (14 disposals) worked hard to find space across the ground. 

Any hopes of a second half comeback were quickly dashed as Gold Coast kept their foot down, the Cats conceding seven unanswered goals in the third quarter as the deficit blew out to 79 points at the final break. 

But even with the result out of reach, Geelong continued to show fight in the final term and kicked six of the last seven goals in the game, pulling the final margin back to 56 points. 

Geelong will look to regroup quickly and bounce back as they return home next week, taking on Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

2026 AFL Season - Opening Round

GOLD COAST         7.1    11.5    18.8    19.11  (125)  
GEELONG CATS     2.2     4.5      5.7      10.9    (69)  

GOALS
Gold Coast: King, Humphrey 4, Petracca 3, Noble, Long, Lombard 2, Miller, Anderson 1
Geelong Cats: Dempsey 4, O.Henry 2, Neale, Mannagh, Knevitt, Clark 1

DISPOSALS
Gold Coast: Petracca 34, Miller 30, Noble 28, Andrew 26, Rioli, Anderson 24
Geelong Cats: Bruhn 31, Holmes 29, Miers 28, Atkins 26, Stewart 24

CROWD: 19,859 @ People First Stadium