Cats head north for Opening Round battle

GEELONG will launch their 2026 AFL campaign with an Opening Round clash against the Gold Coast Suns tonight (Friday, 6 March)

After going down to Brisbane in last year’s Grand Final, the Cats face a tough challenge in the first game of this season as they travel to People First Stadium in Queensland.

While the two teams have only faced off 17 times since Gold Coast came into the league in 2011, the rivalry has always been seesawing and tight, with this fixture likely to continue the trend.

Both sides enter 2026 as finals fancies, with the Suns winning their first match beyond the home and away season last year against Fremantle.

Despite an interrupted preseason for many of their key players through injury and Origin commitments, the Cats confirmed that reigning Coleman Medallist Jeremy Cameron and star Bailey Smith will suit up tonight.

Cameron spent most of the offseason recovering from a nasty arm injury suffered in last year’s grand final and picked up a quad complaint in February, while Smith has been dealing with a calf niggle.

It will also be the first time Cats fans get a look at new recruit and Geelong local James Worpel after the inside midfielder came across from Hawthorn as a free agent.

Tanner Bruhn will also return for his first match in 12 months, after impressing off half-back and through the middle in their preseason match with Carlton.

For the Suns, a busy offseason saw them bolster their lineup through a mixture of new recruits and draft selections.

Former Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca headlines the fresh faces, while Jamarra Ugle-Hagan also joined and showed flashes of his capabilities during the preseason.

The Cats won by four goals when they played the Suns last in wet conditions at GMHBA Stadium, with rain also forecasted for this weekend’s clash.

The match will begin at 8.05pm Melbourne time.