Fremantle and Geelong face off in AFL semi-final match

2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 11, 2026, 9:10 AM

Last updated Sep 11, 2026

Fremantle and Geelong face off in AFL semi-final match

Summary

Fremantle hosts Geelong today in an elimination semi-final match as both teams compete to keep their season alive. The Dockers enter the game following a loss to the Hawks in the qualifying final and face the possibility of an exit in straight sets. Coach Justin Longmuir leads the team after a 19-win regular season. Geelong arrives at the venue after defeating the Blues in an elimination final, marking seven consecutive wins for the club. Chris Scott continues his tenure with the Cats, aiming for a top-four finish for the 11th time in his 16-year coaching career. The match determines which side advances toward a preliminary final, with Fremantle seeking its first such appearance since 2015.

Source Links

The Guardian Sport AFL

By the Numbers

•Fremantle hosts Geelong in an elimination semi-final match today.
•The Dockers seek to avoid elimination in straight sets after losing to the Hawks.
•Geelong enters the contest following a win over the Blues in an elimination final.
•The Cats have won seven consecutive matches by an average of 35 points.
•The winner advances to the next stage of the AFL finals.

Latest Updates

9:10 AMThe Guardian Sport — Fremantle Dockers v Geelong Cats: AFL semi-final – live
8:40 AMAFL — LIVE: It's all on the line as Dockers host Cats in do-or-die semi-final

What they're saying

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Updates from the winner-takes-all clash at Optus Stadium Start time in Perth is 6.10pm local/8.10pm AEST Sign up for our AFL newsletter | Any thoughts? Send an email Hello and welcome to live coverage of the AFL’s semi-final between Fremantle and Geelong. There is a strong sense that we have reached the pointy end of the season when the minor premiers and perennial finalists cross paths. But this meeting between the Dockers and the Cats might have come a week or two earlier than most would have predicted after a wild weekend of finals, or at least among the top-four sides of the home-and-away season. The Dockers gave up much of the ground they gained when breaking a club record for their longest winning streak (now 14 matches) and most victories in a regular season campaign (now 19) with a disastrous qualifying final against the Hawks. Justin Longmuir’s side were already lined up to host two finals but the second now comes a week earlier than they would have hoped with a knockout game against Chris Scott’s finals-hardened side. The prize of a preliminary final berth is still there for the taking, though the ignominy of a straight-sets finals exit even after finishing on top of the ladder will only add to the pressure on the home side. Sign up for our free weekly AFL newsletter – From the Pocket Continue reading...
— The Guardian Sportby Martin Pegan