SYDNEY is one win away from returning to the grand final stage for the third time in five years while Fremantle is out to reach the club’s second decider.

The Swans shook up the finals series as their undermanned side came out breathing fire and demolished the highly-fancied Lions with the club’s highest score in a VFL/AFL final. The rousing victory was built on manic intensity and faith in their system as much as speed, skill and star power, as Dean Cox’s team brushed aside concerns over how they would cope without five key players who have been banned for the remainder of the season for a breach of club standards. The Swans are now within reach of what was thought to be an unlikely shot at redemption for two forgettable trips to the decider in recent years, with a wave of momentum now behind them for a home preliminary final.

The Dockers bounced back from a horror qualifying final performance that sent alarm bells ringing over their ability to stand up to the finals heat with a win in a high-quality contest with the Cats. The minor premiers shook off any signs of stage fright when staring down the perennial contenders’ fierce challenge to book a spot in their first preliminary final in 11 years. The Dockers are now within touching distance of a second men’s grand final in club history and the first since 2013. And backed by a newfound belief that this time could be different for a club that is yet to win a men’s premiership, Justin Longmuir’s side should hold few fears about a trip to the SCG after winning two of its past three matches at the venue.

Sydney has turned to former co-captain Dane Rampe to lead the side in the remainder of its finals campaign with skipper Callum Mills ruled out with a serious knee injury. Justin McInerney looms as the likely midfield replacement for Mills as he nears full fitness after hamstring issues. Joel Amartey is also pushing for a return though Hayden McLean will be difficult to shift, while Lewis Melican could be called on to counter the Dockers’ spread of tall forwards. Fremantle got through its semi-final unscathed but might look to bolster the defence with Brennan Cox and Brandon Walker – the latter an ideal matchup for Tom Papley. The likes of Oscar McDonald, Luke Ryan and Judd McVee face a nervous wait.

Where and when: SCG, Friday September 18, 7.40pm AEST

WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?

Round 18: Fremantle 15.21 (111) defeated Sydney 10.13 (73) at Optus Stadium

The Dockers underlined their premiership credentials as they turned around a goalless first half to pile on 100 points after the main break to seal a statement win. The clear top-two teams to this point of the season traded blows as the Swans pulled away while the Dockers kicked 0.11 before Jordan Clark finally slotted their first goal a minute into the third term. The visitors hung on to a two-point lead 12 minutes into the final term before the Dockers slammed on seven unanswered goals in a 15-minute burst to fire a warning shot across the competition. Josh Treacy booted two of his four goals during the late scoring blitz, while Michael Frederick added a pair of his own. Errol Gulden was the Swans’ best as the tireless midfielder gathered 30 disposals, while Charlie Curnow kicked five goals.

THE STATS THAT MATTER

Sydney

The Swans flipped the script on the way they have played this season to stun the Lions and book a home preliminary final. As heavy storms created slippery conditions and the pressure cooker of a final dialled up the intensity, the Swans put aside their focus on a slick, handball-at-all-costs style to rely more on a direct route with their equal most long kicks in a game this year. Dean Cox’s side also had their fewest handballs (130), highest kick-to-handball ratio (1.6:1), second fewest uncontested possessions (181) and third fewest metres gained by handball in a game this season, in a change of gears that the Dockers can expect again.

Fremantle

The Dockers burst out of the blocks with two quick goals to livewire Shai Bolton as their midfield dominated centre clearance early against the Cats. The two onball brigades went head-to-head in the middle as territory gained from centre ball-ups became the defining battle with both sides scoring more than a third of their points from the source. The Dockers’ +13 advantage in clearances (and +10 in centre clearances) proved to be critical to their victory as they outscored the Cats by 76-57 from stoppages in a 14-point win. And with red-hot ruck Luke Jackson leading the way with a game-high eight clearances the Swans have fair warning of just who – and what – they need to contain.

IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR ...

