It's finally here! 

Round 1 of Hawthorn's 2026 AFLW season kicks off in a special standalone contest on Thursday night at IKON Park. 

The clash between the Hawks and the Demons will commence at 7.15pm, with Hawks fans encouraged to paint IKON Park brown and gold for the huge match. 

CLICK HERE FOR HAWTHORN'S FULL AFLW GAME DAY GUIDE! 

Here's all you need to know ahead of the season opener: 

WHO: Hawthorn v Melbourne 
WHAT: Round 1
WHERE: IKON Park
WHEN: Thursday 13 August 
TIME: 7.15pm AEST 
BROADCAST: Channel 7 and Fox Footy. CLICK HERE to check your local guide for more information.

Embelton to make AFLW debut

How to watch 

Following along at home? The game will be broadcast live on Channel 7 and Fox Footy, and can be streamed on Kayo or Binge from 7pm AEST. 

Don’t have Kayo? Click HERE to check out our Hawks on Demand membership and save on 12 months of Kayo.

Follow @hawthornaflw on Instagram, X and Facebook and @hawthornfc on TikTok to remain updated on all the behind-the-scenes action on game day.

Last time we met

Hawthorn (23) defeated Melbourne (17) in Week 9, 2024 

The high-flying Hawks defeated an injury-ravaged Demons outfit by six points to rise to the top of the AFLW ladder at their home away from home, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns. 

Skipper Emily Bates (20 disposals) starred in the Week 9 contest, along with young gun Jasmine Fleming (22 touches) and former Demon Eliza West (25 disposals).

The Demons dominated early proceedings in the match before Bridie Hipwell responded from a free kick shortly afterwards.

A goal from Fleming then put the Hawks in front, delivering a six-point lead at quarter-time.

Áine McDonagh extended Hawthorn's lead to 13 at the main break as the Demons struggled to handle the Hawks' surging, slick ball movement.

The Hawks couldn't put the Demons away despite dominating the third term, but held on for a nail-biting six-point win in the end. 

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Highlights: Hawks V Demons

The Hawks and Demons clash in a heated contest in Week 9 of the 2024 AFLW Season

Tickets and Membership 

Join the 90,000-strong brown and gold faithful in becoming a Hawthorn Football Club member! 

AFLW packages start from just $75 for an adult, with entry to all Hawks home and away games included in the membership. 

CLICK HERE to find the best option that suits you!

All AFLW Members will be able to access Hawthorn home and away games by scanning their digital membership card at the gate for general admission access.

For more information on how to access your digital membership card, please click here.

General Public tickets to this match are available via Ticketmaster - kids go free!

Just for turning up and supporting the Hawks, you can pick up a FREE 'My Favourite Sport is Women's Footy' t-shirt at the game! 

T-shirt collection opens at Gate 6 from 5.30pm. 

Getting to the game 

400 Royal Parade, Carlton North VIC 3054

There are a variety of different options available for anyone who is travelling to our Hawks games in Carlton North to make it easy to enjoy the game. 

Public Transport 

🟤 Tram number #19

🟡 Royal Park Train Station is a 15-minute walk from IKON Park

🟤 Stop #16 Walker Street (Heading North)

🟡 Stop #16 Walker Street (Heading South)

To plan your journey, visit ptv.vic.gov.au/journey. 

By Car

🟤 Northern Lawn provided for public parking (Cost - $10)

🟡 Royal Parade parking (Cost – Free on weekends)

🟤 Garton street & Bowen crescent available

🟡 Barkly Square (3-hour parking)

🟤 Ride share off zone Royal Parade

We recommend arriving early to get a good parking spot close to the game.

Please note the public transport disruptions below:

🚆 Regional Train Disruptions:

  • Coaches replace some evening trains on the Seymour Line for the entire journey from Tuesday 11 August to Thursday 20 August.
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Doing it OUR WAY

In 2026, we're doing it OUR WAY. Paving a historic path to host our games at the Kennedy Community Centre, OUR WAY. Continuing to commit to the relentless hard work to get us where we want to go, OUR WAY. Honouring those who have come before us and embracing our exciting future, OUR WAY. And always playing with the energy and passion to make the Hawks faithful proud, OUR WAY. To all the brown and gold believers - join us, and let's do it OUR WAY.