AFL Finals 2026: Hawks deep in enemy territory as they embark on mission improbable against Freo

Key Posts8.16pmDockers off to a dream startBy With that Luke Jackson goal (the opening goal of the night), the Dockers have already exceeded their average of three points in the first quarter of a final under Justin Longmuir.8.11pmI don’t love music at the footy, but…By I am not a lover of music at the footy, but the bell ringing to introduce Hells Bells at Optus Stadium before a final is an excellent way to set the scene.8.11pmRain clears as play beginsBy The rain appears to have cleared and the two sides are going through their final run throughs before the opening throw-up.The stadium appears to be packed.Let’s see which side will handle the pressure of finals the best tonight.The Hawks won the toss. It’s game on in WA.A colourful Hawks fan.Getty ImagesSome young Dockers fans.AFL Photos via Getty Images7.57pmAnalysis: Watch out for ‘the Wizard’By The atmosphere is building for a huge qualifying final here at Optus Stadium.The Dockers have won eight of their past nine matches against Hawthorn and have a home preliminary final spot on offer.The weather has been overcast all day with rain coming and going.The Hawks are expected to be favoured by rain, but the Dockers are confident they can handle all conditions, as well as the pressure.The big watch is Nick Watson, with the Dockers showing how much they are concerned about his potential impact by selecting Brandon Walker for just his second game for the season.7.55pmTonight’s weatherBy 7.50pmSicily, Prancing Pony to resume rivalryBy Roy WardHawks coach Sam Mitchell expects captain James Sicily will spend much of the game on Dockers wild man Patrick “Prancing Pony” Voss tonight.“I would imagine they will end up on each other for large portions of the game,” Mitchell told Kayo Sports.A Dockers fan and a Hawks fan scream for their teams.AFL PhotosMitchell said he was rapt to see players like Will Day play in his first finals match tonight while he hopes the club’s away fans will fire up in the face of more than 50,000 Dockers fans.“There is a lot of purple here tonight, but you can see some brown too, there would be a couple of thousand Hawks here, so let’s hope they are nice and loud,” Mitchell said.7.36pmSpeedy Walker will go to WatsonBy Roy WardFremantle coach Justin Longmuir has revealed that athletic defender Brandon Walker has been recalled for his first game since round one to take on Hawks star Nick Watson.Watson is a potential match-winner for the Hawks and the Dockers are well aware of this.Fans in full voice ahead of the qualifying final at Optus Stadium.AFL Photos“We’ve lacked a bit of speed in our backline, and we feel Brandon brings enormous speed,” Longmuir told Kayo Sports.“We feel he has just been unlucky with injury. He played round one and then got injured at training the next week, then he’s had a few concussions at WAFL level, and then hurt his shoulder.“We’ve been itching to get him back in, just haven’t had the right moment.“It might seem like a leap of faith to bring him in for a final but his form at WAFL level is well above the level, and he’s been our best player back there.”7.35pmThe last time they metBy 7.30pmVoss praises ‘disciplined’ DockersBy Roy WardBrisbane Lions premiership great Michael Voss has praised the discipline shown by the Dockers as they try to win the club’s first premiership.The Dockers are looking to continue their stellar home record in 2026, although they won’t forget that they were eliminated last year by a goal after the siren by Gold Coast.Fremantle’s Caleb Serong.AFL PhotosVoss can see a big difference in the mindset of this year’s Dockers side.“The discipline has been crafted over the whole year,” Voss said on Kayo Sports.7.21pmSome rain about as Hawks, Freo prepare for clashBy The build-up to the qualifying final is underway.Morning rain has disappeared and we expect passing showers, if anything, as the night goes on.Flags on top of the stand here at Optus Stadium indicate handy breeze going to the left of your TV screen.Jarman Impey of the Hawks warms up at Optus Stadium.AFL Photos1 of 2