The race for the 2025 Smithy’s VFL premiership race is down to four, with two enthralling preliminary finals set to determine this year’s grand finalists.
SECOND PRELIMINARY FINAL
Southport Sharks (3rd) vs Frankston (4th)
Fankhauser Reserve
Saturday 13 September at 11:25am
Broadcaster: AFL.com.au + AFL Live Official App
A standalone club will feature in the Smithy’s VFL Grand Final for the fifth-consecutive occasion, as Southport and Frankston get set to do battle in the second preliminary final at Fankhauser Reserve.
The Sharks know everything about this stage of the season and are 2-0 in preliminary finals since joining the competition in 2021, having beaten Gold Coast in 2022 before shocking Footscray in 2024.
Still looking to win the VFL’s ultimate prize for the first time, the hosts will be determined to ensure their winning run in preliminary finals extends.
The Sharks put together an impressive display in their upset qualifying final win over the Box Hill Hawks at Box Hill City Oval a fortnight ago, where they slammed on the first seven goals of the final term to secure a 21-point victory and a home preliminary final.
It’s no surprise that two of the players who led the charge in that win were among the club’s representatives in the Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year squad.
Brayden Crossley, who is averaging over 40 hitouts this season, and Jacob Dawson who is averaging over 34 disposals a game will again be pivotal in Saturday’s clash.
The same can be set for Boyd Woodcock who has been outstanding in recent matches against Frankston.
Woodcock kicked five goals from 37 disposals in the Round 9 win over the Dolphins at Fankhauser Reserve and amassed 64 touches and two goals in last year’s two outings between the two clubs.
Also in Southport’s favour is their rather favourable head-to-head record.
The two sides have played each other five times since 2021, with the Sharks winning on each occasion. In their only finals meetings, which came in last year’s elimination final, the Sharks piled on 30 goals in a 92-point triumph.
But history will not worry the resurgent Frankston, who has not played better football this century.
The Dolphins put on a show in their final game of the year in front of their home faithful at Kinetic Stadium, holding off Casey to record an 11-point semi-final victory and earn a preliminary final spot for the first time in 28 years.
And whilst Jackson Kornberg’s side has scored the least number of points of the four the remaining sides vying for the premiership, they are one of only two sides to have kicked 100 points or more against Southport this season.
Noah Gown booted five majors that afternoon and returns after being a late withdrawal from last week’s win, while Corey Ellison kicked two that day and remains a key cog to his side’s forward line, having produced multiple goals in all but two of his 20 matches in 2025.
Whilst they’ll be far away from their adoring fans in what shapes as the club’s biggest game since the 1997 VFL Grand Final, you can count on there being plenty of support for the Dolphins as they look to cause a boilover to book their place in the decider.
SOUTHPORT
3rd (13-4-1, 132.2%)
STREAK: Won 3 (2025: WWWLWWWLLWWWWDLWWWW)
FRANKSTON
4th (12-5-1, 111.2%)
STREAK: Won 1 (2025: WLDWWWWWWWLLWLWLWWLW)
LAST MEETING
Round 9 – Fankhauser Reserve
SOUTHPORT SHARKS 6.1 11.5 17.8 22.10 (142)
FRANKSTON 2.2 8.3 11.6 16.6 (102)
BEST
Southport: Boyd Woodcock, Max Pescud, Jacob Dawson, Jesse Joyce, Brayden Crossley, Zac Foot
Frankston: Tom Blamires, Noah Gown, Tom Murphy, Darby Hipwell, Trent Mynott, Blake O'Leary
GOALS
Southport: Max Pescud, Boyd Woodcock 5, Hugh Dixon 4, Wylie Buzza, Jacob Heron 2, Brayden Crossley, Josh Gore, Finn Hay, Charlie Rowe
Frankston: Noah Gown 5, Tom Blamires, Corey Ellison 2, Nick Burke, Darby Hipwell, Matt Johnson, Tom Murphy, Blake O'Leary, Tarkyn O'Leary, Lachlan Sharp
DISPOSALS
Southport: Jacob Dawson 38, Boyd Woodcock 37, Zac Foot 28, Elijah Reardon 21
Frankston: Tom Blamires 26, Darby Hipwell 23, Tom Murphy 23, Lochie Reidy 23
FIRST PRELIMINARY FINAL
Footscray Bulldogs (1st) vs Box Hill Hawks (2nd)
Mission Whitten Oval
Saturday 13 September at 2:10pm
Broadcaster: 7mate and 7plus
The match-up many pundits thought throughout the season would be the Grand Final clash comes one week earlier than anticipated when Footscray and Box Hill meet in the first preliminary final at Misson Whitten Oval.
