The teams for the 2026 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final.
Box Hill Hawks has included Ned Reeves and Cody Anderson for Sunday’s premiership decider at IKON Park against Geelong.
Reeves missed last week’s preliminary final win against Essendon with a larynx injury, while Anderson returns from a hamstring injury sustained in the Round 21 win over the Casey Demons.
The Hawks’ line-up fighting for its first premiership since 2018 will feature 18 AFL-listed players, along with two former AFL-listed players in Brodie McLaughlin and Trent Bianco.
While Box Hill has regained a ruck, Geelong has lost one, with Rhys Stanley to be sidelined by a pectoral injury sustained early in last week’s preliminary final win over Port Melbourne.
In good news for the Cats, exciting young forward Jay Polkinghorne will return for the Grand Final. The 20-year-old booted 20 goals in six VFL appearances earlier this season, before kicking 14 majors in eight AFL matches.
Charley Green is a surprise inclusion, with the 20-year-old named by the Cats for his first match since Round 9. Green booted seven goals in four VFL games this season and replaces the unlucky Kobe George.
Geelong’s team will feature 14 players on the club’s AFL list, while VFL-listed duo Nathan Kreuger and Jay Rantall have both had AFL experience.
TICKETS: Tickets must be pre-purchased at www.intix.com.au/org/vfl, with no tickets available to be purchased at the venue on match day. Admission prices are adults $20, concession/pensioners $15 and children under 15 free. Ticket includes entry into both the Smithy’s VFL Grand Final and VFLW Grand Final, with gates opening at 10:15am
BROADCAST: The 2026 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final will be broadcast live and free by ABC TV VIC, the network’s main channel in Victoria, and ABC iview nationally. The coverage commences at 1:30pm.
STREAMING: The 2026 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final will also be live streamed free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL App.
GEELONG CATS vs BOX HILL HAWKS
Grand Final
Sunday 20 September, 2:05pm, IKON Park
GEELONG CATS
B: K. Matofai-Forbes (31), N. Kreuger (69), L. Hofmann (23)
HB: N. Driscoll (27), C. Burke (41), J. Bews (24)
C: J. Bowes (12), G. Stevens (15), H. Holmes (22)
HF: D. Capiron (50), J. Molier (20), J. Mellor (25)
F: J. Ballantyne (57), J. Polkinghorne (2), J. Rantall (55)
R: J. Pike (37), M. Knevitt (10), J. Clark (13)
INT: P. Kelly (74), L. Weidemann (76), Z. Stevens (78), T. Peirce (81), C. Green (84)
23rd Player: Z. Stevens (78)
EMG: J. Hart (48), J. Costello (51), D. Edmends (53), J. Hose (65), T. Lewis (66), K. George (67), E. McCoy (73), L. Antonac (79)
IN: C. Green, J. Polkinghorne
OUT: R. Stanley (pectoral), K. George (omitted)
BOX HILL HAWKS
B: B. Ryan (26), J. Blanck (36), J. Scrimshaw (14)
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), W. McCabe (27)
R: N. Reeves (7), M. Hill (41), O. Greeves (35)
INT: T. Farrer (76), B. McLaughlin (50), C. Anderson (32), 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. Uhr-Henry (43), G. Julian (52), W. Pewtress (79)
IN: C. Anderson, N. Reeves
OUT: S. Butler (suspended), W. Pewtress (omitted)
Head-to-head: Box Hill Hawks 24-11; At IKON Park: Never met; Streak: Geelong Cats 1; Last time: Geelong Cats 19.9 (123) def Box Hill Hawks 11.10 (76) – Round 2, 2026, GMHBA Stadium
UMPIRES
FIELD: Lachlan Coyne (2), Samuel Whetton (4), Samuel Ferguson (23); Emergency: Campbell Hymans (17)
BOUNDARY: Corey Malcolm, Benedict Duce, Mitchell Dorling, Mitchell O'Neill
GOAL: John Varker, Adam Steger; Emergency: Joshua Hickman