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

Minor premier Geelong will take 12 AFL-listed players into its qualifying final against Tasmania at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.

The Cats are looking to break a 13-year VFL finals drought, with their last post-season victory coming in the 2013 preliminary final. They’ve since lost their past seven finals matches.

Youngsters Keighton Matofai-Forbes and Jacob Molier both return for the first qualifying final, alongside VFL skipper Dan Capiron and former Carlton forward Will White, who hasn’t played since injuring his ankle in the Round 8 win over Brisbane.

Tasmania welcomes back Caleb Mitchell and Cam Owen from injury, with the latter’s timely return ensuring the Devils have cover in the ruck after losing Aiden Begg for the remainder of the season.

Essendon will take a stacked side into its first VFL final since 2019, with 17 AFL-listed Bombers named to take on Williamstown at Windy Hill in the first elimination final

Harrison Jones, Jaxon Artemis, Will Setterfield, Hussien El Achkar and Vigo Visentini feature among nine inclusions from the side that defeated Sydney in Round 21 to clinch a finals place.

However, in-form forward Tom Edwards will miss through injury and Ben McKay and Lachy Blackiston are both not eligible for selection.

The Seagulls receive a welcome boost with captain Finn O’Dwyer, who has been restricted to just three matches this season, and Jack McHale both returning.

Port Melbourne has named an unchanged line-up to take on Sydney at ETU Stadium in the second elimination final, which will be the Borough’s first finals appearance in seven years.

The Swans have bolstered their key position posts with Hayden McLean and Lewis Melican both included following last week’s thumping wildcard final win over Frankston.

The addition of the two experienced talls means Sydney will enter the clash with eight AFL-listed players in its line-up.

Box Hill Hawks have added emerging young gun Noah Mraz and utility Flynn Perez for the clash with Werribee at Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval in the second qualifying final.

Cody Anderson and Jack Scrimshaw both come out of the Hawks’ line-up due to injury, however there will still be 17 AFL-listed players in the side to take on the 2024 premier.

Werribee has been forced to make four changes, with key defender Ryan Eyers, Lachlan Charleson and Harry Grintell all sidelined by hamstring injuries.

But in good news for the Tigers, versatile forward Will Elliott and 2024 premiership rebounder Jake Smith are both among the inclusions.

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: ABC – Essendon vs Williamstown; All matches in the 2026 Smithy’s VFL season will be live streamed free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL App.

GEELONG CATS vs TASMANIA

First Qualifying Final
Saturday 29 August, 12:05pm, GMHBA Stadium

GEELONG CATS
B: L. Weidemann (76), N. Kreuger (69), J. Bowes (12)
HB: N. Driscoll (27), C. Burke (41), J. Bews (24)
C: L. Hofmann (23), G. Stevens (15), H. Holmes (22)
HF: J. Rantall (55), J. Molier (20), J. Mellor (25)
F: Z. Stevens (78), K. Matofai-Forbes (31), J. Ballantyne (57)
R: J. Pike (37), M. Knevitt (10), D. Capiron (50)
INT: P. Kelly (74), K. George (67), T. Peirce (81), W. White (52), D. Edmends (53)
23rd Player: Z. Stevens (78)
EMG: J. Henderson (47), J. Hart (48), J. Costello (51), J. Hose (65), T. Lewis (66), W. Sheahan (72), L. Antonac (79), E. McCoy (84)

IN: D. Capiron, D. Edmends, K. Matofai-Forbes, J. Molier, W. White
OUT: R. Stanley (knee), J. Martin (AFL), J. Costello, B. Pennisi, T. Lewis (omitted)

TASMANIA
B: J. Callinan (18), J. Chaplin (41), G. Payne (7)
HB: R. Fox (5), A. Wilkinson (16), N. Williams (10)
C: B. Cox-Goodyer (9), B. Leary (8), Z. Adams (33)
HF: L. Hay (39), J. Dolliver (50), M. Iverach (34)
F: J. Menzie (1), H. Dixon (29), J. Hagan (2)
R: C. Owen (23), H. Elmer (26), B. Boag (11)
INT: C. Mitchell (4), O. Paprotny (42), N. Sulzberger (13), L. Wootton (19), J. Wolfe (31)
EMG: P. Walker (24), D. Cooney (12), W. Splann (28), D. Gardner (25)

