AFL 2026 Preliminary Finals results
22 September 2026
Two Preliminary Finals, two home sides eliminated — both Sydney Swans and Hawthorn went down on their own ground, sending Fremantle and Brisbane Lions through to the Grand Final. Fremantle's 12-point win at the S.C.G. was the more comfortable of the two; Brisbane Lions had to survive a 122-point shootout at the M.C.G., getting home by 9.
Preliminary Final scores
| Home | Away | Venue | Day | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Final 1 | Sydney Swans 71 | lost to | Fremantle 83 | S.C.G. | Fri 18 Sep |
| Preliminary Final 2 | Hawthorn 122 | lost to | Brisbane Lions 131 | M.C.G. | Sat 19 Sep |
The round in two lines
Biggest margin: Fremantle by 12 — the away side held off the Sydney Swans at the S.C.G. to book back-to-back Grand Final trips.
Closest finish: Brisbane Lions by 9 — a 253-point shootout at the M.C.G., the highest-scoring final of the series so far, with Hawthorn's home finals run ending one game short.
The Grand Final draw is now locked: Brisbane Lions v Fremantle, M.C.G., Saturday 26 September. Both sides had to win away from home to get there. Running a finals competition with your mates? A TippingMates ladder updates itself off results like these automatically, every round.