THE top four teams of the season will fight it out for a spot in the Smithy’s VFL Grand Final.
While there are two clear favourites, there will be two challengers who are a live chance to upset the apple cart.
Do the Gold Coast and Werribee fairytales continue their collision courses?
Or do the 2018 VFL and 2019 NEAFL premiers earn a shot at rearranging their trophy cabinets to make space for another cup?
WERRIBEE vs BRISBANE LIONS
Second Preliminary Final
Saturday September 16, 12:00pm, Avalon Airport Oval
Broadcast: Seven Network, AFL.com.au and AFL Live Official App
Head-to-head: Brisbane Lions 2-0. At Avalon Airport Oval: Never met. Streak: Brisbane Lions 2
THIS SEASON
Round 1 at Brighton Homes Arena
BRISBANE LIONS 4.2, 4.5, 8.7, 10.10 (70)
WERRIBEE 5.1, 8.4, 10.7, 10.9 (69)
GOALS
Brisbane Lions: W. Buzza 3, K. Lohmann, R. Mathieson 2, N. Cockatoo, H. Sharp, J. Tunstill Werribee: H. Garoni, N. Hayes, J. Henderson 2, J. Boyd, K. Declase, B. Malual, S. Paea
BEST:
Brisbane Lions: J. Madden, T. Fullarton, W. Buzza, J. Prior, R. Lester.
Werribee: L. Pinnuck, J. Henderson, D. Brew, S. Mannagh, W. Lual, H. Garoni
PREVIOUS FIVE HEAD-TO-HEAD
August 6, 2022: Brisbane Lions 12.6 78 def Werribee 9.12 66 (Red Rooster Park)
PREVIEW
The Tigers have been magnificent all season with their 16 straight wins, most of them in convincing fashion. But one of their two early losses was by a point to the Lions in Queensland, when they failed to kick a major in the last quarter to give up a two-goal lead. The Lions showed signs of their best in taking apart Williamstown last week and will bring a powerful team to Victoria with many trying to put pressure on the selectors for an AFL preliminary final berth. Werribee has match winners everywhere and the midfield contest of Tom Gribble, Dom Brew, Matt Hanson and Jack Henderson versus Rhys Mathieson, Jarryd Lyons, Jaxon Prior and James Tunstill is mouth-watering. Then there are the wings, where Shaun Mannagh and Kye Declase are likely to take on Harry Sharp and Bruce Reville. Werribee forward line? Hudson Garoni, Nick Hayes and Sam Paea versus Darcy Gardiner, Darragh Joyce and Daniel Rich. Lions forward line? Tom Fullarton, Wylie Buzza and Nakia Cockatoo versus Nick Coughlan, Nathan Cooper and Louis Pinnuck. This could be a classic. Bring. It. On.
EARLY PREDICTION
Werribee by 15
GOLD COAST SUNS vs BOX HILL HAWKS
First Preliminary Final
Saturday September 16, 3:00pm, Heritage Bank Stadium
Broadcast: Seven Network, AFL.com.au and AFL Live Official App
Head-to-head: Box Hill Hawks 3-2. At Heritage Bank Stadium: Gold Coast Suns 2-1. Streak: Gold Coast Suns 2
THIS SEASON
Round 14 at Heritage Bank Stadium
GOLD COAST SUNS 3.2, 8.3, 18.4, 24.5 (149)
BOX HILL HAWKS 3.4, 7.8, 8.10, 12.13 (85)
GOALS
Gold Coast Suns: B. McLaughlin 5, M. Chol, S. Day, A. Sexton 4, J. Sharp 2, C. Blakely, J. Eckersley, W. Graham, E. Hollands, J. Tsitas
Box Hill Hawks: F. Greene 3, J. Thorpe 2, J. Bennetts, D. Grainger-Barras, D. Mascitti, J. Rule, B. Ryan, C. Stephens, J. Ward
BEST
Gold Coast Suns: S. Day, J. Farrar, N. Moyle, B. McLaughlin, J. Tsitas, M. Chol
Box Hill Hawks: J. Ward, F. Greene, C. Stephens, N. Long, J. Serong, D. Mascitti
PREVIOUS HEAD-TO-HEAD
Elimination Final, August 28, 2022: Gold Coast 13.16 94 def Box Hill Hawks 10.11 71 (Heritage Bank Stadium)
May 28, 2022: Box Hill Hawks 17.9 111 def Gold Coast 13.11 89 (Heritage Bank Stadium)
July 3, 2021: Box Hill Hawks 15.21 111 def Gold Coast 5.9 39 (Box Hill City Oval)
July 3, 2010: Box Hill Hawks 19.16 130 def Gold Coast 11.8 74 (Fankhauser Reserve)
PREVIEW
Do you get the feeling of déjà vu? It was the Suns who ended the Hawks’ season at this venue in an elimination final last year and here they are set to meet in sudden death again, only this time there is a Grand Final berth on the line. Gold Coast lost a preliminary final to Southport last season and has earned another crack at a maiden appearance in a Big Dance at any level. The Hawks have a habit of being around the mark most years and defying expectations – they did it in the 2018 Grand Final and they did it again last week to bring down a Footscray team that hadn’t lost for nearly three months. You’d be a brave person to write them off, but do they have the versatility in defence to stop a stacked Suns forward line that has five players with more than 30 goals for the season (Chris Burgess 55, Brodie McLaughlin 52, Sam Day 35, Alex Sexton 34, Mabior Chol 31) plus several others capable of kicking a bag? In Emerson Jeka, Jai Serong, Denver Grainger-Barras and Damian Mascitti they will say they do, but Gold Coast put 10 goals on Box Hill in the third quarter in Round 14 just to demonstrate that threat. The Hawks need to get the ball to ground and allow the likes of Callum Brown, Bailey Macdonald, Josh Morris and Lachie Bramble to get their skates on to run it out.
EARLY PREDICTION
Gold Coast Suns by 33 points
