AFL Finals Bracket 2026: Fixtures, Results & Odds

The AFL finals bracket: every fixture, result and venue through to the Grand Final, and what each ladder position buys.

The 2026 AFL finals are complete. Brisbane beat Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) in the Grand Final at the MCG on Saturday 26 September, kicking the last four goals to win a third straight premiership. In the preliminary finals, Fremantle beat Sydney by 12 at the SCG and Brisbane beat Hawthorn by 9 at the MCG. Geelong and Adelaide went out in the semi-finals: Fremantle beat Geelong by 14 and Brisbane beat Adelaide by 53. This page is the full record of the 2026 bracket: every result, venue and margin, and how each side went out. For the rules of the format itself, including the new Wildcard Round, see how AFL finals work.

Our full read on the game, head-to-head record and the betting angle is in the AFL Grand Final preview.

AFL finals bracket: the Grand Final

Stage	Fixture	When (AEST)	Venue	At stake
Grand Final	Fremantle (1) v Brisbane (3)	Sat 26 Sep, 2:30pm	MCG	Brisbane won 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89)

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
Semi-final	Fremantle 18.12 (120) def. Geelong 16.10 (106)	Optus Stadium	Minor premiers respond after the qualifying-final loss
Semi-final	Brisbane 21.18 (144) def. Adelaide 13.13 (91)	The Gabba	Charlie Cameron five; five goals inside the first 7:13
Preliminary final	Fremantle 12.11 (83) def. Sydney 10.11 (71)	SCG	Last six goals of the night from 28 down in the third
Preliminary final	Fremantle 12.11 (83) def. Sydney 10.11 (71)	S.C.G.	Last six goals of the night from 28 down
Preliminary final	Brisbane 20.11 (131) def. Hawthorn 19.8 (122)	M.C.G.	Lohmann five; 12 goals between them in the last
Grand Final	Brisbane 14.12 (96) def. Fremantle 12.17 (89)	MCG	Last four goals from 17 down; third straight flag

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

How the 2026 finals finished

Brisbane (3rd), premiers. Lost their qualifying final to Sydney by 53, then beat Adelaide by 53 in a semi-final, Hawthorn by 9 in a preliminary final and Fremantle by 7 in the Grand Final. A third straight premiership, equalling the club’s 2001 to 2003 three-peat.

Fremantle (1st), runners-up. Minor premiers on 76 points and 137.2 per cent. Lost their qualifying final at home to Hawthorn, beat Geelong by 14 and came from 28 down to beat Sydney by 12, then lost a Grand Final they led by 17 inside the last five minutes. Still without a premiership.

Out in the preliminary finals: Sydney (2nd), beaten by 12 at the SCG, and Hawthorn (4th), beaten by 9 at the MCG. Both had earned a home preliminary final and a week off, and both lost.

Out in the semi-finals: Geelong (5th) and Adelaide (6th).

Out earlier: Carlton and the Western Bulldogs, the two Wildcard Round winners, in week two, and Collingwood and Melbourne in the Wildcard Round itself. In the end the new round added two knockout games without changing the top six.

Betting the AFL finals

The finals lesson from 2026 is that the week off did not decide it. Both preliminary-final hosts, Hawthorn and Sydney, lost, and both grand finalists had lost a qualifying final. The full market record is on our AFL premiership odds page, the Grand Final is reviewed in our Grand Final results, and the best-on-ground result is on our Norm Smith Medal page.

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 won the 2026 AFL Grand Final?

Brisbane, who beat Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) at the MCG on Saturday 26 September for a third straight premiership.

Who played in the 2026 AFL preliminary finals?

Fremantle beat Sydney by 12 at the SCG and Brisbane beat Hawthorn by 9 at the MCG.

Did the Wildcard Round change the finals?

In the end, no. Both Wildcard Round winners, Carlton and the Western Bulldogs, were eliminated in week two, and the premiers came from the top four.

Which teams were eliminated in the 2026 AFL finals?

Collingwood and Melbourne in the Wildcard Round, Carlton and the Western Bulldogs in week two, Geelong and Adelaide in the semi-finals, and Sydney and Hawthorn in the preliminary finals.

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