While a fallen giant has been wiped from prime time, North Melbourne is back on the big stage, while a stand-alone Showdown is locked in — albeit not on a Thursday or Friday night.

In the wake of the AFL’s latest fixture release, which confirmed game times and dates for Rounds 16 to 22, foxfooty.com.au analyses the big Talking Points.

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SEVEN-YEAR FIRST AS ROOS UNLEASHED IN PRIME TIME

The rise of the Roos has been recognised and rewarded.

North Melbourne entered this season coming off six consecutive bottom-three finishes. It’d won just 20 of its 130 games this decade.

While its 2026 list was more experienced, older and seemingly more stable, Kangaroos fans were hesitant to put expectations on their team to finally rise.

Ahead of Round 10, it’s clear the Kangaroos have taken a step forward under coach Alastair Clarkson, sitting 12th on the ladder with a 4-5 record.

And it’s been a significant enough stride for the AFL to hand North a return to prime time.

The Kangaroos first will face Collingwood at Marvel Stadium in Round 18. Excluding Good Friday twilight matches and a unique Gather Round timeslot in 2024, it’ll be the Roos’ first stand-alone prime time Friday night match since Round 20, 2019 – and just their second Friday night game overall this decade.

Harry Sheezel of the Kangaroos is congratulated by Jy Simpkin after kicking a goal. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

A month later, North will take on the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on a Thursday night. It’ll be only the club’s third Thursday night match in Melbourne this decade.

The Roos, ultimately, have lost four of their past three games to the Giants, Cats and Swans. And while Clarkson’s team is now more mature, they’ve often run out of puff by the back-end of seasons – a common theme of the Roos since 2020.

But there’s something different about this Kangaroos version.

Despite sitting outside the top 10, the Roos are ranked seventh for points scored this season.

And while they’ve lost most games than they’ve won to date this year, they haven’t been totally dismantled in any match. In fact, many believe they should’ve beaten West Coast in Round 2 and the Giants in Round 7, while last weekend’s eight-point loss to flag fancy Sydney was one that got away. They pushed a genuine premiership contender for four quarters, were within striking distance for the entire match and won inside 50s convincingly (67-51).

“They weren’t far away (from beating Sydney) … it’s just small margins in these games and they’re moments as well,” dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna told First Crack.

“They are not far away. But in saying they’re not far away, they’re still ‘far away’ from beating these top sides because of little moments.”

The Swans, who are second in the premiership favourite market, feature in four prime time games — two on Thursday nights and two on Friday nights — as part of the latest fixture release. The Cats have been locked in for three Thursday night matches, as well as a Friday night clash at the MCG against Melbourne, which has emerged as a shock finals contender this year.

Fremantle, Western Bulldogs, Brisbane Lions, Adelaide Crows and Collingwood have all been scheduled into three prime time games.

Kingy calls out glaring Larkey issue | 01:55

SUPER SATURDAY HAWKS

Our Fox Footy commentators will be particularly familiar with Hawthorn’s flag credentials by Round 22.

For of the Hawks’ seven games between Rounds 16 and 22, five of them are exclusively live nationally on Fox Footy.

The Hawks have again emerged as a genuine premiership contender in 2026, sitting third on the ladder with a 6-2-1 record.

Headlined by the evergreen Jack Gunston and goalkicking wizard Nick Watson – who is the AFL’s “most watchable player” at the moment, according to Fox Footy’s Jack Riewoldt – inside 50 and supported by a solid backline that includes Tom Barrass, Josh Battle, James Sicily and Blake Hardwick, the Hawks seem primed for another flag tilt, following semi-final and preliminary final appearances in the previous two seasons.

And their push towards finals will feature heavily on Super Saturday LIVE.

Hawks exclusively live nationally on Fox Footy (times AST)

Round 17: Hawthorn v Melbourne (Saturday — 1.15pm)

Round 18: Carlton v Hawthorn (Saturday — 7.35pm)

Round 19: Richmond v Hawthorn (Sunday — 1.10pm)

Round 20: Hawthorn v Essendon (Saturday — 4.15pm)

Round 21: Hawthorn v North Melbourne (Saturday — 1.35pm)

Nick Watson of the Hawks celebrates a goal. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Their other two matches are prime time fixtures against the Giants (Friday night in Round 16) and Brisbane (Friday night in Round 22).

