Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
When will Fremantle’s semifinal be?
It’s yet to be confirmed by the AFL as of late Thursday night, but it’s extremely likely the game will be on Friday September 11 at Optus Stadium. And likely to have a similar start time to the qualifying final of 6.10pm.
Who will the Dockers play?
All eyes will be on Friday’s clash between Geelong and Carlton. The Dockers will face the winner of that game, with either the red-hot Blues or the perennial contender Cats coming to Perth.
What’s Freo’s 2026 record like against those two?
Of the five games the Dockers have lost this year, two have come against that pair.
They went down to the Cats in their rollercoaster season opener at GMBHA Stadium, but rebounded to beat them by nine points in a thrilling Thursday night clash in Perth in round 15.
Freo beat Carlton by 14 points at home on Anzac Day before Michael Voss was axed, before losing their dead rubber home-and-away finale by 37 points as they rested some key players.
If the Dockers win their semifinal… who do they play next?
Freo would face the winner of the Brisbane-Sydney qualifying final, on that team’s home patch, in a preliminary final.
So the most likely result would be a prelim date with the Lions at the Gabba.
How many minor premiers have lost their finals opener but recovered to make the grand final?
Since the current finals format was implemented in 2000, there’s been just two minor premiers who have lost their qualifying final but recovered to make the grand final.
West Coast are the only top seed to lose their finals opener and go on to win the flag, famously turning a one-point loss to Sydney into a one-point win over the same opponent.
The Swans of 2016 are the other example of a No.1 seed recovering to reach the decider, losing to the Western Bulldogs by 20 points on grand final day.
The other minor premiers to lose their qualifying final: Adelaide last year (went out in straight sets), Geelong in 2019 (lost in a prelim), Adelaide in 2005 (lost in a prelim), Port Adelaide in 2003 (lost in a prelim) and Port Adelaide in 2002 (lost in a prelim).
