Autopsy AFL 2025 Second Elimination Final - Freo v Suns Sat Sept 6th 7:35pm AEST/5:35pm WST (OS)

[delta_magpie]

As much as I liked seeing the Suns win and Freo lose it's sad to see Fyfe end this way.

He deserved a much better end but there aren't that many fairytale finishes in football.

He literally couldnt leave the field...he couldnt believe how much his team choked... it was sad

 

[voorhees]

well done to Fyfe
went out a champ

 

[maskmcgee]

So because Gold Coast and Brisbane are in the same state the ticket allocation for Brisbane's final at the Gabba becomes 50/50 right?

 

[dopefish]

Flagmuir always looks like someone took his toys off him.

 

[Yellow Feathers]

Goosebumps every time I hear our team song. Masterpiece.

 

[Freomaniac]

As much as I liked seeing the Suns win and Freo lose it's sad to see Fyfe end this way.

He deserved a much better end but there aren't that many fairytale finishes in football.

Fyfe had a good playing career.

I will always say this. I will savour every final he played in his career, especially under that 2012 to 2015 period when Ross Lyon as coach.

Not trying to Pot shot your club. Trevor Barker played 14 seasons at your club with no finals.

He wasn't a bad player. He was unlucky to be born and raised when the saints struggled from 1974 to 1990

 

[Elixuh]

Nah I do dislike Justin Longmuir. But he deserves to coach in 2026.


I will say this.... Congratulations on Gold coast suns for winning tonight. They fought hard and won fairly .

AFL wanted a Brisbane vs Gold coast semi final. So 2 local sides in a semi final just like the showdown semi final in 2005.

I just think that he isn’t getting anywhere near the best out of this list Mr Maniac.

 

[Osho]

Felt like a Granny. Hope Suns keep their heads down bums up, Brizzy will be on the war path next week.

The self belief will be through the ceiling. Their style works, they have the grit, they don't fold.

 

[Yellow Feathers]

Remember how nobody gave us a chance tonight? I remember.

 

[Osho]

Remember how nobody gave us a chance tonight? I remember.

Rowell became an even bigger club legend tonight. He was unstoppable.

 

[ThePhantom777]

The umpire's bounce after the Mac Andrew goal was a shocker. Should have been called back.

 

[PerthBoy86]

More so I just rate brisbane very highly. They are pound for pound the best list in the AFL and even without neale have played some very elite footy against top sides.

As silly as it is to say I don’t think the neale out will hurt them that badly, because they still have enough depth and A grade quality to roll thru their, midfield depth is a strength of Brisbane and would probably need another A grader out to feel the pinch of it.

It is like geelong in our 07-11 days… if a midfielder was injured, another just rolled thru there and covered it.


They will win this by 10 goals and imo they will also shock collingwood.

Geelong put on a coaching masterclass and played one of the best 4qtrs of footy we have seen all year given the opposition, but count the lions out at your own peril.

They are not going anywhere yet

Wish I had your faith, but the Cats absolutely dominated them. Even if they do win the sf and pf it's hard to see them reversing the result against the Cats in a rematch.

 

[Black Saab]

Just finished watching the game. Epic game and finish but that outcome totally sucks for the Dockers. Was really hoping Freo would get through.

As one of the commentators is crapping on about the Sun's fans sticking with their team through thick and thin the camera pans to Dimma in the coaches box haha.

 

[Pies No 1]

Nah I do dislike Justin Longmuir. But he deserves to coach in 2026.


I will say this.... Congratulations on Gold coast suns for winning tonight. They fought hard and won fairly .

AFL wanted a Brisbane vs Gold coast semi final. So 2 local sides in a semi final just like the showdown semi final in 2005.

They just want NSW/QLD teams in the finals. They don't care about a showdown.

 

[thewizardmelon]

Never in doubt!

Get in, Sunnies! Onto the next - should be a cracker down the road!

 

[parano1a]

If you are looking at ground advantages you are never tipping Hawthorn today when they were 0-8 at the ground

A few of those losses were to random teams during the Covid years (Collingwood was one).

 

[T4P]

I don’t agree. I know you do see them paid but that’s the shittest rule and most poorly officiated rule in the book.

I don’t have a dog in the fight and don’t begrudge the Suns but when a player gets his hands to the ball, he’s fair game. You can tackle him. It’s not up to the tackler to then go ‘oh I’d better stop and have a look to see if my tackle was effective in dislodging the ball and not complete my tackle.’

He is entitled to complete the tackle. If the other guy wasn’t good enough to maintain possession, that’s his fault.

Just watched the replay. Swallow took clean possession, got tackled, the tackle immediately knocked out the ball. Play on every day of the week. An extremely disappointing way to decide what was a spectacular arm wrestle of a match. Swallow romanticism makes this blunder easier to hide.

All too often questionable/tension-killing umpiring decisions have outsized impact on matches. Every time it makes me less interested in passively watching games.

 

[Freomaniac]

I just think that he isn’t getting anywhere near the best out of this list Mr Maniac.

If you told me this about this time last year, I would of agreed with you.

Despite how we lost this Elim final tonight, I am happy about how this season panned out.

And after freos collapse from 3rd to 10th last season losing 4 narrow games in a row, I would of hated losing to the dogs 2 weeks ago.

9th with 15 wins and 8 defeats would of made be upset.

