North Melbourne will begin their Minor and Major Premiership defence when they travel away to the GMHBA Stadium on Saturday as they take on the Geelong Cats in Round 1 of the 2025 Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) season.
The Cats just missed out on the Finals Series despite a strong end to their home-and-away season as they finished 10th on the AFLW ladder. Geelong suffered six defeats through the campaign; however, they ended as the only team not to lose to the Kangaroos through 2024 as the two sides drew in Week 2.
The Kangaroos were unbelievably dominant last year as they won both the Minor and the Major Premierships in the 2024 AFLW season. They did so without losing a single game and then won the Grand Final against the Brisbane Lions with a massive 39-9 scoreline.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times, and the latest lineup news.
Geelong Cats vs. North Melbourne free live stream, free-to-air channel
- Live Stream: Kayo, Foxtel
- TV Channel: Fox Footy
- Free-to-air: --
Kayo and Foxtel are providing both live and catch-up coverage of the match. The clash will also be available to watch on Fox Footy.
Fans can stream Geelong Cats vs. North Melbourne on Kayo which is currently offering a free trial for new subscribers so you can essentially watch this game and others this week for free. The match will also be streamed on the AFL website.
Geelong Cats vs. North Melbourne start time
- Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025
- Start Time: 3:35 p.m. AEST
- Venue & Location: GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
The AFLW Round 1 game between the Geelong Cats and North Melbourne will be played on Saturday, August 16 at 3:35 p.m. AEST.
It will be played at the GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Victoria.
Here's how that kick-off time translates to the various Australian time zones:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time | Saturday, August 16 | 3:35 p.m. |
| Australian Central Standard Time | Saturday, August 16 | 3:05 p.m. |
| Australian Western Standard Time | Saturday, August 16 | 1:35 p.m. |
AFL 2025 fixture schedule this week
Thursday, August 14
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Livestream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton vs. Collingwood | IKON Park | 7:15 p.m. | Seven, Fox/Kayo, Binge |
| West Coast Eagles vs. Gold Coast SUNS | Sullivan Logistics Stadium | 9:15 p.m. | Seven, Fox/Kayo, Binge |
Friday, August 15
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Livestream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Swans vs. Richmond | North Sydney Oval | 6:15 p.m. | Fox/Kayo |
Saturday, August 16
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong Cats vs. North Melbourne | GMHBA Stadium | 3:35 p.m. | Fox/ Kayo |
| GWS Giants vs. Essendon | Corroboree Group Oval | 5:35 p.m. | Fox/Kayo |
| Western Bulldogs vs. Melbourne | Mission Whitten Oval | 7:35 p.m. | Seven, Fox/Kayo, Binge |
Sunday, August 17
| Fixture | Venue | Time (AEST) | TV/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Lions vs. Hawthorn Hawks | Brighton Homes Arena | 12:40 p.m. | Seven, Fox/Kayo, Binge |
| St Kilda vs. Adelaide Crows | RSEA Park | 2:10 p.m. | Fox/Kayo |
| Port Adelaide vs. Fremantle Dockers | Alberton Oval | 4:10 p.m. | Fox/Kayo |