Dingos Kick Off 2026 With 58-Point Win Over The Gargoyles

The Toronto Dingos kicked off their 2026 campaign with a 58-point win against Guelph in the driving rain at Margaret Greene Reserve on Saturday. 

The first game of the AFL Ontario season for the Dingos included eight debuts for the club including four Canadians playing their first game of footy – Rowan Kelly, Dallas Clancy, Zach Munn, and Thomas Gibbard-McCall. 

The Gargoyles elected to kick with the wind in the first quarter but it was the Dingos who took control of the game with a 2.3 (15) to 0.1 (1) start. Dingos small forward Zach Munn booted the first two goals in his first game of footy. 

The second quarter dominance – helped by kicking with the wind – broke the game open. It led to four majors for the Dingos and a 38-point lead at the half. Sam Hayden, Tom De Lure and Robert Rusan were able to get plenty of the footy. The second half became a tougher slog because of the relentless rain and wind. It made the leather ball hard to handle, and clean marks harder to come by.

“You never know how things will go in the first game of the year. You spend a lot of the pre-season talking and training. It's a bit of an unknown. But I’m happy we were able to stick together and grind out a win in very ordinary conditions,” said Head Coach Justin Robertson. “The new blokes who joined our club this year, have slotted in nicely and all played a role in the win. Seeing a bloke like Zach Munn kick two goals in his first game, that's what it's all about.” 

Final Score

Dingos 8.11 (59)

Gargoyles 0.1 (1)

The Dingos take on the Swans in Round 2 at Humber South on May 30. Kick off is at 1:30 p.m.