The Smithy’s VFL teams for the qualifying and elimination finals.

Hawthorn young star Josh Weddle headlines the inclusions for this weekend’s Smithy’s VFL finals action.

Weddle is on the comeback trail from a bone stress in his back and has been named to play in the Box Hill Hawks’ second qualifying final against Southport at Box Hill City Oval.

The Hawks have named a fearsome line-up that features 16 Hawthorn-listed players, as well as returning utility Kye Declase and fellow ex AFL-listed trio Trent Bianco, Ethan Stanley and Ben Cavarra.

Highlighting the strength of Box Hill’s team is Smithy’s VFL State Team representative and former North Melbourne and Carlton defender Sam Durdin being named as an emergency.

Southport regains skipper Brayden Crossley for his first game since Round 18 in what shapes as a huge job in the ruck against Ned Reeves and Max Ramsden, although Jay Lockhart will miss with a wrist injury.

Oskar Baker, Cooper Hynes and Josh Dolan return for Footscray's first qualifying final clash against Frankston at Mission Whitten Oval.

2024 All Australian midfielder Adam Treloar has also been selected to play after featuring in the 115-point win over Carlton in the last round of the VFL home and away season.

The Bulldogs have made four changes to the team that thrashed the Blues, with Buku Khamis ineligible for the VFL finals series with the Bulldogs' AFL team not competing in the finals, while Phoenix Spicer will miss with injury.

Frankston has received a welcome boost with skipper Trent Mynott and star rebounding defender Jackson Voss both overcoming injury to return.

Mynott last featured in the Round 14 come-from-behind win over Coburg, while Voss’ last game was a starring role in the Dolphins’ stirring win over Collingwood in front of a packed Kinetic Stadium.

Brisbane Lions regain Conor McKenna and James Tunstill for the second elimination final against Richmond at Brighton Homes Arena.

The Lions have named 14 AFL-listed players, along with incoming Academy star Dan Annable for the knockout clash.

Richmond has been hit by injury with skipper Lachie Street, Campbell Gray and Nick Guiney all forced out following last week’s wildcard final win over the GWS Giants, while Steely Green is ineligible now the Tigers’ AFL campaign has come to an end.

Mykelti Lefau returns from injury among four inclusions, with the Tigers heading into the clash with eight players from their AFL list.

Casey Demons have included Jai Culley, Blake Howes and Oli Sestan for the first elimination final against Williamstown at Casey Fields.

It means they will have 17 Melbourne-listed players take on the standalone Seagulls, however Matt Jefferson won’t be one of them after being ruled out of the finals with a foot injury.

Williamstown has made just one change to the team which upset Collingwood by 12 points at Victoria Park in last week’s wildcard final, with Max Philpot replacing the injured Zac Pritchard.

TICKETS: For matches played in Victoria during Wildcard Finals through to the Preliminary Finals, admission prices will be adults $15, concession/pensioners $10 and children under 15 free. Tickets can be purchased via www.intix.com.au/org/vfl.

BROADCAST AND STREAMING: All matches in the 2025 Smithy’s VFL season will be live streamed free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL App. The Seven Network will broadcast one match live and free on 7mate in Victoria and 7plus Sport nationally each week of the finals. This week’s broadcast match will be Casey Demons vs Williamstown.

BRISBANE LIONS vs RICHMOND

Second Elimination Final
Saturday 30 August, 12:05pm, Brighton Homes Arena

BRISBANE LIONS
B: L. Lloyd (19), D. Joyce (41), Z. Zakostelsky (21)
HB: L. Beecken (17), T. Abberley (48), S. Brain (34)
C: C. Offermans (56), R. Torrent (36), J. Creighton (57)
HF: C. McKenna (26), W. McLachlan (28), D. Craven (45)
F: H. Smith (25), B. Ryan (24), J. Manly (54)
R: O. McInerney (46), D. Robertson (2), J. Tunstill (29)
INT: F. McFadyen (58), W. Greenaway (59), D. Annable (63), C. McCarthy (64), T. Prindable (67)
23rd Player: T. Prindable
EMG: T. Meekin (52), B. Thomas (53), B. McDonald (55), R. Gilder (60), C. Hodge (62), H. Ronchi (62), J. Fazldeen (65), D. Lloyd (67), T. Wason (68)

IN: C. McKenna, T. Prindable, J. Tunstill
OUT: T. Gallop (AFL), C. Hodge, B. McDonald (omitted)

