The best of AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra will face off against Queensland Country this July in what is set to be a headline fixture of the 2026 Representative AFL season.
Combined AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra teams will represent the state and territory when they meet Queensland Country in Men’s and Women’s Senior Representative games on Saturday, July 11.
Played on the Gold Coast, the matches will be the first time the two sides have met in a Representative series, while it will also be the inaugural Queensland Country Women’s team to ever play, while the first time the Men’s team has played in 14 years.
The AFL Sydney-Canberra teams will be composed of the best talent from the two competitions.
Queensland Country’s team list will feature players from regional Queensland leagues, including AFL Cairns which boast several ex-AFL players along with eligible players from metro leagues like the QAFL who also played junior football in a regional league.
Head of AFL NSW/ACT Andrew Varasdi said: “Each year the Representative AFL season plays a crucial role in developing the future of Australian Rules in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
“It’s where the next generation of burgeoning footy talent is formed and provides the best players across AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra with the chance to test themselves at the highest level.
“This season’s clash against Queensland Country will showcase the depth and quality of talent coming through our system and we look forward to watching their performance in July.”
Head of AFL Queensland and International Trisha Squires said: “Queensland country competitions have a large pool of talented players in both male and female competitions,
“Former AFL, SANFL/W and TPIL Lawyers QAFL and Bond University QAFLW players relocate for work or move back to their hometowns, so we are pleased to provide them with an opportunity to represent their community with pride.
“There is a strong talent pathway in regional Queensland with current AFL and AFLW players including Alex Davies, Jack Bowes, Lauren Bella, and Poppy Boltz all starting their Australian rules football journey there.
“We see this game as another opportunity for talented players in regional communities to showcase their skill and ability on a larger stage in South East Queensland.”
The combined AFL Sydney-Canberra teams enter this year’s Representative football season buoyed from last year’s results, having stunned Tasmania in both Men’s and Women’s matches on the Apple Isle last year to clean sweep the series against for a second consecutive year.
Before travelling to the Gold Coast, AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra’s respective representative teams will play each other in a Representative match at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Saturday, May 16.
From this match, the best talent will be handpicked from both sides to determine the combined team that will meet Queensland Country in July.
The complete squad list and coaching panel selected to represent the AFL Sydney-Canberra team will be announced in the lead-up to the match-up.
Streaming of the AFL Sydney-Canberra and Queensland Country clashes will once again be available live and free via AFL Sydney’s official streaming partner, Streamer.
For more information about the upcoming community football seasons across AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra, or the Men's and Women's Representative Programs for the upcoming Summer Series, visit here.