Bradley Hill handballs Joe Richards during the round five match between Port Adelaide and St Kilda at Adelaide Oval on April 12, 2026. Photo: AFL Photos
St Kilda host Port Adelaide in the first game on Saturday as the battle for a wildcard spot heats up.
St Kilda did what it took to inflict more misery on a dispirited Essendon and then cruised into the home stretch still in third gear.
SAINTS vs POWER Follow it live
The Saints will have a better idea of where they stand against fellow finals contenders the Power, but with the Cats and Swans also running home, they have little margin for error against teams around the same level.
Port Adelaide breathed new life into their season by keeping North Melbourne at arm’s length for three quarters before turning the screw in the final season.
The Power have paid a huge price for their five defeats by three points or less this season and with the Dockers, Lions, Swans and Demons yet to return home, they must make the most of this opportunity against the inconsistent Saints.
While the Saints are unchanged, the Power have brought back Kane Farrell to replace the departed Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.
St Kilda v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 13:15 AEST.
NO LATE CHANGES
Greater Western Sydney will take on Geelong after the season got back on track as it again proved it can go toe-to-toe with the top teams and added an impressive win over top-ranked Fremantle to previous wins over Brisbane and Melbourne.
The defeat has sent the Giants back into the finals race and with four matches ahead against teams below them on the ladder, this clash with the Cats could be crucial to their hopes.
GIANTS vs CATS Follow it live
Geelong fell out of the deciding top six as familiar opponents Brisbane disarmed them and then held off a late challenge to make it four defeats in their last five matches.
The Cats may be more concerned with shaking off a slight slump in form, but at the back of their minds they also have a four-game losing streak against the Giants, as well as a winless run at Angie Stadium dating back to 2014.
The Giants lost Lachie Whitfield to a concussion and dropped Josiah Delana and Conor Stone, returning Jayden Laverde, Phoenix Gothard and Xavier O’Halloran.
The Cats waived Mitch Edwards and brought in Jack Bowes.
Carlton will be looking to extend their seven-match winning streak when they take on undermanned Hawthorn on Saturday night.
Carlton became the first team in VFL/AFL history to go on a seven-match winning streak and a seven-match losing streak in the same season when they held off Richmond in a thrilling match.
BLUES – HAWKS Follow it live
The less-than-convincing victory was enough to send the Blues into the wild card zone for the first time this year, although the clash with the Hawks is only the first test of their authority in a difficult month ahead.
When Melbourne visited Hawthorn for the first time, cracks were showing in their Launceston fortress and they came away with a 96-point lead before the hosts woke up.
The Hawks added some respectability to the scoreboard in the second half but still saw their path to a double chance narrowed by clashes with the in-form Blues and then the Lions, who loomed on the route home.
The Blues have made just one change, with Harry Dean returning to replace the injured Lewis Young.
The Hawks are buoyed by the return of Karl Amon and Jarman Impey and give a debut to Oliver Greaves, with Jack Dalton out through injury and Bodie Ryan and Flynn Perez missing.
Adelaide hosts Gold Coast in the final on Saturday after a disappointing Showdown defeat and a brilliant start against West Coast that soon put the result beyond doubt.
The Crows were able to put the finishing touches on early in the second term but may have regretted not taking the opportunity to improve their percentage in the top-four race with the Swans and Dockers away and the Pies and Giants at home.
CROWS vs SUNS Follow it live
Gold Coast played with more energy, taking Collingwood to the finish line in a frantic battle but still suffered a sixth straight defeat for the first time since 2019.
The Suns are a win and four places outside the group places as a season that has promised so much is close to ending without a final, especially with all the remaining games against teams currently above them in the standings.
The Crows have brought back Riley Thilthorpe and Wayne Mileru to replace Billy Dowling and Hugo Hall-Cahan.
Will Graham and Oscar Adams returned to the Suns, replacing the suspended Ben Long and the missed Ben Jepson.