The who, what, why and how of both preliminary finals

The best games of 2026 have arrived and with Grand Final spots on the line, everything you need to know is right here. Corbin, Ben and Brett Deledio run through all the key match-ups and factors that will decide Sydney vs Fremantle and Hawthorn vs Brisbane. Can Luke Jackson's Dockers be stopped or will the Swans unbelievable run continue? Are Fagan's Lions set for immortality or can the Hawks flex their MCG home ground advantage? Plus Toby Greene has chosen Geelong, Greg Swann has enraged the fans, Corbin's ruffled some WA feathers and the boys share their favourite prelim memories. ABC AFL commentators Corbin Middlemas and Ben Cameron are joined by a rolling squad of former AFL players and legends of the game to analyse matches, deep dive the stories dominating the footy landscape, recap game highlights and talk through the latest AFL ladder standings. Our squad of Aussie Rules legends runs deep with champion ex-players like Brett Deledio, Bob Murphy, Marc Murphy, Luke Ball, record-holding coach Mick Malthouse and many more. The team discuss everything from AFL games and fixtures, to the AFL draft and key players' performance, and of course our highlights of the year; AFL Grand Final and AFL State of Origin. For more Australian Rules Football podcast content, catch every episode of ‘The ABC AFL Daily Podcast’, hosted by Corbin Middlemas and Ben Cameron on ABC listen or wherever you get your podcasts, and get in touch with them on social media via @abc_sport