- How to watch Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood overseas for free with a VPN
- Where to watch Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood Wildcard Final
- What time does Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood start around the world?
- Why use a VPN to watch the AFL Wildcard Final outside Australia?
- Best VPNs for streaming the AFL Wildcard Final on 7plus
- FAQ
The 2026 AFL Finals Series starts with a first-ever Wildcard Round where the Western Bulldogs will face Collingwood in a historic AFL match. The game is scheduled for Friday, August 28, at 7:40 PM AEST at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Wildcard Final is an elimination game, meaning the winner progresses to the next stage of the Finals Series while the loser’s season ends.
The Bulldogs secured eighth place after beating Melbourne by 21 points in Round 24, while Collingwood finished the home-and-away season in ninth. The two teams have already met once this season, with the Bulldogs claiming a narrow 97-93 win at Marvel Stadium in Round 12.
Australian viewers can watch the Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood game free on Channel 7 and 7plus, while Foxtel and Kayo Sports offer paid coverage. Overseas, AFL fans have several paid options, including WatchAFL, as well as regional broadcasters such as TNT Sports in the UK, Fox Sports in the US, TSN in Canada, and Sky Sport in New Zealand.
How to watch Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood overseas for free with a VPN
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- Get a reliable VPN with servers in Australia. I recommend NordVPN, now 75% off.
- Download and install the VPN app
- Launch the VPN and connect to a server in Australia, such as Perth or Melbourne
- Open 7plus on your browser
- Sign in to your account and look for Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood
- Start streaming the Wildcard Final!
Note:
7plus requires a free account and an Australian four-digit postcode during registration. You can get a random Australian postcode via online postcode generators. Although 7plus states that users must be located in Australia and that VPNs, proxies, and location-spoofing services aren’t supported, using a VPN is legal.
Where to watch Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood Wildcard Final
The Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood Wildcard Final match will be available on several Australian free services as well as paid streaming platforms. Fans overseas can use the official WatchAFL service, check for AFL’s regional broadcast partners, or use a VPN connected to Australia to access 7plus.
| Region | Platform | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 7plus | Free | Requires a free account with an Australian postcode |
| Australia | Channel 7 | Free | Free AFL Wildcard Final coverage |
| Australia | Kayo Sports | From AU$29.99/month | Upgrading to Premium costs AU$45.99/month |
| Australia | Foxtel | From AU$69/month | Current 12-month Sport offer for new customers; normally AU$108/month |
| UK | TNT Sports | £30.99/month | Standalone TNT Sports plan via HBO Max |
| US | Fox One | US$19.99/month | Includes FOX Sports, FS1, and FS2 |
| Canada | TSN | From CA$19.99/month | Paid Canadian service that offers AFL broadcasts |
| New Zealand | Sky Sports | From NZ$29.99/week | A Sky Sports Now subscription with AFL coverage |
| Overseas | WatchAFL | Price varies by specific pass | Official international AFL service; weekly, monthly, annual and Finals passes available |
Overall, the best way to stream the 2026 AFL Wildcard Finals for free is to use a VPN connected to an Australian server to access the free livestream on 7plus. If you’re looking for a reliable VPN with speeds fast enough for smooth streaming, I can recommend NordVPN as my top choice.
What time does Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood start around the world?
The Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood Wildcard Final begins at 7:40 PM AEST on Friday, August 28, at the MCG in Melbourne. However, due to time zone differences, the same match will start at a very different time if you’re in Europe, North America, or anywhere outside Australia.
For your convenience, here are the local start times of the Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood match:
| Region | Local time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane (AEST) | 7:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| Adelaide (ACST) | 7:10 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| Perth (AWST) | 5:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| London (BST) | 10:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| Central Europe (CEST) | 11:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| New York (EDT) | 5:40 AM | Friday, August 28 |
| Los Angeles (PDT) | 2:40 AM | Friday, August 28 |
| Dubai (GST) | 1:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| Bangkok (ICT) | 4:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| Tokyo (JST) | 6:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| Bali (WITA) | 5:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
| Auckland (NZST) | 9:40 PM | Friday, August 28 |
What is the AFL Wildcard Round?
The AFL Wildcard Round is a completely new addition to the AFL Finals Series, and 2026 marks its debut. Previously, the top eight teams qualified directly for the finals, but now, teams finishing 7th to 10th will play two elimination games: 7th vs 10th and 8th vs 9th. The two winners of the Wildcard Round will get a ticket to the traditional eight-team Finals Series, while the losers are eliminated.
This year, Western Bulldogs (8th) face Collingwood (9th), and Melbourne (7th) play Carlton (10th) for a place in the top-eight Finals.
Why use a VPN to watch the AFL Wildcard Final outside Australia?
The Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood game will be available free on 7plus in Australia, but the platform is geo-restricted. This means that if you are located abroad, you won’t be able to enjoy the free broadcast, instead facing strict blocks.
Fortunately, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A VPN can change your IP address by routing your internet connection through a server in your chosen location. So, if you connect to a server in Australia, your IP address will match the server’s, and you’ll be able to access 7plus from abroad.
In addition to making 7plus access abroad possible, a VPN also encrypts your network traffic, adding a solid extra layer of privacy to your online activity.
Best VPNs for streaming the AFL Wildcard Final on 7plus
Streaming services can detect and block VPN traffic, so not every provider will work reliably with 7plus. Plus, some services simply offer connection speeds that are too slow to handle livestreaming. A truly good VPN for streaming the Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood game should have plenty of secure servers in Australia, fast connection speeds, and impeccable security features.
Based on my testing, these are the top AFL streaming VPNs:
FAQ
The Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood Wildcard Final starts at 7:40 PM AEST on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. That’s 10:40 AM BST in the UK, 5:40 AM EDT in New York, and 9:40 PM NZST in Auckland.
In Australia, Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood will be shown live on 7plus, Channel 7, Foxtel, and Kayo Sports. Overseas AFL broadcasts include TNT Sports in the UK, Fox Sports US, TSN in Canada, and Sky Sports in New Zealand.
Yes, you can watch the Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood in Australia for free on 7plus and Channel 7. If you’re located abroad, you can use a VPN, such as NordVPN, connected to a server in Australia to access the free AFL Wildcard Finals livestream on 7plus.
In the US, you can watch the Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood on Fox Sports; however, it is a paid service. If you’d rather watch the AFL Wildcard Final in the US for free, you can use a VPN. Select a reliable VPN, such as NordVPN, connect to a server in Australia, head to 7plus, create a free account, and enjoy the game for free.
The AFL’s official UK broadcast partner for the Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood match is TNT Sports. UK viewers can also stream every AFL Finals Series match through WatchAFL. However, both services are paid, and if you’d rather stream it for free, use a VPN connected to a server in Australia to access the free livestream on 7plus.
You can watch Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood in Canada on TSN or WatchAFL. You can also use a VPN, such as NordVPN, connected to an Australian server to access the free livestream on the local streaming platform 7plus.
In New Zealand, you can watch the Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood on Sky Sports or WatchAFL. Alternatively, you can use a VPN connected to a server in Australia to access the completely free AFL Wildcard Finals livestream on 7plus.