IN: C. Mitchell, C. Owen
OUT: A. Begg (kidney), P. Walker (omitted)

Head-to-head: Never met

ESSENDON vs WILLIAMSTOWN

First Elimination Final
Saturday 29 August, 12:05pm, Windy Hill

ESSENDON
B: J. Artemis (34), H. Jones (23), T. Sellers (75)
HB: C. Bourke (39), Z. Johnson (40), S. El-Hawli (41)
C: M. Kondogiannis (29), H. El Achkar (33), A. Clarke (36)
HF: R. Unwin (38), J. Gresham (11), J. Nguyen (42)
F: N. Cox (13), L. McMahon (48), M. Guelfi (35)
R: V. Visentini (17), W. Setterfield (12), E. Tsatas (5)
INT: D. Kalpakis (52), T. Kitchell (67), X. O'Neill (55), J. Hately (50), B. Dowling (73)
23rd Player: T. Kitchell (67)
EMG: J. Eckersley (58), C. Nyko (65), R. Brodie (60), N. Scott (57), W. Bella (77), K. Gallagher (69), S. McKay (51), J. Binns (74)

IN: J. Artemis, A. Clarke, H. El Achkar, H. Jones, T. Kitchell, M. Kondogiannis, W. Setterfield, R. Unwin, V. Visentini
OUT: T. Edwards (injured), L. Blakiston, B. McKay (ineligible), C. Evans (managed), J. Binns, R. Brodie, S. McKay, C. Nyko, N. Scott (omitted)

WILLIAMSTOWN
B: H. Ollington (15), K. Turner (27), A. Bonar (25)
HB: L. Parks (22), A. Seivers (45), D. Cuningham (2)
C: M. Philpot (19), L. Wilson (36), H. Minton-Connell (4)
HF: T. Triffett (7), J. D’Intinosante (30), J. Toner (14)
F: D. Hollow (12), N. Colenso (10), K. Dawson (13)
R: A. Mirkov (49), D. Moloney (9), J. McHale (1)
INT: F. O’Dwyer (17), B. Preuss (11), J. Greiser (18), B. Ryan (47), C. Polson (5)
EMG: R. Jacobs (37), T. Fullarton (16), N. Pendergast (32), C. Willis (26)

IN: J. McHale, F. O’Dwyer
OUT: R. Jacobs, N. Pendergast (omitted)

Head-to-head: Tied 17-17; At Windy Hill: Essendon 4-1; Streak: Williamstown 1; Last time: Essendon 11.9 (75) def by Williamstown 12.16 (88) – Round 6, 2026, Windy Hill

PORT MELBOURNE vs SYDNEY SWANS

Second Elimination Final
Saturday 29 August, 12:35pm, ETU Stadium

PORT MELBOURNE
B: M. Rudd (36), T. Graham (28), M. Gahan (32)
HB: L. Rankin (15), J. Van Es (6), N. Hawkins (18)
C: H. Stubbings (12), J. Tovey (10), C. Downie (13)
HF: M. Rider (21), R. Polkinghorne (24), D. Bedendo (2)
F: A. Tonelli (31), K. Baldwin (11), L. Alessio (27)
R: F. Penry (33), T. Hird (4), B. Hobbs (8)
INT: R. George (34), F. Hughes (45), J. Sparkman (43), O. Mulady (5), J. Green (14)
EMG: M. White (39), M. O' Brien (40), C. Connell-Tobin (19), A. Manton (16), P. Farrant (22)

No change

SYDNEY SWANS
B: R. Andrew (20), P. Snell (41), L. Melican (43)
HB: N. Bowman (23), A. Norris (46), J. Harrison (65)
C: J. Tidemann (57), C. Warner (37), C. Peters (53)
HF: M. Rosas Jnr (10), H. Cameron (69), O. Clifton (72)
F: K. Gibbs (70), J. Phillipou (18), H. McLean (2)
R: T. Ryan (64), J. Sutton (54), M. Mellis (50)
INT: B. Pignatelli (62), L. Giacometti (51), N. Andreacchio (67), J. Longmire (56), K. Harbour (66)
23rd Player: H. Cameron (69)
EMG: W. Morahan (55), O. Davis (68), C. Blackwell-Smith (60)

