Dustin Martin to wear the Big V in 2026 Legends Game
Dustin Martin will headline the first player announcements for the 2026 Four’N Twenty Legends Game for Prostate Cancer, and he will pull on the Big V for Victoria at Marvel Stadium. The match is set for Thursday, August 27, with the first bounce scheduled for 7.30pm.
Marvel Stadium gets the rematch
The game returns after the 2025 edition drew more than 31,000 fans to Marvel Stadium and raised over $1 million for the Australian Prostate Centre. It also became one of the biggest AFL television audiences of the year, which keeps the event on a national stage when it comes back in 2026.
Broadcast coverage is set again, with the match to air live nationally from 7pm AEST on Seven and 7plus Sport. That gives viewers a 30-minute lead-in before the first bounce and keeps the event accessible well beyond the stadium gates.
Selwood, Cornes and the teams
Joel Selwood will coach Victoria, while Kane Cornes takes the All Stars. Brendan Fevola will captain Victoria and Shane Crawford will captain the All Stars, giving the game a familiar state-of-origin edge that sits around the Martin announcement.
Martin’s place in the Victoria side is the headline, but Cyril Rioli’s return for the All Stars adds another layer to the matchup. Rioli was named Player of the Match in 2025 and kicked a torpedo goal from long range, so the All Stars are bringing back one of the most decisive names from the previous game.
Selwood said, “I’m looking forward to this and I’m expecting the phone to light up,” after Martin headlined the first round of player announcements. He added, “He will play wherever he wants, he has that license,” and, “I expect a lot of players to come to me. Over the next few weeks we will recruit.”
Shane Crawford's All Stars
Cornes also framed the coaching match-up with Crawford, saying, “Crawf was my hero as a young fella,” and, “I have cringe worthy photos of myself and Crawf. To coach after you did such a great job, these are big shoes to fill.” Crawford, for his part, said after the 2025 match, “I’m not allowed to coach again after what happened to Dave Hughes,” before adding, “He broke some ribs and punctured a lung. This year I’ll do it myself.”
The 2026 game is built on the 2025 revival, when the crowd, the fundraising total and the television audience all pushed it beyond a one-off exhibition. Martin now becomes the first clear drawcard for the return date, and the rest of the line-up is set to build around him from here.
