Fremantle vs Hawthorn Preview & Prediction | 2026 AFL | Regular Season | Qualifying Final
by Trystan Pugh ·
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
13-time Premiership champions Hawthorn have been handed the toughest possible draw in the qualifying final, where they will take on minor premiers Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – Some matches are televised on Fox Sports channels
How to watch online: UK – HBO Max & Watch AFL / USA – Watch AFL
The prediction
Minor premiers Fremantle begin their knockout stage as they look to continue the form that saw them finish top of the AFL ladder.
The Dockers, who have never before secured the overall title, did lose two of their last three matches in the regular season, but they still finished four points better off than than their nearest competitor.
Hawthorn, meanwhile, finished fourth in the table and the 13-time Premiership winners must now become the first team to beat Fremantle at Optus Stadium in 2026.
In the final weeks of the season, Fremantle were able to rest some of their key performers, a luxury not afforded to Hawthorn, and given their impregnable record on home turf, it is difficult to look past Justin Longmuir's side progressing to the semi-finals.
Fremantle vs Hawthorn tip: Fremantle to win
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