Matty Stewart and Aussie Rules Legend Spida Everitt are back for another year to talk all things AFL! Get all the news happening around the league, plus expert tips for every match. Tune In weekly to ‘In The Pocket’ to get all your AFL insights.
Matty and Spida are back for Finals Week 2 of In The Pocket, and after a dramatic opening week of September, the premiership race has taken another unexpected turn. Minor premiers Fremantle and third-placed Brisbane now find themselves fighting to keep their seasons alive after qualifying final defeats, while Hawthorn and Sydney have secured home preliminary finals and moved to within one win of the Grand Final. With only six teams remaining, the margin for error has completely disappeared.
The boys begin by unpacking Hawthorn’s stunning 32-point upset of Fremantle in Perth, one of the biggest results of the season. The boys also break down Sydney’s emphatic 141-88 victory over Brisbane, a performance that reinforced the Swans’ premiership credentials. On the biggest stage, Sydney produced its most complete performance of the season to book a home preliminary final and place itself firmly in the box seat for a Grand Final appearance.
Attention then turns to the elimination finals, where Geelong ended Carlton’s remarkable late-season run with a comprehensive 107-74 victory at the MCG. After charging into September through the wildcard system, the Blues’ dream was brought to an end by an experienced Cats outfit that once again looked comfortable in finals football. Meanwhile, Adelaide continued its impressive season with a 90-68 victory over the Western Bulldogs, ending the Dogs’ wildcard fairytale and earning itself a semi-final clash with Brisbane.
There is also plenty of focus on the two massive semi-finals that will determine who advances to preliminary final weekend. Fremantle hosts Geelong in Perth with the loser eliminated and the winner earning a date with Sydney at the SCG. The Dockers still have the talent to make a deep run, but must respond after their worst performance in months, while Geelong arrives with confidence after comfortably accounting for Carlton.
The second semi-final sees Brisbane return to the Gabba to face Adelaide in what shapes as one of the most fascinating contests of the finals series. Brisbane has been given a second chance after finishing in the top four, but the Lions now face an Adelaide side full of belief after knocking out the Bulldogs. The boys examine whether Brisbane’s experience and home-ground advantage will be enough, or if the Crows can continue one of the league’s best stories of 2026.
To wrap things up, the boys lock in their Semi Final tips and reveal which teams they believe will still be standing at the end of the weekend. If you’re after all the biggest AFL talking points, finals analysis, premiership predictions and strong opinions, In The Pocket has everything you need heading into a huge Finals Week 2.