RICHMOND
B: J. Feneley (64), M. El Nour (57), J. Blight (46)
HB: K. Smith (49), N. Collier (63), A. Johnson (51)
C: L. George (67), H. Scott (74), S. Toner (68)
HF: T. Ferguson (73), M. Yassine (52), J. Alger (29)
F: J. Koschitzke (20), L. Fawcett (37), M. Lefau (42)
R: O. Hayes-Brown (47), L. Wilson (56), J. Garner (53)
INT: M. Raso (77), S. Phillips (81), N. Girolami (59), S. Ryan (32), T. McKenzie (60)
23rd Player: M. Raso (77)
EMG: Z. Greenham (82), S. Lai (76), R. Hanson (72), J. Pollocks (79)

IN: J. Feneley, T. Ferguson, M. Lefau, S. Phillips
OUT: C. Gray (concussion), N. Guiney (shoulder), L. Street (ankle), S. Green (ineligible)

Head-to-head: Richmond 3-1; At Brighton Homes Arena: Richmond 1-0; Streak: Richmond 2; Last time: Richmond 12.13 (85) def Brisbane Lions 8.15 (63) – Round 3, 2025, Swinburne Centre

BOX HILL HAWKS vs SOUTHPORT SHARKS

Second Qualifying Final
Saturday 30 August, 12:35pm, Box Hill City Oval

BOX HILL HAWKS
B: S. Mitchell (40), J. Weddle (23), J. Blanck (36)
HB: B. Macdonald (42), B. Ryan (26), S. Frost (8)
C: J. Serong (29), T. Bianco (58), K. Declase (53)
HF: C. Mackenzie (28), N. Reeves (7), M. Hill (41)
F: C. Anderson (32), J. Scaife (39), W. McCabe (27)
R: M. Ramsden (38), H. Hustwaite (44), S. Butler (30)
INT: B. Cavarra (52), L. Ward (54), E. Stanley (65), J. Arundell (70), S. Horner (62)
23rd Player: L. Ward (54)
EMG: T. Farrer (76), S. Durdin (50), W. Kellar (80), N. Philactides (51), J. Sammartino (67), B. Simondson (74)

IN: K. Declase, J. Weddle
OUT: S. Durdin, T. Farrer (omitted)

SOUTHPORT SHARKS
B: F. Hay (39), M. Spencer (6), M. McGuinness (14)
HB: B. Woodcock (1), N. Williams (30), W. Sexton (11)
C: M. Manteit (4), E. Reardon (26), O. Collins (27)
HF: J. Edwards (21), M. Pescud (42), J. Gore (19)
F: H. Oea (8), W. Buzza (15), C. Lake (33)
R: B. Crossley (20), J. Dawson (3), Z. Foot (2)
INT: J. Joyce (25), K. Gray (17), H. Dixon (29), J. Sexton (16), B. Aston (32)
EMG: C. Webster (22), H. Sullivan (31), J. Krok (44), R. Bowman (7), C. Rowe (40), J. Kennedy (36), M. Field (35), M. Khoo (41)

IN: O. Collins, B. Crossley
OUT: J. Lockhart (wrist), R. Bowman

Head-to-head: Tied 2-2; At Box Hill City Oval: Tied 1-1; Streak: Box Hill Hawks 1; Last time: Southport 8.5 (53) def by Box Hill Hawks 14.13 (97) – Round 19, 2025, Fankhauser Reserve

FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS vs FRANKSTON

First Qualifying Final
Saturday 30 August, 12:35pm, Mission Whitten Oval

FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS
B: M. Sellwood (37), L. Jones (19), T. Duryea (15)
HB: Z. Walker (41), N. Coffield (17), L. Jaques (11)
C: C. Poulter (25), A. Treloar (1), A. Jones (32)
HF: L. Kennedy (35), C. Hynes (6), O. Baker (13)
F: B. Crofts (54), L. Smith (40), D. Orgill (50)
R: R. Gardner (43), J. Dolan (26), A. Scott (28)
INT: J. Kellett (57), C. Craig-Peters (61), W. Lewis (64), L. Muratore (68), F. Valpied (53)
23rd Player: F. Valpied (53)
EMG: E. Macpherson (59), E. Hunt (56), C. Smith (55), C. Owen (62)

IN: O. Baker, J. Dolan, C. Hynes, F. Valpied
OUT: B. Khamis (ineligible), P. Spicer (hamstring), E. Macpherson, K. Williams (omitted)

