Tom Edwards celebrates a goal with teammates during the 2026 AFL Round 4 match between the Western Bulldogs and Essendon at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

The Smithy’s VFL semi finals teams have been confirmed.

Essendon key forward Tom Edwards will return for the Bombers’ clash with Tasmania in the first semi final.

FINALS DETAILS
2026 Smithy’s VFL Semi Finals details

Edwards has booted 18 goals in seven VFL appearances this season, with the most recent being a dominant performance in the Round 21 victory over the Sydney Swans.

His addition to the line-up means the Bombers will have 18-listed players in Saturday’s clash at North Hobart Oval.

The Devils have made one change, with Daniel Cooney recalled for his first game since Round 8.

The winner of the Tasmania vs Essendon match will progress to play Box Hill Hawks in the second preliminary final.

Werribee has suffered another major injury blow, with star ruck Ajang Kuol Mun ruled out for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury sustained in last week’s fighting loss to Box Hill.

He will be replaced for the second semi final against Port Melbourne by Caiden Gardiner, who has played just one match at VFL level.

Daly Andrews and Massimo Raso also return for the Tigers to take on an unchanged Borough line-up, where the winner will advance to take on minor premier Geelong in the first preliminary final.

TICKETS: Click here to purchase tickets for Tasmania vs Essendon via Ticketmaster. Click here to purchase tickets for Werribee vs Port Melbourne via Intix.

BROADCAST AND STREAMING: Seven Network – Tasmania vs Essendon; ABC – Werribee vs Port Melbourne; 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.

52:41

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TASMANIA vs ESSENDON

First Semi Final
Saturday 5 September, 11:05am, North Hobart Oval

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

IN: D. Cooney
OUT: N. Sulzberger (omitted)

ESSENDON
B: J. Artemis (34), H. Jones (23), J. Nguyen (42)
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), T. Edwards (45)
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), T. Sellers (75)
23rd Player: T. Kitchell (67)
EMG: J. Eckersley (58), C. Nyko (65), B. Dowling (73), S. McKay (51), J. Binns (74)

IN: T. Edwards
OUT: B. Dowling (omitted)

Head-to-head: Never met

WERRIBEE vs PORT MELBOURNE

Second Semi Final
Saturday 5 September, 12:05pm, 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: C. Gardiner (31), D. Andrews (2), C. Lazzaro (1)
INT: J. Smith (35), X. Ivisic (8), D. Brew (29), Z. Keighran (21), M. Raso (13)
EMG: E. Pearce (37), J. Kellett (57), N. King (38), N. Tullio (5), B. Malual (11), T. Simpson (23), N. Newton (49), E. Jeka (25)

IN: D. Andrews, C. Gardiner, M. Raso
OUT: A. Kuol Mun (hamstring), T. Simpson, N. Tullio (omitted)

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

Head-to-head: Port Melbourne 33-26; At Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval: Werribee 13-11; Streak: Werribee 1; Last time: Werribee 16.13 (109) def Port Melbourne 10.11 (71) – Round 17, 2026, Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval

UMPIRES

TASMANIA vs ESSENDON
FIELD: Lachlan Coyne (2), Emiel Morvell (3), Sam Hurford (44); Emergency: Connor Hawes (12)
BOUNDARY: Bailey Wilson, Riley Guerin, Scott Hansford, Benjamin Rofe
GOAL: Kane Miller, Will Robertson; Emergency: Mark Holmes

WERRIBEE vs PORT MELBOURNE
FIELD: Samuel Whetton (4), Scott Simpson (15), Campbell Hymans (17); Emergency: Cameron Williams (19)
BOUNDARY: Harrison Hansford, Lachlan Perdon, Samuel Button, Lewis Spiker
GOAL: Josh Dudman Doyle, Joshua Hickman; Emergency: Bradley Kellett