For most fans in Australia asking “when does footy season start,” they usually mean the AFL men’s premiership season.

Quick Scoop

  • The 2026 AFL season is set to kick off on Thursday, 5 March 2026 , with the opening match at the SCG between the Sydney Swans and Carlton.
  • AFL is a winter sport, so the main season typically runs from March through September each year, with pre-season matches starting a few weeks before.

If by “footy” you meant something else (like Premier League soccer or NFL):

  • Premier League 2026–27 : starts on the weekend of 22 August 2026.
  • NFL 2026 : regular season is scheduled to start on 9 September 2026.

If you tell me which code and country you care about (AFL, NRL, local soccer, etc.), I can narrow it to that exact competition and date.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.