While you’d expect the AFL’s third-placed team to be handed more prime time exposure, the fact five of Hawthorn’s seven games between Rounds 16 and 22 are against sides currently in the bottom eight meant the league was always less likely to schedule it on Thursday and Friday nights.

Nonetheless, it looms as an important stretch of games for Sam Mitchell’s side to solidify a potential top-four spot.

FALLEN BLUES MISS OUT

Of the 18 clubs, only five missed prime-time games.

One of those teams was Carlton.

A perennial prime time team for years, the Blues weren’t handed any Thursday or Friday night games as part of Thursday’s seven-round fixture release.

When the Opening Round to Round 15 fixture was released in November last year, Carlton was handed seven prime time games (including the Good Friday match with North Melbourne).

But after a 1-8 start to their 2026 campaign – ultimately leading to Michael Voss’ exit earlier this week – the Blues will feature on Saturday’s six times between Rounds 16 and 22, while they’ll also take part in the sixth ‘Spud’s Game’ against St Kilda on a Sunday night.

Carlton have first run out without Voss | 00:47

Other teams not scheduled for any prime time matches as part of the latest fixture release included Essendon, Port Adelaide and Richmond.

Gold Coast, which sits sixth on the ladder with a 6-3 record, hasn’t been scheduled on a Thursday or Friday, but gets its wish a stand-alone Saturday twilight match against Collingwood at People First Stadium in Round 17, which is in the middle of the Victorian school holidays.

NICKS GETS WISH WITH STAND-ALONE SHOWDOWN

We have a stand-alone Showdown!

Albeit not on a Thursday or Friday night, but at least there’ll be no crossover of games when the Crows and Power meet at Adelaide Oval in Round 16.

The fierce rivals will have the Saturday night timeslot all to themselves on Saturday June 27, with the opening ball-up to take place at 7.35pm (AEST).

The highly competitive and tense nature of the two SA clubs’ rivalry is personified by their remarkably balanced head-to-head record, with the Crows narrowly leading it 31-28.

Adelaide has had the advantage over Port of late, winning seven of the past nine Showdowns. But three of those results have been by five points or less, including the one-point thriller a couple of weeks ago at Adelaide Oval that saw Crow Brayden Cook kick a match-winning goal with just 10 seconds to go.

Nicks speaks on his halftime spray | 12:11

The game clashed with another close encounter, with Fremantle’s tight win over the Western Bulldogs concluding midway through the Showdown.

Probed post-match on the necessity to make the Showdown a stand-alone fixture, Crows coach Matthew Nicks said: “I reckon if I were in Victoria tonight, I would want to be watching the Showdown.

“To have a game like this tonight, they don’t get much better, and it just keeps going, year after year.

“It’s just a spectacle. The two teams match up really well, no matter where we sit on the ladder – there’s a little bit more in it.”

KEY GAMES TO DECIDE FINALS FATE

It’s always an intriguing run home to the finals – but it’s especially crucial this year with the introduction of the wildcard round.

It means finishing inside the top six will be critically important as it’ll give you the best chance of winning the flag, as anyone who finished between seventh and 10th would have to win five consecutive games to claim the premiership.

Saints star set for spell on sidelines | 00:19

These are some of the most important ‘Run Home’ matches between Rounds 16 and 22.

Round 16: Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans, Hawthorn v GWS Giants, Fremantle v Gold Coast Suns

Round 17: Geelong Cats v Brisbane Lions, Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn v Melbourne, GWS Giants v Fremantle, Gold Coast Suns v Collingwood

Round 18: Fremantle v Sydney Swans, Collingwood v North Melbourne, GWS Giants v Geelong Cats, Adelaide Crows v Gold Coast Suns

Round 19: Geelong Cats v St Kilda, Sydney Swans v Adelaide Crows, North Melbourne v Melbourne, Gold Coast Suns v Western Bulldogs

Round 20: Adelaide Crows v Collingwood, Melbourne v Geelong Cats, GWS Giants v Sydney Swans, North Melbourne v St Kilda

Round 21: Collingwood v Geelong Cats, Fremantle v Western Bulldogs, St Kilda v Sydney Swans, Hawthorn v North Melbourne, Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne

Round 22: Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne, Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn, Melbourne v Fremantle, GWS Giants v Gold Coast Suns