“National Game”: Cox and Hardwick Respond to Magpies’ Wish to Skip Opening Round

Sydney coach Dean Cox has expressed his doubts about reports suggesting that Collingwood has approached the AFL to avoid travelling for the Opening Round for the third consecutive year.

The Magpies have faced GWS away as part of the season launch initiative, suffering defeats by margins of 32 and 52 points in their previous encounters.

However, it was reported on Wednesday evening that Collingwood has requested not to participate in the 2026 season opener.

Cox believes the Opening Round has played a crucial role in promoting the game in New South Wales.

“Aussie Rules is a national sport, last time I checked,” Cox stated to the press on Thursday.

“We always strive to promote the game … it’s a bit of a different situation given a few matches were cancelled, which may have drawn attention to it, but for Sydney and our footy club, we’re immensely proud to kick off the season here—it’s fantastic for the market.

“We’ve noticed significant growth in youth engagement and game development, which is remarkable and stems from having standalone matches.”

The Giants didn’t pass up the opportunity to have some fun with the reports on X, tweeting: “If the AFL is taking requests, both us and the Suns would like to play more than once a season at the MCG, cheers.”

They also shared a clip from Michael Bublé’s 2005 hit “Home,” featuring the lyrics “I’ve got to go home,” with a caption reading “Collingwood after their annual interstate trip.”

Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick took a more relaxed approach to the news when questioned on Thursday.

“I did see that,” Hardwick chuckled during his press conference.

“I just glanced at the headline and caught the GWS tweet; it is what it is. We understand the situation and enjoy travelling as a team. We approach away games with a bit of a ‘bad guys’ mentality, aiming to snatch those wins.”

“We’re looking forward to playing anywhere.”

The Swans are set to travel to Victoria to take on North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night, while the Suns will host a red-hot Adelaide in Round Four.