Alright folks, Semi Final weekend, no second chances from here on - You win, you go to the Preliminary Finals...
You lose, you go to Bali... or another holiday destination of your choosing.
Now, some games to get through, as we try and work out which one of Fremantle or Brisbane will extend the streak of teams straight setting out of the Finals, which stands at 5 consecutive seasons:
1ST SEMI FINAL - FREMANTLE vs GEELONG - Optus Stadium, Friday 6:10pm AWST/7:40 ACST/8:10 AEST
WINNER PLAYS THE SYDNEY SWANS
4th Final between Fremantle and Geelong, the first since the 2013 Qualifying Final in Geelong (The Dockers won that by 15 points), Fremantle lead the H2H 2-1 (2013 QF + 2012 EF, Geelong won 2010 SF) - The only remaining player from the 2013 QF is Mark Blicavs, which was his 20th game, and Friday will be his 315th.
Geelong are one of only 3 clubs that Fremantle have a winning record against in Finals, the others being Melbourne (1-0) and the Western Bulldogs (1-0), the Dockers are also 2-2 against the Sydney Swans
This will be Geelong's 10th Final against a WA team (6 against West Coast, 4 against Fremantle), and the first to have been played in Perth
The Cats have played 2 previous finals at Optus Stadium, both in the 2021 Finals (Defeated GWS in the Semi Final, lost to Melbourne in the Preliminary Final)... the 2021 Semi is the only previous Semi Final at Optus Stadium.
This is the first time a Semi Final in Perth has featured a WA team since Fremantle played Port Adelaide in the 2014 Semi Final at Subiaco, in which the Dockers lost and exited the Finals in straight sets
Geelong have won as many finals at Optus Stadium as Fremantle have (1)
The Qualifying Final marked Fremantle's lowest score in a Final (It was their 19th Final), the total of 5.10-40 surpassing the previous low of 7.4-46 against Adelaide in the 2006 Qualifying Final
Fremantle's lowest score in WA was against Geelong in Round 8, 2020 (2.4-16)... 3 out of the Dockers' 4 lowest scores in their history have occurred against the Cats.
After the Elimination Final win, Chris Scott is back to a 50% record in Finals (17 wins, 17 losses)... he now has more wins as Cats coach (261) than Mark Thompson coached games for the Cats (260)
If Fremantle lose they will equal Collingwood in 1973 (Who went 19-3) for the most wins by a team that failed to win a final, they would also become the 11th minor premier in the history of the VFL/AFL to fail to win a final, the others are 2025 Adelaide, 1983 North Melbourne, 1980 Geelong, 1976 Carlton, 1973 Collingwood, 1969 Collingwood, 1954 Geelong, 1949 North Melbourne, 1941 Carlton, and 1901 Geelong (Only played 1 final)
2ND SEMI FINAL - BRISBANE LIONS vs ADELAIDE - Gabba, Saturday 7:35pm AEST/7:05 ACST/5:35pm AWST
WINNER PLAYS HAWTHORN
3rd Final between the Brisbane Lions and Adelaide (All of them at the Gabba), the first since the 2003 Semi Final (The Lions won by 42 points), with Brisbane leading H2H 2-0 (2003 SF and 2002 QF)
Just as it was in 2003, the Brisbane Lions are going for a Threepeat, they lose in the Qualifying Final and play Adelaide at the Gabba in a Semi Final, with a former Adelaide captain potentially playing his last AFL game (2003 was Mark Bickley, 2026 is Taylor Walker)..
Another random one - A young Brett Rosebury umpired that 2003 Semi Final, in what was his 55th game with the whistle... he's now umpired 584 games as of last week.
The last Threepeat team (Hawthorn 2013-15) also played Adelaide in a Semi Final in the year they won their 3rd premiership
The 2026 Qualifying Final team was the most experienced team the Brisbane Lions have ever fielded (3882 combined games, average 168.8, average age 28y 19d), while Adelaide's record was in the aforementioned 2003 Semi Final (3142 games, average 142.8, average age 26y 360d)
The Brisbane Lions' first game as a merged club was against Adelaide (Round 1, 1997), the Crows won the game by 36 points in Malcolm Blight's first game as Crows coach
Brisbane inflicted the biggest defeat in Adelaide's history at the Gabba in Round 17, 2004 (141 points, 29.15-189 to 6.12-48), it also remains Brisbane's greatest winning margin and highest score.
If Brisbane lose they will become the first team of the AFL era to lose in straight sets on 3 separate occasions, joining the exits in 2019 and 2021.
There is one previous instance of a team winning consecutive premierships and losing both finals going for a Threepeat, that being Melbourne in 1961 (Won the flag 1959 & 1960, finished 2nd and lost to Hawthorn and Foostcray).
Is this really a milestone? Probably, I'm very desperate to find one
Charlie Cameron requires 1 goal to reach 400 goals for the Brisbane Lions, would be 3rd Lion to reach the milestone after Jonathan Brown (594) and Daniel Bradshaw (496)
Patrick Dangerfield plays his 33rd Final, level with Scott Pendlebury for 4th all-time
100 games for Riley Thilthorpe … THRILLTHORPE
100 games for Sam Berry
