2026 Round 2 Preview

The overreactions are in, the ladder is moving, and the winter grind is officially here—welcome to Round 2 of the 2026 AFL Season! The Kick to Kick Podcast is back to find the soul of this week’s matchups by obsessing over the past. We’re stripping away the modern gloss to revisit the mud, the heritage, and the first sparks of these legendary rivalries. This week, we’re breaking down: St Kilda vs. Geelong: We return to Round 10, 1897, for the very first VFL-era clash between these teams. It was a gritty, low-scoring affair at Corio Oval that established Geelong's early dominance over the developing Saints. Adelaide Crows vs. Brisbane Lions: We revisit Round 5, 1997, a season where both clubs were defining their modern identities. It was a tactical masterclass by Malcolm Blight’s Crows against a newly merged Lions outfit still finding its roar. Western Bulldogs vs. Gold Coast Suns: We look back at Round 3, 2011, when a prime Robert Murphy led the Dogs against a teenage Gary Ablett Jr. and the fledgling Suns. It was a "welcome to the big leagues" moment that showed the gap between the old guard and the new. Sydney Swans vs. Essendon: We go back to Round 1, 1982, for the Swans' home game at the SCG. As the "Bloodshot" South Melbourne identity officially began its transformation into the Sydney powerhouse we know today.