FRANKSTON
B: O. Moran (28), J. Smith (25), T. Milne (15)
HB: T. Barlow (3), J. Lloyd (18), W. Hamill (9)
C: A. McComb (20), T. Murphy (5), T. Owens (7)
HF: G. Grey (6), C. Ellison (4), M. Johnson (24)
F: N. Burke (17), N. Gown (1), T. Mynott (12)
R: H. Coe (16), D. Hipwell (14), L. Riley (8)
INT: K. Askew (42), J. Voss (13), B. Lambert (22), T. Blamires (23), T. Campbell-Farrell (26)
EMG: H. Jones (39), M. Nelson (32), J. Burton (40), R. Mihailovic (38)

IN: T. Mynott, J. Voss
OUT: J. Burton, H. Jones (omitted)

Head-to-head: Footscray 9-0; At Mission Whitten Oval: Footscray 1-0; Streak: Footscray 9; Last time: Frankston 12.13 (85) def by Frankston 15.12 (102) – Round 12, 2025, Kinetic Stadium

CASEY DEMONS vs WILLIAMSTOWN

First Elimination Final
Saturday 30 August, 2:10pm, Casey Demons

CASEY DEMONS
B: B. Howes (22), J. Adams (26), D. Smith (54)
HB: R. Bonner (52), T. Fullarton (33), O. Sestan (38)
C: J. Culley (46), J. Billings (14), K. Brown (41)
HF: C. Spargo (9), A. Johnson (42), R. Mentha Jnr (39)
F: M. Hardie (55), L. Kentfield (44), P. Cross (64)
R: T. Campbell (29), T. Woewodin (40), B. Laurie (16)
INT: A. Lual (74), K. Tholstrup (12), R. Baldi (56), W. Verrall (28), N. Yze (49)
23rd Player: N. Yze (49)
EMG: M. Kirkwood-Scott (51), T. Sruk (53), T. Freeman (67), T. Edwards (58), J. Craven (75)

IN: J. Culley, B. Howes, O. Sestan, N. Yze
OUT: M. Jefferson (foot), T. Sinnema (Dandenong Stingrays), T. Edwards, T. Freeman (omitted)

WILLIAMSTOWN
B: L. Parks (22), N. Pendergast (32), H. Minton-Connell (16)
HB: F. O'Dwyer (17), J. Fitzgerald (8), M. Philpot (19)
C: N. Gadsby (13), J. Greiser (18), J. Petric (24)
HF: C. Polson (5), J. Brown (2), J. McHale (1)
F: H. Ollington (38), L. Gollant (15), B. McLaughlin (6)
R: T. Downie (11), H. Hall-Kahan (20), T. Triffett (7)
INT: M. Cox (4), R. Collier-Dawkins (9), N. Colenso (35), D. Hollow (12), J. Toner (14)
EMG: B. Kennedy (42), L. Impey (45), J. Noonan (31), H. Murphy (30), O. Sasalu (37)

IN: M. Philpot
OUT: Z. Pritchard (injured)

Head-to-head: Williamstown 37-26-1; At Casey Fields: Williamstown 7-5-1; Streak: Williamstown 2; Last time: Casey Demons 10.8 (68) def by Williamstown 15.10 (100) – Round 6, 2024, Casey Fields

UMPIRES

BRISBANE LIONS vs RICHMOND
FIELD: Samuel Whetton (4), Samuel Ferguson (23), Sam Hurford (44), Emergency: Henry Harris (51)
BOUNDARY: Harrison Bell, Riley Guerin, Mitchell O'Neill, Scott Hansford
GOAL: Zachary Mabb, Adam Steger, Emergency: Emilie Hill

BOX HILL HAWKS vs SOUTHPORT SHARKS
FIELD: Luke Porter (14), Jordyn Pearson (26), Joel Clamp (34), Emergency: Cameron Williams (19)
BOUNDARY: Harrison Hansford, Samuel Beer, Benedict Duce, Joshua Blain
GOAL: Georgie Henderson, Jack Stammers, Emergency: Callum Thornton

FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS vs FRANKSTON
FIELD: Andrew Talbot (1), Cameron Manthey (11), Jake Edgar (54), Emergency: Thomas Lyon (41)
BOUNDARY: Samuel Button, Jake D'Angelo, Dominic Schiliro, Nicholas Bahr
GOAL: John Varker, Joshua Hickman, Emergency: Connor Petrie

CASEY DEMONS vs WILLIAMSTOWN
FIELD: Connor Hawes (12), Joseph O'Brien (16), Kyle Van Raay (33), Emergency: Scott Simpson (15)
BOUNDARY: Mitchell Dorling, Corey Malcolm, Lachlan Perdon, Lewis Spiker
GOAL: James Rizio, Tayla Manning, Emergency: Josh Dudman Doyle