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Crows, Port to bookend AFL Gather Round

Adelaide and Port Adelaide will bookend the AFL's Gather Round with two other games again scheduled for the Barossa Valley.

The AFL has released the schedule for the April 9-12 round next year when all clubs play in South Australia.

Adelaide open the round with a Thursday night fixture against Carlton, while Port conclude the round with a clash against St Kilda.

Both games will be at Adelaide Oval, which also will host a Friday night encounter between Collingwood and Fremantle.

The oval will host two Saturday games -- Essendon versus Melbourne, and a night match between Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs; and Port against St Kilda the next night.

Two games are scheduled for the Barossa after the township of Lyndoch, in the famed wine region, was awarded two matches for the first time in the 2025 season.

North Melbourne play Brisbane in Lyndoch on Saturday afternoon with the township to host GWS versus Richmond the following day.

Norwood Oval, in Adelaide's inner east, will also again host two games -- Sydney against Gold Coast on Saturday and Geelong versus West Coast the next day.

The AFL is expected to release the full 2026 fixture on Thursday.

GATHER ROUND GAMES (all times AEST):

Thursday April 9, 7.40pm: Adelaide vs. Carlton, Adelaide Oval

Friday April 10, 7.40pm: Collingwood vs. Fremantle, Adelaide Oval

Saturday April 11: 12.35pm: North Melbourne vs. Brisbane, Barossa Park; 1.15pm: Essendon vs. Melbourne, Adelaide Oval; 4.15pm: Sydney vs. Gold Coast, Norwood Oval; 7.35pm: Hawthorn vs. Western Bulldogs, Adelaide Oval

Sunday April 12: 12.30pm: Geelong vs. West Coast, Norwood Oval; 3.15pm: GWS vs. Richmond, Barossa Park; 7.15pm: Port Adelaide vs. St Kilda, Adelaide Oval