The Auckland AFL is gearing up for another big season in 2026, kicking off with a Magic Round on Sunday 6th September, at May Road War Memorial Park in Mt Roskill. Six clubs will face off once more in the Senior Men’s competition and three Senior Women’s teams will battle it out again in a bid for another premiership.
The North Shore Tigers will be on the hunt for their sixth consecutive title and looking to extend their unbeaten run lasting several seasons. 2026 will bring a new set of challenges as long-serving Tigers head coach Justin Gauci transitions away from the head coach position to help oversee the development of the whole club. Stepping into his place are not one but three senior Tiger players who will take on a player-coaching roles and spread the load. Tom Hayhoe, Chris Wong and Xavier Rice will be steering the ship and are embracing the new challenge that comes with both playing and coaching. The clubs Women’s team will also be aiming to come back stronger after falling just shy of consecutive titles, losing to the Auckland Blues by only two goals in a hard-fought Grand Final. Keegan McCauley remains at the helm and will be laying the groundwork to help the girls reach a new level.
The Waitakere Magpies will once again look to hit the ground hard come the opening round of their 2026 campaign, after their Men’s side lost by only three points in the 2025 Grand Final. Coming off the back of consecutive Grand Final defeats, the club is rearing to go and working hard to go all the way in 2026. Bolstered by a new head coach in Mick Coultard, the excitement around the club is growing. The Women’s team is also looking to return to form after missing out on their first Grand Final last season, but will receive a boost with former AAFLW Best and Fairest Catriona O’Brien coming back into the side after a stint in Australia.
The Howick Hornets made another big step forward in 2025, gaining their highest-ever placing on the ladder, and making it into the Preliminary Finals for the first time in the clubs history. The club has been hit hard by the departure of Jakob Campbell, one of the key components in the clubs recent success. Steph Tabaillou steps in to take the reins of the team and has been laying the groundwork into bringing the side together in a bid to continue to build on the clubs fantastic 2025 season.
The Mount Roskill Saints will also look to continue their clubs redevelopment into 2026. Having missed out on Finals for the first time in a long time in 2024, the club entered into a rebuilding phase in 2025, working their way back into finals footy and making moves to start to set themselves up for future success. Alastair Maisey will continue his tenure as player coach and is excited to see where the club will go in the 2026 season.
The University Blues have a tough task ahead of them in 2026, having lost their home grounds due to redevelopments at Colin Maiden Park, but they are making the most of their opportunities and banding together for a big year ahead. Long-serving player Tim Stokes slots in as head coach and his knowledge and understanding of the game will be a huge asset to the side working through the challenges that lie ahead of them. The Auckland Blues also have a big year ahead as they look to defend their first premiership title. In what was building for several seasons, the Women’s side finally had a breakthrough and became a force to be reckoned with.
The South City Raiders have been making moves in the off-season in an effort to set themselves up for the future. Touariki Dodds and Ash Thompson have been working hard behind the scenes to help get the club moving again, with both Tou and Ash attending the Foundation and Elevate coaching courses and developing their coaching skills so they can help guide the team to where they want to be in 2026.
Another big year coming up for the Auckland AFL, and only time will tell who has what it takes to reach the top in 2026.
The Men’s competition kicks off on Sunday 6th September at May Road War Memorial Park, with the Women’s competition set to start on Sunday 20th September
