AFL Live Scores: the business angle

Sliding Doors is in full swing for 2026.. and Damo's got plenty on his mind. AFL Live Scores has emerged this Friday as one of the stories drawing attention in Australia.

Key facts

• Sliding Doors is in full swing for 2026.. and Damo's got plenty on his mind.
• STRAP yourselves in, footy fans - Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is back in full swing for 2026.
• With the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season underway, Damo's got plenty of thoughts about all 18 clubs.
• 17 clubs are now looking for loopholes on how to "beat" the rule changes the AFL made this week to access Academy and father-son players in the national draft...
• Particularly the point about Peter Jackson, who I have dubbed for 20 years the AFL industry's Mr Fixit, being given licence to take a holistic, start-from-scratch investigation into the competitive balance versus growth in the expansion markets debate.

What we know

Going deeper, STRAP yourselves in, footy fans - Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is back in full swing for 2026.

On the substance, With the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season underway, Damo's got plenty of thoughts about all 18 clubs.

Beyond the headlines, 17 clubs are now looking for loopholes on how to "beat" the rule changes the AFL made this week to access Academy and father-son players in the national draft...

More precisely, Particularly the point about Peter Jackson, who I have dubbed for 20 years the AFL industry's Mr Fixit, being given licence to take a holistic, start-from-scratch investigation into the competitive balance versus growth in the expansion markets debate.

It is worth noting that Follow the live blog below for a recap of all of Friday night's AFL action.

By the numbers

At this stage, Adelaide has claimed a thrilling Showdown by one point after Brayden Cook nailed a game-winning goal with 10 seconds remaining.

On a related note, Luke Pentony will be the man on deck for tomorrow's AFL coverage, and I will be back for Sunday's double-header to wrap up Round 8.

Going deeper, there is an aged and world-weary 37-year-old among the ins for Saturday's match against Essendon at Marvel Stadium...

On the substance, And we also get to see Cody Curtin, the No.43 pick in last year's national draft, in the same round in which his highly touted older brother Dan makes his much-anticipated return from injury for the Crows.

The wider context

On a related note, Third-gamer Toby Murray boots his first AFL goal with a boundary beauty before popping up again to impact for Adelaide.

Going deeper, this is the mightiest rivalry in the AFL, by a very, very long way.

On the substance, one day, the AFL industry might properly realise this, and give an Adelaide-Port Adelaide game a long overdue, standalone, nationally broadcast free-to-air marquee slot.

Beyond the headlines, I still found myself nodding in full agreement with a lot of what he said this week in a self-confessed rant about major AFL issues.

More precisely, the AFL commission simply cannot waste the opportunity which now looms to properly fix its fixture.

The bottom line

• This is the mightiest rivalry in the AFL, by a very, very long way.
• One day, the AFL industry might properly realise this, and give an Adelaide-Port Adelaide game a long overdue, standalone, nationally broadcast free-to-air marquee slot.
• the Blues can somehow block out the mess and psychological weight of their 1-6 scoreline...
• Searches spiking right now: North Melbourne v Richmond - Round 8, 2026 - AFL Score Centre, Collingwood v GWS Giants - Round 5, 2026 - AFL Score Centre, Recruit fills Swans chasm… and it’s not Curnow; dangerous new Blues duo — 18-club takeaways, Live Scores.