Sydney

If any player can set the tone for the Swans, it is Tom Papley. The firebrand small forward was at his provocative and energetic best as the Swans came out firing in their qualifying final against the Lions, as he laid a tough tackle early in the contest and booted two goals before the main break. Papley finished with five majors and a game-high 13 score involvements while helping key forwards Logan McDonald (six goals) and Charlie Curnow (five) to flourish around him. The 30-year-old has booted 32 majors this year after an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, with his 18 goals in eight matches since returning from a mid-season calf issue a key to the Swans moving to within one game of what would be Papley’s fourth grand final.

Fremantle

Luke Jackson rubber-stamped his status as one of the most impactful players in the competition as he stood tall when the Cats were charging to lead the Dockers into a preliminary final. The ruck-forward-midfield hybrid has averaged 18.7 disposals, five clearances and 25.7 hit-outs, as well as booted 27 goals, during an All-Australian campaign. But the 24-year-old outdid even himself when the semi-final was up for grabs late in the third term. The Cats had hit the front for the first time in the game when Jackson overpowered young ruck Mitch Edwards to boot two goals including one after the three quarter-time siren as the Dockers reclaimed the lead. The former Demons premiership player finished with 25 disposals, eight clearances and 35 hit-outs and a similarly dominant display against Swans ruck Brodie Grundy could be enough to carry the Dockers into their – and Jackson’s – second grand final.

PREDICTION

Fremantle went a long way to putting its disappointing display against Hawthorn behind it with victory against Geelong in an all-time classic final. The minor premiers, perhaps crucially, also shook a monkey off their back with just a second finals win since 2015. Sydney has hardly put a foot wrong on the field since banning five of its players for the rest of the season for a breach of club standards. But the absence of Mills will be a step too far into the Swans’ depth as they come up against the leading side this year. Fremantle by 11 points.  

THERE was no Wharfie Time at the SCG on Friday night, but Fremantle still produced an act of late-game magic, storming home from 28 points down to claim a thrilling 12-point win and secure just the second Grand Final appearance in the club's history.

With the Dockers surging home on the back of five unanswered final-quarter goals, Mason Cox, reviving memories of his famous preliminary final heroics in Collingwood colours, clunked a towering mark and coolly slotted the set shot to edge Fremantle in front.

SWANS V DOCKERS Full match details and stats

It completed a remarkable comeback, given the Swans had led by a game-high 28 points midway through the third term.

When these teams met in round 18, Sydney led at half-time by 22 points before eventually losing by 38 - and history repeated itself as the hosts ran out of steam late, falling 10.11 (71) to 12.11 (83) in a severe test of their depth against the minor premiers. 

Compounding their challenge, the Swans were missing five key players - Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, and James Jordon - who were suspended following a round 23 breach of club standards, alongside captain Callum Mills, who was sidelined after rupturing his ACL in the qualifying final victory over Brisbane.

Fremantle dominated territory, winning the inside-50 count 67-49 and clearances 44-30. The Dockers ultimately turned the contest with a ferocious final term, where they overwhelmed Sydney in inside-50s (23–6), clearances (12–5) and contested possessions (49–27).

Continuing his outstanding run of form, Logan McDonald starred with a game-high three goals from his 14 disposals. Errol Gulden's trademark run and speed were also on full display, collecting 36 disposals and 766 metres gained.

Meanwhile, Luke Jackson and Brodie Grundy fought to a draw in the ruck with 28 hitouts apiece, though Jackson proved the difference around the ground by slotting two goals. While Sydney managed to restrict most of Fremantle's stars on the scoreboard, Jackson, Isaiah Dudley and Shai Bolton led the way with two goals each. 

Bolton's impact came after coach Justin Longmuir made the masterstroke move to shift him deep into attack to spark a struggling forward line, while Andrew Brayshaw fuelled the engine room with a team-high 29 disposals.

The Dockers flew out of the gates, with an early score coming directly from the opening centre clearance. 