 

[Freomaniac]

4 finals and none of the sides playing on their home ground won.

That's never happened before.

Yes cats beat the Brisbane lions in their home state in the MCG. But cats true home ground is Kardinia park

 

[Chronz]

are you new to big footy ?

nonsensical response

Bet you enjoyed the last 5 mins grumps!

 

[Grumpyshades]

Bet you enjoyed the last 5 mins grumps!

not really

 

[Freomaniac]

Freo completely butchered that but also umps were instructed to try for a q clash final.

Yeah agree on both points. Freo had a chance to win and butchered it. Dockers got the lead late in the game thanks to that Mark and set shot goal from Luke Jackson.

AFL wanted a Queensland clash and rightfully so.

I remember the semi final showdown back in 2005.

Again.... I am not too upset with the suns beating us tonight. I am happy to see Freo play one final in 2025 after the calamity of the dockers late last season.

Feel for Alex Pearce. He’s absolutely devastated after having one of the all time final quarters. Gave everything

Alex Pearce is one of my favourite players. I agree he gave everything.

He turned 30 on June 9th this year.

So I am hoping dockers play finals again in 2026, 2027 and even 2028.

This is absolutely huge for Gold Coast. Rowell, King, others are going sign on for less for this.

They believe now. Damian Hardwick is an all time great coach.

That suns list tonight.

On paper it has experience games wise.

However when it came to finals experience, only 3 of those 23 players tonight had won finals before being traded or joining the suns.

They were Noble (won finals at Collingwood), Ben Long (played in that 2020 Elim final win with the saints) and Dan Rioli (won finals and flags at Richmond).

Ben Long kicked the suns 1st ever finals goal tonight. Not surprisingly he had a good game and was the difference.

Meanwhile Bolton was having a laugh with opposition players after the siren.

If I was a Freo fan I would be filthy seeing that

Not me though. I have seen Shai Bolton play for the dockers this season.

He has talent. He has had a solid season at the dockers. He helped us get over the line 2 weeks ago vs the dogs in that crunch game to get that finals spot.

We wouldn't of made finals this season with out him. He got us over the line in some close games.

Pretty sure Suns dominated the game and had more scoring shots. Seems apt that they won.

Yeah true.

Had the dockers won tonight, it would be similar to Fremantle beating the dogs in that 2022 Elim final. Dogs lead by 40 points in that Elim final and still lost.

I won't take anything from the suns. They deserved to win. They fought hard and dug deep

 

[Redline]

Just watched the replay. Swallow took clean possession, got tackled, the tackle immediately knocked out the ball. Play on every day of the week. An extremely disappointing way to decide what was a spectacular arm wrestle of a match. Swallow romanticism makes this blunder easier to hide.

All too often questionable/tension-killing umpiring decisions have outsized impact on matches. Every time it makes me less interested in passively watching games.

I tend to agree, it was maybe 50/50 but very surprised they paid it given the stage of the game.

It wasn't the reason Freo lost though and it added to the theatre.

 

[CakeEater]

I tend to agree, it was maybe 50/50 but very surprised they paid it given the stage of the game.

It wasn't the reason Freo lost though and it added to the theatre.

Your comment is illogical.

Swallow kicked the matchwinning point off the decision with 9 seconds left of course it was the reason they lost.

 

[Freomaniac]

Imagine qualifying for your first finals series after 15 seasons, going to Perth, no one giving you a chance, and winning by a point.

Suns were always a chance to win tonight.

Suns took 15 years to make finals and win their 1st final too....

Comparing that to the other non Victorian sides.

Crows had to wait in their 3rd season to make finals. And they won their 1st final too.

Eagles made finals in their 2nd year in 1988 narrowly lost. Had their 1st finals win in 1990 vs demons after a draw and loss to magpies.

Brisbane took until their 9th season to make finals in 1995. Then won their 1st final the next season.

Shai Bolton after his 15 possession and 9 clanger game, having a giggle with Rioli after the game

People will be upset about it, I won't be.

Shai Bolton has had a solid season at Freo. He played a key role in some of the dockers narrow wins this season.

I didn't hear people not giving them a chance. Is that true? Both teams seemed fairly matched to me.. whiched showed in the result being 1 point.

I always thought suns were a chance. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

6 years coaching for 1 final win? Things aren't looking good for JL.

Well this dockers side got 15 wins this season... I dont Think Justin Longmuir will get us to a flag.

I do expect this team to make finals for 2 or 3 years in a row.

Feel a bit sorry for Longmuir, he seems like a decent guy but this is a good result for football.

AFL wanted a Queensland clash semi final. AFL hoped the dockers lose to the suns and they got their wish.

nah mate trust the process 2026 is their year, its wharfie time, flagmantle, etc

Still got a young playing list.

Would of sucked had Freo lost to the dogs in that crunch game. We would of been 9th with 15 wins and 8 defeats.

1st ever elimination final winn for dimma as coach

Just had to look this up.... 2013 , 2014, 2015 and 2022.

I will say this.... Richmond should of won at least one Elim final in that 2013 to 2015 era. Either 2013 vs the blues or 2015 vs North.

Should have been 2nd, that Brisbane one where no conclusive evidence to overturn a goal.

Nah, Richmond should of won either 2013 vs Carlton or 2015 vs North .

Surprised that 2017 tigers side didn't win one final In 2013 to 2015