The Bulldogs could not be heading into the contest in better form.
Not only has Stewart Edge’s won its previous 12 matches, they also defeated the Box Hill Hawks on their turf impressive fashion just over a month ago.
Footscray made another statement in the qualifying final triumph over Frankston a fortnight ago, prevailing to the tune of 80 points, with the one-match suspension handed to Taylor Duryea the only negative to come out of the triumph.
The Bulldogs will still field 17 AFL-listed players in the preliminary final, with Jedd Busslinger and Jordan Croft returning to further bolster the key position posts at either end of the field.
Adam Treloar will remain a key component to the minor premiers’ midfield group, while the Bulldogs had nine individual goalkickers a fortnight ago and can rely on a large number of players to kick a winning score.
Footscray has lost just one of its past four matches to the Hawks, however that one blemish did come in a final when Box Hill ended the Bulldogs’ 2023 season in a 20-point semi final results.
The Bulldogs will be desperate to atone for that defeat, as well as their shock preliminary final loss to Southport 12 months ago, as they aim to reach the VFL Grand Final for the first time since winning the 2016 flag.
The Hawks meanwhile will hope the momentum they built in the final quarter of last week’s thrilling semi-final triumph will carry over to this weekend’s preliminary final.
Staring down the barrel of a fourth-consecutive loss and their first ever straight-sets final exit, Box Hill rallied from 33 points behind at three quarter time with nine final-term goals.
That included Bodie Ryan’s now famous set shot conversion on the full time siren to secure the three-point win over the Brisbane Lions.
Now back on the winners’ list, Zane Littlejohn’s side will believe they can recapture the form that saw them sit atop the Smithy’s VFL ladder for the majority of the campaign.
Henry Hustwaite is in terrific form in the middle of the ground and filled the hole left by Sam Butler’s AFL call up last week by amassing 37 disposals and 11 clearances in his side’s semi-final victory.
Mitch Lewis booted four goals in the win to earn a recall to the AFL team, however the return of Luke Breust and skipper Cal Porter could not come at a better time, while Max Ramsden has kicked multiple goals in three of his last five matches and can fill the void.
Having been the two best performed home and away sides in 2025, we are set for a terrific battle to see who will earn a place in next week’s decider.
FOOTSCRAY
1st (15-3, 145.7%)
STREAK: Won 12 (2025: WWWWWWWWWWWWLWWLLWW)
BOX HILL HAWKS
2nd (14-4, 136.3%)
STREAK: Won 1 (2025: WLLLWWWWWWWLWWWLWWWW)
LAST MEETING
Round 20 – Box Hill City Oval
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.2 2.9 5.11 7.12 (54)
FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS 4.1 5.1 9.5 11.7 (73)
BEST
Box Hill Hawks: Jai Serong, Henry Hustwaite, Lachy Dovaston, Ben Cavarra, Cameron Mackenzie, Sam Butler
Footscray: Jordan Croft, Billy Crofts, Nick Coffield, Ryan Gardner, Cooper Craig-Peters, Lachie Jaques
GOALS
Box Hill Hawks: Ben Cavarra 3, Billy Hicks 2, Lachy Dovaston, Blake Simondson
Footscray: Jordan Croft, Will Lewis 3, Lachie Jaques 2, Josh Dolan, Luke Kennedy, Buku Khamis
LEADING DISPOSALS
Box Hill Hawks: Sam Butler 27, Cam Mackenzie 26, Jai Serong 26, Seamus Mitchell 25, Henry Hustwaite 23
Footscray: Michael Sellwood 28, Nick Coffield 27, Billy Crofts 25, Cooper Hynes 23, Cooper Craig-Peters 22
