Frequently asked
Questions people ask.
Short answers. Each links to the page with the detail.
Is this the real AFL fixture?
No. A research model produced the fixtures on this site. The AFLAustralian Football League.Read more in the glossary did not write or endorse them. It will publish its own 2027 fixture. We plan to check that fixture with the same rule checkers used on ours and report the comparison fairly. If it differs from one of our assumptions, we will report an assumption mismatch, not an AFL breach.
Who made it?
One person built this independent research project with AI assistance. It explores how to build an AFL fixture and explain it rule by rule. It is not affiliated with the AFL, any club, broadcaster or venue. It uses no league or club marks.
How often does it change?
Whenever we publish a new version. Nine releases appeared between 13 and 30 September 2026, including five on one day as we corrected and added rules. We keep every version unchanged. The versions page shows them in order and explains what changed. There is no fixed release schedule. The site names its current version.
Why are there two start dates?
The AFL has not announced the 2027 start date. The model has two calendars: Wednesday opening (17 March 2027) and Thursday opening (18 March 2027). Only Round 1 differs: a Sunday-afternoon slot becomes a Wednesday-night slot. Neither has a separate Opening RoundA short extra round before Round 1, played by some clubs only. The 2027 model has none.Read more in the glossary, because none has been announced. A Wednesday opener has no recent precedent, so we label it a modelled assumptionA value we chose because the AFL has not published the 2027 fact, or because a convention is only visible in past fixtures.Read more in the glossary.
A rule says switched off. Did the fixture break it?
No. “switched offNo checker could test this rule in this version. Not a verdict on the fixture.Read more in the glossary” means the rule could not be checked or was left out of that run. The explanation beside it says why. It does not mean the fixture failed. Only “not met” means a checked rule was broken. Early versions have many switched-off rules; the current release has none.
Are the kickoff times real?
They are assumed times, not AFL-announced times. The model gives each match a weekday and a time band: day, twilightThe late-afternoon time band, between the day and night games.Read more in the glossary or night. Later versions also assume a typical start time for each slot, such as 7:30 pm for Friday night. The slot bandA weekday and a time band, such as “Friday night” or “Saturday twilight”. Day, twilight and night are the recorded bands.Read more in the glossary comes first; any clock time appears underneath, marked modelled. Calendar entries also lead with the slot band. If no time is recorded, we show only the band.
The release notes mention an audience model. Why can't I see its numbers?
A model fitted to published TV ratings helps choose slots. Its predictions use model units, not measured viewer counts, and we do not publish them. When it has no basis for a game, the prediction is unknown, never zero. That game keeps a reference slotA slot a game keeps when the viewing model has no basis for predicting its alternatives.Read more in the glossary instead of taking part in the slot search.
What is an operator edit?
A person pins a match detail, such as its date or ground, with a stated reason. The model rebuilds the fixture from the first step the request affects. This creates a new version and a recorded comparison with the earlier one, which stays unchanged. The site shows what was asked, what moved and what the rule checks found. No operator editA new version made by locking a game's date or ground with a stated reason and rebuilding the fixture around the lock.Read more in the glossary has been published for 2027. The recorded example demonstrates a 2025 edit.
Why do some screens look like the AFL's own tools?
We followed publicly shown formats, such as the season grid and the days-break table, so the analysis feels familiar to anyone who has seen them. We use no AFL branding, logos or marks.
What do blue and red mean?
Blue means a home game and red means an away game. Each is also labelled in words, so you never have to rely on colour alone.
What do the break colours mean?
Breaks count the days between a club's games. Red is 5 days, amber is 6 days, and green is 7 or more days. Each cell also carries its number.