SEVEN key games in 2027.
Carlton fans - and the wider football world - have no doubt spent the last 24 hours going over the 2027 fixture with a fine tooth comb, analysing the must-see games for their side next season.
Here’s a number of games which already have us counting down the days until the next AFL season.
Round 3: Carlton v Brisbane Lions
Marvel Stadium, Friday 2 April, 7:50pm
Carlton’s first home game of 2027 is a big one. After two away games in Melbourne in the first fortnight, the Blues will host the triple reigning premiers under the roof, in their only Marvel Stadium game up until Round 11. The opportunity to pack out the stadium and try to take a big scalp against the Lions is one which Blues fans are sure to embrace - particularly when you consider what happened the last time these two sides met in Round 21 of the 2026 campaign.
Round 5: Carlton v Collingwood
MCG, Thursday 15 April, 7:30pm
You don’t need us to tell you to look forward to a game between these two teams. The original rivalry in AFL football will add another chapter, and Carlton fans will be hoping that chapter is written in Navy Blue after a rough recent run against their nemesis. On the back of Gather Round, the MCG is sure to be rocking for Thursday night football, with Cripps and Walsh versus Neale and Daicos likely to be a hot topic entering the game. It kickstarts a run of four games in five at the MCG for the Blues…
Round 8: Carlton v Geelong
MCG, Thursday 6 May, 7:30pm
… And one of those games is a fixture which Carlton fans have a fond recent memory of. The Blues enjoyed three straight victories over the Cats at the MCG from 2024-2026, but you’d think Carlton’s players will have the most recent clash in their minds - the elimination final loss in 2026 which ended their season. New recruit Lachie Whitfield will also run into former captain Toby Greene for the first time. It won’t be the only occasion when these two teams meet in 2027, with the Blues to head to the Cattery in Round 19.
Round 10: Gold Coast v Carlton
TIO Stadium, Sunday 23 May, 5:40pm (ACST)
The Blues’ GMHBA Stadium game will be their first in seven years, and that also rings true for the trip to Darwin in Round 10. Taking on the Suns in Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the remaining Blues from 2020 will have fond memories of their last trip to the Top End, coming away with a 33-point victory. Carlton is actually the last team to beat Gold Coast in Darwin, with the Suns winning 10 consecutive games at the venue since that night.
Round 13: Carlton v Essendon
MCG, Sunday 13 June, 7:20pm
The Blues and Bombers will meet just once again in 2027, with the now traditional King’s Birthday Eve clash to take centre stage. The Sunday night fixture prior to the public holiday has seen capacity crowds flock to the home of football in recent seasons, with an average of over 80,000 - with single-digit margins separating these two sides in the corresponding game over the last two years, it’s a game which is likely to have some fiery moments.
Round 18: Carlton v Melbourne
MCG, TBC
The Blues and Dees will meet twice in 2027, with Carlton the nominal ‘home’ team for both encounters after winning the Gather Round coin toss. But it’ll be in Round 18 where memories of last year’s wildcard final will come to the fore as the two sides meet at the MCG. These two teams have played in some absolute classics in recent years, with 26 points the largest winning margin for either side going back to 2019.
Round 22: Sydney v Carlton
SCG, TBC
Yes, we know - it’s not in Melbourne like most Blues fans wanted. Carlton has only hosted Sydney once in the home-and-away season since 2020, with another trip to Sydney in the offing late next year. You don’t need us to tell you the storylines going into this one, with a number of personnel swaps between the Blues and Swans in recent seasons - most recently, the acquisition of Joel Amartey as a free agent. Carlton fans travel everywhere, and expect more of the same in the final interstate trip of the Blues’ 2027 regular season.
