Australian legend Simon Whitlock will meet DPA number one Joe Comito on the opening night of the Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League when the new event begins in Melbourne on Saturday.
Eight stars from Australia and New Zealand will compete across the next eight Saturdays in the inaugural ANZ Premier League, televised live on Foxtel & Kayo Sports in Australia, through Sky in New Zealand and globally on PDCTV.
Each of seven league nights will feature quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final – before the top four players from the final league table progress to the Play-Offs in Brisbane on November 22.
A $160,000 prize fund is on offer, alongside a place in the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship for the eventual ANZ Premier League winner.
The opening night’s action will begin as former World Cup winner Whitlock – the standard bearer for Australian darts for two decades – opens up against Perth’s Comito, who has topped the DartPlayers Australia ProTour rankings this year.
Australia’s James Bailey then takes on DartPlayers New Zealand number one Jonny Tata in the second quarter-final, before Australian Darts Association top two Tim Pusey and Raymond Smith clash for a semi-final spot.
The last quarter-final sees New Zealand’s Ben Robb take on emerging Australian star Brody Klinge.
Following Saturday’s opening night at the John Cain Arena in Melbourne, the action continues in Newcastle, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide before crossing the Tasman Sea for a league night in Wellington.
The final league night will then take place on the Gold Coast, before the top four stars do battle for the title and a place in the World Darts Championship when Brisbane’s Nissan Arena hosts the Play-Offs.
Tickets are available from Ticketek.
2025 Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League
Night One
Saturday October 4, John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Quarter-Finals
Simon Whitlock v Joe Comito
James Bailey v Jonny Tata
Tim Pusey v Raymond Smith
Ben Robb v Brody Klinge
Night Two
Saturday October 11, Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Tata v Tim Pusey
Simon Whitlock v Brody Klinge
Joe Comito v Ben Robb
Raymond Smith v James Bailey
Night Three
Saturday October 18, AIS Arena, Canberra
Quarter-Finals
Brody Klinge v James Bailey
Raymond Smith v Simon Whitlock
Jonny Tata v Ben Robb
Tim Pusey v Joe Comito
Night Four
Saturday October 25, MyState Bank Arena, Hobart
Quarter-Finals
James Bailey v Joe Comito
Brody Klinge v Tim Pusey
Ben Robb v Raymond Smith
Simon Whitlock v Jonny Tata
Night Five
Saturday November 1, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Quarter-Finals
Simon Whitlock v Tim Pusey
Raymond Smith v Joe Comito
James Bailey v Ben Robb
Brody Klinge v Jonny Tata
Night Six
Saturday November 8, TSB Arena, Wellington
Quarter-Finals
Raymond Smith v Brody Klinge
Joe Comito v Jonny Tata
James Bailey v Simon Whitlock
Tim Pusey v Ben Robb
Night Seven
Saturday November 15, Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Tata v Raymond Smith
Tim Pusey v James Bailey
Joe Comito v Brody Klinge
Ben Robb v Simon Whitlock
Play-Offs
Saturday November 22, Nissan Arena, Brisbane
Semi-Finals
1v4
2v3
Best of 15 legs
Final
1/4 v 2/3
Best of 19 legs
League Format
League nights will be played over the best of nine legs, with points awarded as follows:
Winner – 5 points
Runner-Up – 3 points
Semi-Finalists – 2 points
The Play-Offs on Saturday November 22 in Brisbane will feature the top four players from the final league table, playing semi-finals over the best of 15 legs and the final over the best of 19 legs.
Prize Fund Breakdown
Winner: $30,000 + place in 2025/26 World Darts Championship
Runner-Up: $24,000
Semi-Finalists: $20,000
Fifth in league table: $16,000
Sixth in league table: $14,000
Seventh in league table: $12,000
Eighth in league table: $10,000
Night Winner Bonus x7 $2,000
Total Prize Pool: $160,000
——ENDS—–
Images: PDC
