As we gear up for Gather Round, we look back at the first time these teams played each other. This week, the entire AFL world descends on South Australia for a festival of footy. But before the first bounce in the Barossa or the lights go up at Adelaide Oval, we’re digging into the archives to uncover the origin stories of these Round 5 matchups.

From the very first clash between the Crows and the Blues to the early days of the Suns and Swans rivalry, we explore the games that set the stage for this weekend’s blockbusters.

The stage is set, the early-season hype is meeting the reality of the grind, and the ladder is already starting to tell a story—welcome to Round 4 of the 2026 AFL Season!

Brisbane Lions vs. Collingwood: We travel back to 1997,

North Melbourne vs. Carlton: We return to 1925

Melbourne vs. Gold Coast Suns: We revisit 2011

The stage is set, the early-season hype is meeting the reality of the grind, and the ladder is already starting to tell a story—welcome to Round 3 of the 2026 AFL Season!

The Kick to Kick Podcast is back to find the soul of this week’s matchups by obsessive time-traveling. We’re stripping away the 5G stadium tech to revisit the mud, the heritage, and the very first sparks of these rivalries.

• Collingwood vs. GWS Giants: We revisit Round 18, 2012, at the MCG for the first-ever meeting between the league’s oldest powerhouse and its newest expansion. It was a "welcome to the big leagues" masterclass from a prime Magpies outfit against a GWS side full of teenagers still finding their AFL feet.

• Fremantle vs. Richmond: We return to Round 1, 1995, for the Dockers' inaugural AFL match at the MCG. The Tigers spoiled the newcomers' debut by a mere five points, sparking a cross-continental rivalry defined by three decades of heart-stopping finishes and "what-if" moments.

• Port Adelaide vs. West Coast: We look back at Round 15, 1997, when the SANFL giants met the AFL’s first interstate powerhouse for the first time. Played at Subiaco, it was a brutal, defensive grind that proved the "New Port" wasn't just joining the league to participate—they were there to challenge the established order.