Brisbane Lions face finals exit ahead of Hawthorn clash
The Brisbane Lions must beat Hawthorn in round nine to keep their 2026 AFLW season alive. A loss will make it mathematically impossible for them to reach the finals series, the knockout playoff for the premiership.
Brisbane have two wins from eight starts in the opening two months of the season. They sit two games outside the top eight, the group that goes on to play finals after the home-and-away rounds, according to ABC News.
That is unfamiliar ground. Before this season, Brisbane had missed the finals only once in club history, in 2019. They had played in seven of the nine AFLW grand finals to 2026, the one-game decider for the flag.
Last year they were there again. Brisbane reached the 2025 grand final but lost by four points to Melbourne at Brighton Homes Arena, which gave Melbourne its maiden AFLW premiership, according to Brisbane Lions.
The contrast with 12 months ago is stark. Last October Brisbane beat Gold Coast in the QClash, the Brisbane-Gold Coast derby, 11.17 (83) to 2.3 (15) for a third straight win. In footy scoring that means 11 goals and 17 behinds for 83 points. They led that game by 19 points at quarter-time and 40 points at half-time, according to Brisbane Lions.
What makes this stand out is the speed of the drop. This is not a rebuilding side drifting out of contention. It is a grand finalist from last season facing an early end.
Brisbane now face Hawthorn with no margin for error. The full ladder and remaining fixtures are listed on the league's official website at AFLW Ladder and AFLW Fixture.
