We just witnessed one of the greatest AFL preliminary final weekends of all time, with Fremantle coming from behind to beat Sydney and Brisbane snatching victory over Hawthorn in an all-time classic. Here's whose stocks are up and down.
Our footy experts cast their eye over the week's action to find out whose stocks are up -- whether it's a coaching masterstroke or a player having a blinder -- and whose are down.
Brisbane
Stocks up: Could Will Ashcroft be a three-time Norm Smith Medal winner in a few days' time? It's absolutely crazy to think the 22-year-old could have three flags and three Norms in his first four seasons in the AFL. Just let that sink in for a moment. He's a (late) September specialist, picking up 28 disposals, kicking a goal, gathering eight clearances, and tallying more than 500 metres gained. His final act was a beauty, too. With his side up by three points and just a handful of second left on the clock, he won the decisive centre bounce, strolled out of the middle and hit Kai Lohmann to put the result beyond doubt. And how about the celebration too? He kept sprinting past Lohmann, a very Papley-esque razz-up of the crowd and his teammates as they made a fourth successive Grand Final berth. A staggering effort from the Lions.
Stocks down: The Lions could be without two-time Brownlow Medallist and star midfielder Lachie Neale after he was banned for one week for his stupid, unneccessary gut punch on Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan on Saturday. The Lions have already said they'll challenge at the tribunal, but it'll be difficult to overturn given the AFL specifically said it would be cracking down on unnecessary hits off the ball; according to Jon Ralph, six players have been given a week off for similar incidents. Will the tribunal cave under the pressure of it being a Grand Final this week? Is it too harsh to miss a premiership decider for something so -- comparatively -- minor? People will argue that if it's a suspension in Round 10 it should be this week as week, but perhaps the bar to miss a Grand Final needs to be higher. Many questions are yet to be answered, and we're not sure the answers will be popular with everyone...
Fremantle
Stocks up: It took one quarter for the Dockers to claim their epic prelim final win and there were two genuine X-factors that helped provide the necessary spark that has carried them into a first Grand Final appearance since 2013. Well, for Hayden Young, it began after the three-quarter time siren, the classy left-footer nailing the goal of the night with a brutally-difficult set shot from the left boundary line on the 50 in a moment that in hindsight changed the game entirely. Then up stepped Shai Bolton. After just one disposal in the premiership quarter, he kicked two goals from eight touches in the final stanza, and had a direct goal assist as well. It's the class of these stars that set the two teams apart at the SCG.
Stocks down: Did it matter on the night? Probably not, but only because of the above names who dragged them over the line. Freo's key forward trio of Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss, and Patrick Voss were quiet again, registering just eight disposals between them in the first half on Friday night. By the end of the match they combined for two goals (two very good ones, it must be said), but they've just got to do more next week. By the way, the Dockers have won just three total quarters (out of 12) this entire finals series. They deserve to be where they are, but how well are they really going?
Hawthorn
Stocks up: Was that one of Josh Ward's best games as a Hawk? In a game dominated by, yes, the Wizard kicking six goals and looking like an absolute star, it's only fair to show some love to one of the more underappreciated Hawks. Ironically he'd possibly be one of the players to lose midfield rotations in favour of Zach Merrett should he make the move to Hawthorn, but Ward was wonderful on Saturday evening; 25 disposals, four direct goal assists, a game-high 16 contested possessions. And Watson, six goals in a preliminary final is a herculean effort. What's his ceiling? Is it crazy to say best small forward of all time?
Stocks down: For two leaders of the club, James Sicily and Tom Barrass acted embarrassingly on Saturday night after the heartbreaking loss to the Lions. After the siren sounded to bring curtains down on Hawthorn's season, Sicily and Barrass were seen verbally accosting umpire Hayden Meyer, who made the late controversial decision to penalise Jarman Impey for holding the ball in the Hawks' back 50, leading to the Lions' winning goal. The optics were terrible for club leaders, made to look worse when Hawthorn fans threw bottles and cans onto the MCG in protest for the controversial -- yet correct -- decision. It's fitting Sicily was fined $10,000 and Barrass $5,000; it's unacceptable behaviour that filters to lower levels and cannot be excused.
Breaking. Sicily and Barrass looking at hefty misconduct fines for aggressively confronting the umpire after the siren post match. Both were demonstrative. Sicily in particular used abusive language. AFL more likely to fine them than send anything to the tribunal. Ray Chamberlain... pic.twitter.com/6oGDpy66JY
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) September 20, 2026
Sydney
Stocks up: Errol Gulden really couldn't have done much more for the Swans since he returned from injury. His final seven games? 41, 34, 39, 47, 41, 34, and 35 disposals. In a team that was understrength, he constantly used his elite endurance and run and carry to lift his side to a prelim and agonisingly short of another Grand Final. Logan McDonald was another who thrived as a deep forward target throughout September, leaving no doubt he can partner Charlie Curnow in 2027 to become one of the league's best key forward duos. McDonald, after kicking six against Harris Andrews and the Lions in a qualifying final, was Sydney's highest-rated player on the ground against the Dockers, kicking three goals and taking four marks to go with 14 disposals and seven score involvements.
Stocks down: It was a valiant effort from the Swans on Friday night. Despite having the week off, they were undermanned and seemed to just run out of gas in the last quarter as the Dockers forced a late onslaught of inside 50s and threatening attacks. You must wonder where that leaves members of the 'Pullman Five' within the playing group. Would the additions of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, and Nick Blakey (at the very least) have been the difference? Maybe. But who is to say if they had played, the Swans would have lost by more. It's speculation, but leaving 'what ifs' on the table really hurts -- just look at the emotions spilling out of stand-in skipper Dane Rampe, whose career may have come to an end with that loss.
