Version · 15 Sep 2026

Two opening dates

Four candidates: two calendar treatments (a Thursday 18 March nominal opening and a Wednesday 17 March opening) at two seeds each, with the season's structure rules now independently checked.

For analysts: recorded build note

The nominal-calendar candidate the release notes select. FS-01 to FS-06 now produce canonical verdicts (19 rules evaluated, 38 disabled with reasons). Venue availability refreshed: no assignment conflicts with a captured blackout, and positive availability stays unknown.

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What it is: Generated A fixture the model built from scratch through all five steps.
When: Released 15 Sep 2026 in “Two opening dates”, its headline version.
Built from: Re-run after rule changes from New rules in force. The model builds a fresh fixture after rules change. It links to the previous release’s headline version. Differences come from rule changes, rather than a human edit.
Calendar: Thursday opening (18 March) · Round 1 starts on Thursday night 18 March 2027. Everything but Round 1 is the same as the Wednesday calendar.
Recorded facts: 207 games · 5 bye rounds · dates recorded · slot bands recorded · kickoff times not recorded

What changed from “New rules in force”

FS-01 to FS-06 full-season structure rules produce canonical verdicts instead of report-only observations.
A second calendar treatment opens on Wednesday 17 March; it is not exported for this release.
WR-01 thirds weighting stays off; tenancy caps stay on.

Games moved

Added

Removed

Clubs affected

Counts from the prototype comparison between the two versions.

Everything that changed, game by game

What the rules say

19 met · 0 not met · 38 switched off · 4 don't apply

At least one rule rests on a labelled assumption or an unknown rather than a sourced fact for 2027. Every 2027 release so far is incomplete, and says so. It is not a failure.

Only "Not met" is a failure. Everything else in grey is a limit of the checking, or a rule that has nothing to act on. The recorded counts include 2 analyst-level rules listed only on the rules page.

No checked rule is broken in this version.

19 met Rules an independent checker confirmed

Met, metSix days between games CBA-01
Met, metAt most three short breaks a season CBA-02
Met, metExtra rest beside a short break CBA-04
Met, metThe opponent has at most six days’ rest CBA-05
Met, metThree rounds between a club's short breaks CBA-06
Met, metOnly one interstate trip around a short break CBA-07
Met, metNo short break after a Perth trip CBA-08
Met, metPerth clubs: no short break then travel CBA-09
Met, metEighteen clubs in the competition FS-01
Met, metEveryone plays everyone FS-02
Met, metSix double-ups each FS-03
Met, metTwenty-three games each FS-04
Met, metTwenty-four rounds in the season FS-05
Met, metOne bye each, mid-season FS-06
Met, metSix rounds between the two meetings RA-02
Met, metNo return games before mid-season RA-05
Met, metEvery game has one round internal:round.ASSIGN-01
Met, metTen Geelong home games at Kardinia Park internal:venue.GEELONG-KARDINIA-COUNT
Met, metEleven home, eleven away internal:venue.HA-BALANCE

36 switched off — no checker yet The independent checker for this rule had not been built when this version was published. The fixture may well obey the rule; nobody could confirm it.

At least 81 games on free TV BC-01Flag an issue
Three live free-TV games a round BC-02Flag an issue
Every game live on pay TV BC-03Flag an issue
Early Thursday nights on free TV BC-04Flag an issue
Big occasions live on free TV BC-05Flag an issue
Pay-TV-only Saturdays early in the season BC-08Flag an issue
When local games return to live TV BC-09Flag an issue
Every local game on free TV BC-10Flag an issue
Bye rounds still have seven games BY-01Flag an issue
Gather Round in one city GR-01Flag an issue
Gather Round: four days, three grounds GR-02Flag an issue
Everyone travels to Gather Round GR-03Flag an issue
Victorian clubs travel at least five times OH-02Flag an issue
Everyone visits Western Australia OH-04Flag an issue
Derbies are played twice OH-07Flag an issue
Games fixed in advance stay put RA-01Flag an issue
Final round is for return games only RA-06Flag an issue
Sold home games: the exact count SM-01Flag an issue
Darwin games are night games (venue deal) SM-03Flag an issue
Three Giants home games in Canberra SM-05Flag an issue
The ground must be free that day VA-01Flag an issue
Everyone plays at the MCG VT-03Flag an issue
At least 45 games at the MCG VT-04Flag an issue
At least 40 games at Docklands VT-05Flag an issue
Darwin games are night games VT-08Flag an issue
The weighted rule WR-01Flag an issue
Derbies are always double-ups WR-02Flag an issue
Every game has one date internal:date.DATE-ASSIGN-01Flag an issue
Games per day internal:date.DATE-DAY-CAPACITYFlag an issue
Same-state derbies per day internal:date.DATE-MARKET-CAPACITYFlag an issue
One game per club per round internal:round.ASSIGN-02Flag an issue
Banned double-up pairs internal:stage1.forbidden_pairsFlag an issue
Double-ups: one home game each internal:venue.HA-ALTERNATIONFlag an issue
Every game has one ground internal:venue.OPT-01Flag an issue
Venue caps for interstate visitors internal:venue.SM-CLUB-INTERSTATE-VENUE-MAXFlag an issue
Victorian venue caps internal:venue.SM-CLUB-VENUE-MAXFlag an issue

4 doesn't apply here The rule is about a part of the season this model does not cover. Finals are not modelled.

Short breaks only in the home-and-away season CBA-03Doesn't apply here
Opening Round involves only some clubs OR-01Doesn't apply here
Opening Round clubs get an extra bye OR-02Doesn't apply here
Opening Round runs Thursday to Sunday OR-03Doesn't apply here

Every rule in this version, by family

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TV slots and 54 rules checked 18 Sep 2026

What this version is

What changed from “New rules in force”

What the rules say

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