AFL Finals Bracket 2026: Fixtures, Results & Odds

Six teams left in the 2026 AFL finals. Hawthorn and Sydney hold the home preliminary finals after beating Fremantle and Brisbane; Fremantle v Geelong and Brisbane v Adelaide decide who joins them. Every result so far and every fixture still to come.

Six teams remain in the 2026 AFL finals. Hawthorn and Sydney hold the home preliminary finals; Fremantle, Geelong, Brisbane and Adelaide play off in the semi-finals for the right to join them. This page carries the live bracket: every result so far, every fixture still to come with dates, times and venues, and where each surviving side sits. For the rules of the format itself, including the new Wildcard Round, see how AFL finals work.

AFL finals bracket: what is still to come

Stage	Fixture	When (AEST)	Venue	At stake
Semi-final 1	Fremantle (1) v Geelong (5)	Fri 11 Sep, 8:10pm (6:10pm AWST)	Optus Stadium	Winner to Sydney’s preliminary final
Semi-final 2	Brisbane (3) v Adelaide (6)	Sat 12 Sep, 7:35pm	The Gabba	Winner to Hawthorn’s preliminary final
Preliminary final	Hawthorn (4) v SF2 winner	Week of 18 Sep	Hawthorn host	Winner to the Grand Final
Preliminary final	Sydney (2) v SF1 winner	Week of 18 Sep	Sydney host	Winner to the Grand Final
Grand Final	PF winners	Sat 26 Sep, 2:30pm	MCG	Premiership

Numbers in brackets are finishing seeds. Both semi-finals are sudden death; both preliminary finals are hosted by the qualifying-final winners, who have had a week off.

Results so far

Stage	Result	Venue	Note
Wildcard	Western Bulldogs 14.12 (96) def. Collingwood 14.9 (93)	MCG	Membrey missed a set shot after the siren
Wildcard	Carlton 10.14 (74) def. Melbourne 7.13 (55)	MCG	Tenth beat seventh; Melbourne out on percentage a week earlier
Qualifying final	Hawthorn 10.12 (72) def. Fremantle 5.10 (40)	Optus Stadium	Minor premiers beaten at home; Hawks take a home prelim
Elimination final	Geelong 14.23 (107) def. Carlton 11.8 (74)	MCG	Dangerfield five; Carlton led by 21 in the second term
Qualifying final	Sydney 21.15 (141) def. Brisbane 13.10 (88)	SCG	Highest score of the finals; Swans take a home prelim
Elimination final	Adelaide 14.6 (90) def. Western Bulldogs 9.14 (68)	Adelaide Oval	Adelaide’s first finals win in nine years

Full write-ups are in our Wildcard Round results and week two results.

Where each surviving side stands

Hawthorn (4th). The story of the finals so far. They beat the minor premiers by 32 in Perth and banked the most valuable asset in September: a home preliminary final and a week off. On season-long numbers they were fourth; they are now two wins from a premiership on the shorter road.

Sydney (2nd). Put 141 on Brisbane at the SCG, the highest score of the finals, and hold the other home preliminary final. Their percentage of 136.1 was second only to Fremantle’s across the season.

Fremantle (1st). Minor premiers on 76 points with the best percentage in the competition at 137.2, and now a game from elimination. They host Geelong at Optus, the ground where they were beaten on Thursday, and a win only earns a trip to Sydney.

Geelong (5th). Third-best percentage in the competition at 122.3 despite finishing fifth, and they have already won a final. The profile of a side that lost narrowly and won heavily is the profile that travels.

Brisbane (3rd). Beaten by 53 but back at the Gabba with a double chance already spent. The one side left with a recent premiership in the group.

Adelaide (6th). Won their first final in nine years on accuracy rather than scoring shots, and now have to win three away from home to lift the cup.

Who has been eliminated

Collingwood and Melbourne went out in the Wildcard Round, Carlton and the Western Bulldogs in week two. Both Wildcard Round winners are now gone, so the six survivors are exactly the top six from the home-and-away season. The new format produced two extra knockout games and then the ladder reasserted itself.

Betting the AFL finals

Premiership futures, each match’s head-to-head and line, and margin markets are framed for every finals game. The finals-specific point worth holding onto: a preliminary final host has had a week off and is at home, which is worth more in September than the same advantage in July, and it is why Hawthorn and Sydney are shorter now than their ladder positions implied.

Outright prices are on our AFL premiership odds page, the Grand Final market is on AFL Grand Final tips, and the Norm Smith Medal market opens once the two Grand Final teams are known. Build a finals multi with our AFL same game multi tips.

How to watch the AFL finals in Australia

Finals matches are broadcast on Channel 7 and 7plus free-to-air, with every game live on Fox Footy and Kayo Sports for subscribers. The Grand Final is free-to-air nationally.

Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the AFL finals?

Compare finals lines, same game multis and September promotions at our top-rated Australian bookmakers. For full reviews, see our best AFL betting sites guide.

AFL finals bracket 2026 FAQs

Who is left in the 2026 AFL finals?

Six teams: Hawthorn and Sydney in home preliminary finals, and Fremantle, Geelong, Brisbane and Adelaide contesting the two semi-finals.

When are the 2026 AFL semi-finals?

Fremantle host Geelong at Optus Stadium on Friday 11 September at 8:10pm AEST (6:10pm AWST), and Brisbane host Adelaide at the Gabba on Saturday 12 September at 7:35pm AEST.

Who has home preliminary finals?

Hawthorn and Sydney, after winning their qualifying finals. Hawthorn host the Brisbane-Adelaide winner and Sydney host the Fremantle-Geelong winner.

When is the 2026 AFL Grand Final?

Saturday 26 September 2026 at the MCG, with a traditional 2:30pm AEST bounce.

Did the Wildcard Round change who is left?

In the end, no. Both Wildcard Round winners, Carlton and the Western Bulldogs, were eliminated in week two, so the six remaining sides are the top six from the home-and-away season.

Which teams have been eliminated?

Collingwood and Melbourne in the Wildcard Round, then Carlton and the Western Bulldogs in week two.

More AFL Content

• AFL Tips & Hub — all match tips and finals coverage
• How Do AFL Finals Work? — the format and Wildcard Round explained
• Finals Week 2 Results — all four results and analysis
• AFL Grand Final Tips · Norm Smith Medal · Brownlow Medal
• AFL Round-by-Round Predictions · AFL Ladder Predictor
• AFL Premiership Odds · AFL Match Predictions · AFL Same Game Multi
• Best AFL betting sites · Newest betting sites