State of Play hosts Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani preview the big topics ahead of this weekend's VFL and VFLW action.
Essendon’s form to continue?
Tasmania will play host to Essendon on Saturday in the club’s first home final, with over 12,000 people expected to fill North Hobart Oval for the Smithy’s VFL first semi final. The Devils ran out of steam against Geelong in the first qualifying final but lost no admirers. Meanwhile, the Bombers have won their past seven games including a stirring elimination final over Williamstown in front of a packed Windy Hill last week. Getting on a plane holds no fears for Cam Joyce’s side, who have won three of three when travelling this year. The form of Tasmania star Jed Hagan is in focus for the semi final. Four times this season he has been held goalless and each time Tasmania has lost. Essendon is the in-form team of the competition, peaking at the right moment, and will embrace being a big-time club in front of a big-time crowd on free-to-air TV for a spot in a preliminary final.
Collingwood has to go the old country road
If Collingwood wants to get back to the VFLW Grand Final and win redemption after losing the 2025 and 2023 deciders, they’ll first need to overcome the Western Bulldogs at Victoria Park on Sunday. For the first time this season, the Magpies will play on their home deck in a must-win elimination final. They don’t have the luxury of a second chance this September and head into the finals having won just once in the past month. Tom Cashin’s side will be buoyed by the fact the last time they met the Bulldogs, they held them goalless. But so much has changed since that Round 2 clash at Mission Whitten Oval.
The fight for the next best
So much has been made of Carlton and Port Melbourne’s VFLW seasons. Their red-hot form has them in contention to push the top three, who have been the frontrunners, in the finals series. On Saturday that formline will be put to the ultimate test in the second elimination final. The high octane, high-scoring Blues against the defence-first Borough. These sides faced similar fate in their final home and away matches, with Geelong beating both in Rounds 15 and 16. Will the final-round bye aid the Blues in their hope to win their first final since 2023? Or do Port Melbourne keep alive their dream of winning a second flag in four seasons?
Compounding injuries at Werribee
It’s been injury carnage for Werribee across the past two weeks. Harry Grintell, Lachie Charleson and Ryan Eyers all missed the first qualifying final with hamstring injuries, along with Jay Dalhaus with concussion. Compounding matters, star ruck Ajang Kuol Mun was stretchered from the ground with a knee injury during the third term, with Box Hill’s talls taking control from that point to run away with the victory. The Tigers will need some sort of luck to go their way in the second semi final when they face a Port Melbourne team that has won its past three matches, which included kicking their highest score of their season in consecutive weeks and kept the Swans to their lowest score in last week's elimination final.
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