IN: H. McLean, L. Melican
OUT: H. Meaney (unavailable), W. Morahan (omitted)

Head-to-head: Sydney 19-2-1; At ETU Stadium: Sydney 8-2-1; Streak: Sydney Swans 1; Last time: Port Melbourne 7.15 (57) def by Sydney Swans 12.6 (78) – Round 3, 2026, ETU Stadium

WERRIBEE vs BOX HILL HAWKS

Second Qualifying Final
Saturday 29 August, 2:05pm, Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval

WERRIBEE
B: L. Pinnuck (9), M. Lloyd (30), J. Pavlidis (34)
HB: J. Clark (27), S. Azzi (19), M. Cousins (14)
C: A. Depasquale (7), M. Robb (45), C. Whyte (4)
HF: J. Busuttil (3), B. Wright (28), J. Riding (33)
F: H. Maguire (17), W. Elliott (6), S. Donegan (12)
R: A. Kuol Mun (20), T. Simpson (23), C. Lazzaro (1)
INT: J. Smith (35), X. Ivisic (8), D. Brew (29), Z. Keighran (21), N. Tullio (5)
EMG: E. Pearce (37), J. Kellett (57), N. King (38), D. Andrews (2), B. Malual (11), C. Gardiner (31), N. Newton (49), T. Cappellari (26), M. Raso (13)

IN: W. Elliott, M. Lloyd, J. Smith, N. Tullio
OUT: L. Charleson (hamstring), R. Eyers (hamstring), H. Grintell (hamstring), E. Pearce (omitted)

BOX HILL HAWKS
B: B. Ryan (26), J. Blanck (36), W. McCabe (27)
HB: M. Leray (31), N. Mraz (21), S. Horner (62)
C: J. Dalton (34), H. Hustwaite (44), F. Perez (39)
HF: C. Nairn (22), C. Dear (13), M. Ramsden (38)
F: F. Maginness (20), A. Schubert (29), S. Butler (30)
R: N. Reeves (7), M. Hill (41), O. Greeves (35)
INT: T. Farrer (76), B. McLaughlin (50), W. Pewtress (79), C. Preston (73), T. Bianco (58)
23rd Player: T. Farrer (76)
EMG: S. Sofronidis (63), B. Simondson (74), T. Brown (66), J. Walker (77), L. Ward (54), J. Baldwin (72), G. Julian (52), W. Kellar (78)

IN: T. Farrer, N. Mraz, F. Perez
OUT: C. Anderson (hamstring), J. Scrimshaw (injured), J. Walker (omitted)

Head-to-head: Werribee 54-42; At Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval: Werribee 30-15; Streak: Box Hill Hawks 1; Last time: Werribee 11.11 (77) def by Box Hill Hawks 14.9 (93) – Round 7, 2025, Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval

UMPIRES

GEELONG CATS vs TASMANIA
FIELD: Emiel Morvell (3), Cameron Williams (19), Thomas Lyon (41), Emergency: Chris Menara (37); BOUNDARY: Corey Malcolm, Riley Guerin, Bailey Wilson, Scott Hansford; GOAL: John Varker, Bradley Kellett, Emergency: Connor Petrie

ESSENDON vs WILLIAMSTOWN
FIELD: Samuel Whetton (4), Connor Hawes (12), Scott Simpson (15), Emergency: Flynn Kelly (28); BOUNDARY: Harrison Hansford, Jake D'Angelo, Cooper Ranie, Lachlan Perdon; GOAL: Kane Miller, Joshua Hickman, Emergency: Brendan Moloney

PORT MELBOURNE vs SYDNEY SWANS
FIELD: Lachlan Coyne (2), Sam Bridges (22), Sam Hurford (44), Emergency: Lachlan Flinn (7); BOUNDARY: Samuel Button, Lewis Spiker, Mitchell O'Neill, Cody Tuder; GOAL: Josh Dudman Doyle, Jack Stammers, Emergency: Emma Young

WERRIBEE vs BOX HILL HAWKS
FIELD: Nicholas Scott (8), Campbell Hymans (17), Samuel Ferguson (23), Emergency: Liam Dye (24); BOUNDARY: Kaitlin Barr, Benedict Duce, Mitchell Dorling, Benjamin Rofe; GOAL: Adam Steger, Will Robertson, Emergency: Callum Thornton