A miskick out on the full by Gulden gifted Neil Erasmus a shot on goal, which he bent through from a tough angle for the opener, before Jackson quickly added a second.

Bursting out of the middle to provide a quick reply, Braeden Campbell slotted Sydney's first major six minutes in to flip the momentum. 

Sydney then piled on the pressure through a Tom Papley snap from a forward-50 stoppage, a sharp set shot from McDonald, and a clever crumb from Tom Hanily. The Swans reeled off the last eight scores of the opening term to take a 16-point lead at quarter-time.

Fremantle had four shots on goal to start the term, but failed to capitalise - including two misses from Jye Amiss. When Sydney countered with speed and direct kicking, McDonald was awarded a free kick for a chop on the arms and converted his second.

The sides traded goals, but Fremantle's poor disposal efficiency inside forward 50 and defensive-half errors proved costly, gifting Sydney free kicks and easy scoring opportunities. Consequently, the Swans dominated intercept marks and scores from turnovers.

In his return from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since round 13, Justin McInerney slotted a set shot from 50. At the other end, Patrick Voss could not convert a booming kick from outside the arc with his first disposal of the match, allowing Sydney to take a 19-point lead into half-time.

In response, a brilliant gather and goal from Amiss, aided by a contentious non-call, gave the Dockers a flyer to start the third term.

Papley, however, appeared ginger after having his legs taken out while picking up the ball on the run. Unable to get going, he limped off with a right knee concern before having it strapped up and returning to the field. 

Standing tall, Jackson scored his second goal before Angus Sheldrick stopped the rot with a nimble sidestep to set up McDonald's third - a crucial steadying goal for the Swans. 

Playing in his first preliminary final, Charlie Curnow then made it three consecutive majors for Sydney, with each coming from a forward-half intercept.

Sydney applied relentless forward-half pressure, dominating tackles and intercepts inside 50 to generate scoring chains and build a 28-point lead midway through the third term.

An excellent set-shot goal after the siren from Hayden Young trimmed the margin, although the Swans still held a 21-point lead at the last change.

However, early in the fourth, consecutive goals from Bolton and Voss, the latter coming after a powerful fend-off, cut the deficit to just nine points as the Swans began to look tired.

As the intensity escalated, Bolton snagged his second of the term to make it a one-point game, before Cox drilled a trademark preliminary final goal to snatch the lead for the first time since the five-minute mark of the opening term.

Punching their ticket to the last Saturday in September, Fremantle advanced to a Grand Final clash with either Hawthorn or Brisbane.

Dockers' key forwards go missing again as premiership hopes slip
Fremantle's three key forwards have combined for 162 goals this season, but much like their qualifying final loss to Hawthorn a fortnight ago, the trio struggled to make an impact when it mattered most. The Dockers' talls were held in check in the first half, with Patrick Voss tallying just one disposal, Josh Treacy three and Jye Amiss four, while none registered a score. By the final siren, the trio had managed just two goals between them.

McDonald's goal-spree delivers career milestone
Logan McDonald's rich vein of form continued as he slotted another three majors against Fremantle, bringing his tally to 24 goals across his past seven outings. The key forward has now booted multiple goals in every match during that stretch. It marks a significant milestone for McDonald, who had never previously managed more than 16 goals across any six-game period in his career, underlining his emergence as a reliable focal point in Sydney's attack.

SYDNEY     4.5     7.6     10.10     10.11 (71)
FREMANTLE         2.1     4.5     7.7     12.11 (83)

GOALS
Sydney: McDonald 3, Campbell, Papley, Hanily, Cleary, McInerney, Sheldrick, Curnow
Fremantle: Jackson 2, Bolton 2, Dudley 2, Erasmus, Frederick, Amiss, Young, Voss, Cox

BEST
Sydney: McDonald, Gulden, Serong, Grundy, Rowbottom
Fremantle: Young, Jackson, Brayshaw, Bolton, Dudley, Serong

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Sydney: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

Crowd: 45,129 at the SCG