Sydney host Fremantle at SCG for Grand Final spot
Sydney will host Fremantle in the second preliminary final at the SCG on Friday, September 18 at 7:40pm AEST. The winner goes straight to the Grand Final. The loser is out.
The fixture was confirmed by the AFL, and the match has already sold out in quick time, as reported by The West.
Sydney earned the home final by beating Brisbane in the qualifying final. A qualifying final is the first week of finals for the top four, with the winner getting a week off and a home preliminary final. Sydney won by more than 50 points to become the 13th team since 2000 to do so, according to The Guardian.
It was a record night with the ball. Sydney scored 141 points against Brisbane, their highest score ever in a final. They finished the home-and-away season as the league's leading attack for points scored.
The goals were shared. Sydney kicked 21 goals from just six goalkickers. Logan McDonald kicked six, Charlie Curnow and Tom Papley kicked five each, and Hayden McLean kicked three.
Sydney also owned the middle. A centre clearance is a clean win from the bounce in the middle of the ground to start an attack. Sydney scored 39 points from centre clearances against Brisbane while holding Brisbane to one goal from stoppages.
Fremantle took the longer road. The Dockers finished as minor premiers — first on the ladder after the home-and-away season — with 19 wins. They then beat Geelong by 14 points in the semi-final at Optus Stadium to reach their first preliminary final since 2015.
That win mattered in Perth. Fremantle had lost their last two finals at home before holding off the Cats. Shai Bolton kicked the opening two goals, and Fremantle scored 45 points from centre clearances, although they conceded 36 points from the same source to Geelong.
Recent history says this will be close. Fremantle beat Sydney in their Round 18 top-of-the-ladder clash after piling on 100 points in a half. Fremantle have also won two of their past three games at the SCG, and lost by under two goals — less than 12 points — on their most recent visit last year.
The clubs have met before in September. This is their third preliminary-final round meeting. Fremantle beat Sydney 10.9 (69) to 7.18 (60) by nine points in the 2015 qualifying final.
Both sides carry concerns. Sydney captain Callum Mills suffered a serious knee injury against Brisbane. Sydney also imposed a club suspension on five players for breaching club standards during the 2026 season.
What makes this stand out is the clash in the middle. Sydney were ruthless from the bounce against Brisbane. Fremantle scored heavily the same way against Geelong but leaked too much back. The team that wins first use at the centre bounce at the SCG will shape the Grand Final race.
