The 2026 VFLW Finals Series launches in style this weekend, with two intriguing matches slated for the elimination finals.

SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL: CARLTON vs PORT MELBOURNE

Carlton and Port Melbourne will make their return to the VFLW finals stage when they face off at IKON Park on Saturday.

For the Blues, it’s the first time since their semi-final run in 2023 that they’ll feature in the post-season and outside of a blemish in the last round of the home and away season, they come into this weekend’s match in excellent form.

Prior to Round 16’s loss, the Blues won six consecutive matches to jump into the top six, finishing just one game behind 2025 runners up Collingwood. The biggest scalp from that run came in Round 11 when they upset eventual minor premiers by 10 points.

It’ll give Carlton plenty of confidence that they can match it with the best come finals time in pursuit of their first VFLW premiership.

Hannah Scott has arguably been the side’s most influential player this season, with the 27.4 disposals she’s averaging per week the most in the competition, her season-high coming against the Borough in Round 6. She’s also averaging seven clearances a match to be one of the most dominant midfielders heading into finals.

If it’s not Scott that’s proving to be a handful, it’s her midfield teammate Octavia Di Donato, who’s not only averaging over 20 disposals and six tackles a game but has also hit the scoreboard in four of her previous six matches.

The dynamic duo will lead the charge, but it will take a full-team effort to get through Port Melbourne, who didn’t drop out of the top six from Round 8 onwards.

With their last four games being decided by 12 points or less, the Borough will be up for a competitive contest and will know they are capable of getting over their Saturday opponents, given they are the only side that finished above them that they have defeated in 2026.

Eloise Ashley-Cooper has been Port Melbourne’s most consistent performer this season, averaging 18 disposals and nine tackles, but you could argue that Mia Caffry will be the side’s most important and dominant player come finals time.

She’s been averaging over 24 touches and over nine clearances in her last three games, which was highlighted by a season-high 32-disposal performance against Collingwood in Round 14.

A win would be the club’s first in a final since their elimination final triumph against Box Hill in 2024, a season in which they snuck inside the top six by two points.

2026 SEASON

CARLTON
4th (9-5, 134.2%)
STREAK: Lost 1 (2026: LWWWWWWLWLLWLW)

PORT MELBOURNE
5th (9-5, 116.7%)
STREAK: Lost 1 (2026: LWLWWWWWLWLWWL)

2026 MEETINGS

Round 6 – IKON Park
CARLTON                  1.2   3.3   3.4   3.5 (23)
PORT MELBOURNE  1.2   4.2   6.5   6.6 (42)

BEST
Carlton: Mia Fuller, Hannah Scott, Lucy Burke, Hannah Bowey, Octavia Di Donato
Port Melbourne: Not submitted

GOALS
Carlton: Tahlia Plunkett, Danika Di Santo, Sophia McCarthy
Port Melbourne: Emily Harley 2, Georgia Foran 2, Keeley Fullarton, Seisia White

LEADING DISPOSALS
Carlton: Hannah Scott 36, Mia Fuller 24, Octavia Di Donato 21, Steph Demeo 19, Lucy Burke 18, Zoe Larkins 18
Port Melbourne: Eloise Ashley-Cooper 21, Isabella Stutt 18, Mia Caffry 18, Georgia Foran 15, Mackenzie Bourne 15

FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL: COLLINGWOOD vs WESTERN BULLDOGS

For the first time since the 2019 VFLW Grand Final, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs will do battle in a final this Sunday at Victoria Park.

The Pies would win that decider by 37 points and having defeated the Dogs by 83 points in their only other meeting this season, they looked primed to produce a similar result in the semi-final.

Their ability to kick high scores this year has come in part thanks to Amelia Peck, who continued from her brilliant goalkicking feats last year by booting 27 majors this season, including four goals against the Bulldogs in that Round 3 match up.

They also possess a heap of ball winners around the ground, despite the likely loss of Dom Carbone to AFLW duties.

Tahlia Sanger is the Magpies’ leading disposal getter this season, averaging a little over 22 touches a game as well as a tick under eight tackles. She’s only dipped below the 20-disposal mark once since Round 3 and has had a total of 26 tackles in her last three games.

Meanwhile in defence, Jemma Ramsdale has proven to be more than serviceable, with the 21-year-old averaging an incredible 9.2 intercept possessions in her last five games.

But despite Collingwood’s dominance in recent years, they won’t come into this contest with the best of form lines, having lost their last two games which included a 37-point defeat to minor premiers Williamstown in which they scored just three goals.

The timing is perfect for the Western Bulldogs who have won their last two games as well as five of their previous seven matches.

It’s been a welcome return to finals action for the club following their five-win season in 2025, although their finals berth was not mathematically guaranteed until the conclusion of the home and away campaign despite holding on to sixth position from Round 10 onwards.

The Bulldogs have surprised many with their scoring in recent weeks, having posted their two highest scores of the season in the last fortnight, a welcome change from the two behinds they kicked against the Pies in Round 3.

Olivia Jesser and Analea McKee kicked multiple goals in both matches, the latter booting five majors in the Round 15 win over Darebin to head into finals with some excellent form.

In the middle, Ellie Bishop has been involved more often than not, averaging over 21 disposals a game this season. She also produced a season-high 11 tackles in the Dogs meeting with Collingwood in May.

Mizuki Brothwell and Jemima Wrigley will be the pair to watch out for in defence, both in particular having a heavy influence in the club’s previous two wins and will likely be critical if they are to cause an upset away from home this weekend,

2026 SEASON

COLLINGWOOD
3rd (10-4, 185.1%)
STREAK: Lost 2 (2026: LLWLWWLWWWWWWW)

WESTERN BULLDOGS
6th (9-5, 110.5%)
STREAK: Won 2 (2026: WWLLWWWLWWLWLW)

2026 MEETINGS
Round 3 – Mission Whitten Oval
WESTERN BULLDOGS          0.0   0.0   0.0      0.2 (2)
COLLINGWOOD                    6.2   8.4   10.7   13.7 (85)

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Ellie Bishop, Jaimi Tabb, Zoe Davies, Scarlett O'Donnell, Stephanie Asciak, Jorja Livingstone
Collingwood: Dom Carbone, Abbey Tregellis, Amelia Peck, Ella Jeffrey, Tahlia Sanger, Stella Huxtable

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Collingwood: Amelia Peck 4, Dom Carbone 3, Macy Watkins 2, Ashley Patton, Stella Huxtable, Eva Harris, Zoe Wilkinson

LEADING DISPOSALS
Western Bulldogs: Ellie Bishop 21, Steph Asciak 20, Jorja Livingstone 16, Scarlett O’Donnell 13, Tamsin Crook 11
Collingwood: Abbey Tregllis 25, Dom Carbone 24, Tahlia Sanger 23, Stella Huxtable 22, Ashley Patton 17, Eva Harris 17, Mia van Dyke 17