Geelong will head to the Sunshine State on Friday night as they look to start their season strongly, taking on the Gold Coast Suns at People First Stadium.
It is set to be the Cats' first trip to the Gold Coast in close to three years, a stadium they have not won at since Round 22 of the 2022 AFL season.
The most recent match-up between the two sides went Geelong's way, but both the Cats and Suns could potentially take vastly different looking line-ups into Friday night's clash.
With the likes of Bailey Smith and Max Holmes set to go toe-to-toe with Noah Anderson and Christian Petracca, it is set to be a riveting clash to open the season.
Take a look at all the key details you need to know below as Geelong commences their 2026 campaign.
KEY DETAILS
2026 AFL Season | Opening Round
Gold Coast Suns vs Geelong Cats
People First Stadium, Gold Coast
Friday March 6, 8.05pm AEDT
LAST TIME WE MET
The most recent clash between the two sides occurred in Round 13 last year, with Geelong prevailing by 24 points in difficult conditions at GMHBA Stadium.
With rain and wind prevalent throughout the afternoon, the Cats held the Suns to five goals for the game and behind a four-goal haul from Tyson Stengle, kicked away late to record an important victory.
Max Holmes was the standout collecting a career-high 40 disposals and 10 clearances, but he was well supported by Tom Atkins (23 disposals, eight clearances) and Tom Stewart (23 disposals, 14 marks).
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.
PRACTICE MATCH TAKEAWAYS
Geelong fell by 15 points in their AAMI Community Series match against Carlton last week, but there were plenty of positives to take away from the practice game heading into the regular season.
The most notable performances came off the half back flank, with Lawson Humphries (24 disposals) and Tanner Bruhn (27 disposals) both impressing and able to generate plenty of ball movement.
Through the midfield, Tom Atkins (27 disposals, 10 tackles) and Max Holmes (25 disposals, one goal) were both dominant despite hardly leaving first gear, while George Stevens (17 disposals, seven clearances) was brilliant despite playing just 40% of game time.
With some key pieces missing, Jack Martin impressed up forward with a game-high three goals, collecting 12 disposals and three tackles inside 50 after entering the game in the second quarter.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Tom Atkins
Geelong's brilliant and tough on-baller was exceptional against Carlton last week, finishing the practice match with 27 disposals, 10 tackles and seven clearances.
It comes off the back of an outstanding 2025 campaign for Atkins, who averaged a career-high 19.7 disposals and 5.7 clearances per game, while also breaking the AFL record for the most tackles in a single season.
Atkins was important in Geelong's most recent clash with Gold Coast, collecting 23 disposals and a goal in Round 13 last year which helped steer the Cats to victory.
Facing the likes of Noah Anderson, Touk Miller and Christian Petracca on Friday night, winning the midfield battle will be crucial for Geelong and there might not be any player more important than Tom Atkins.
