St Kilda will take on Port Adelaide in Docklands as the AFL finds itself in a difficult situation due to a suspected concussion.
Later on Saturday, GWS host Geelong at the Sydney Showgrounds, with the Cats needing a win to stay within striking distance of the automatic finals places and the Giants hoping to build on their win over Fremantle.
Saturday night’s action sees 10th-placed Carlton host the high-flying Hawks at the MCG while the Suns travel to Adelaide to face the Crows, who need to snap a five-game losing streak if they are to have a chance of reaching the wild card round.
Follow all the action on our live blog.
Sat, July 11, 2026, 1:00 p.m.
Sat, July 11, 2026, 1:00 p.m.
AFL Saturday scoreboard
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:40 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:40 pm
Jordon Sweet scores for Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide has managed to stem the tide somewhat as time has progressed.
The question is what they can actively do on the scoreboard.
They had a good move with Jackson Mead setting up at linebacker, his chip inside the 50 going to Jordon Sweet, but the big man’s shot went left for one point.
The difference is 18 points.
Sat, July 11, 2026 1:37 pm
Sat, July 11, 2026 1:37 pm
Headgear will not prevent concussions
Why don’t players wear head protection?
– Floor
Floor,
The issue of concussion is not a simple one. But the basic truth is that wearing protective headgear, while protecting a player from injuries such as skull fractures, cannot prevent concussions.
It’s not just impacts to the head; concussions can be caused by repeated head shaking. Thus, tackles or hits to the body can cause the head or neck to shake, which can cause the brain to move quickly.
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:34 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:34 pm
Injury problems in Port Adelaide
As if things weren’t bad enough for Power, they still have injury problems.
Jack Lukosius left and came back with a bandaged calf, but I’m not sure how viable he is to finish the game.
And now Joe Berry has fallen hard after struggling on the wing and looks like he may need an HIA. We will monitor what is happening.
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:31 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:31 pm
Cooper Sharman scores his third goal as St Kilda are out
To put it bluntly, cargo traffic is killing Port Adelaide.
Power tried to break out of defense towards the wing but was knocked over, flipped over and returned straight to 50th.
The ball went to Cooper Sharman again and the Saints player marked and then sent the ball home for his third of the game.
We’re not even halfway through the first quarter and St Kilda really look ready to tear this game apart.
That’s 4.1 to 1.1.
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:28 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:28 pm
Wanganeen-Miller has full support for St Kilda
I don’t know what’s going on here, but Port Adelaide just don’t know.
They had a chance thanks to a double overlap in the front half, but then a couple of errors meant they were unable to score through Mitch Georgiades.
The Saints rebounded again and moved the ball almost at will before striking Nasia Wanganin-Milere from 50 range.
He kicked for the fourth time that day, but it was a complete failure that he never wanted to see again. He gave it his all, and Port breathed a sigh of relief.
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:24 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:24 pm
Force protection at sea
This is not the best start for the visitors.
St Kilda are on a roll and have just taken charge again.
The quick shift to the front half of the field left the Force with nothing to do. A long shot over the back allowed Cooper Sharman to take up an acre of space in the goal area.
He scores and shoots on goal to give the Saints a three-goal lead!
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:22 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:22 pm
Saints are strong on the rebound.
Port Adelaide missed Jack Whitlock’s set-piece from the pocket but the Saints just showed their transition player was unfazed.
They bounced down the right flank and passed the ball to Nasia Wanganin-Milera, who bounced onto the line to put them out of the game. Hugo Garcia ended up hitting the target and hitting Cooper Sharman within 50.
Another mark, another goal.
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:19 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:19 pm
The Saints respond quickly through Anthony Caminiti.
Nobody hangs out here!
A free kick for St Kilda brings their first score inside 50, with Anthony Caminiti scoring a contested mark.
And he kicks him! We scored a goal in the 73rd second.
Calm down guys! Plenty of time to score here.
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:17 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:17 pm
Power assessment in 15 seconds!
Well it didn’t take long!
Power got a center clearance and Zach Butters hoofed him well past 50, he came off the hands and fell to Corey Durdin who finished great after just 15 seconds!
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:15 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:15 pm
We’re on our way to Docklands
The first of four Saturday games is here.
Which way does this one go? Port Adelaide are set to play three games in a row but it will still be seen as a disappointment if they beat Ross Lyon’s men in Melbourne.
It’s almost a must-win for the Saints considering they have some tough games ahead. Let’s see who can win in Docklands!
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:13 pm
Sat Jul 11, 2026 1:13 pm
Can Port Adelaide land a direct hit today?
It is perhaps unsurprising that Port Adelaide have been practicing kicking on target given their lack of consistency in recent weeks.
Last week the Power scored 10.13 in their win over North Melbourne and the week before that they scored 13.19 in their win over the Crows in the Showdown.
And in round 15 they scored 6.16 against Collingwood at the MCG.
Let’s hope they can hit the target when the game starts, eh?
Sat 11 July 2026 at 13:09
Sat 11 July 2026 at 13:09
Latest results between St Kilda and Port Adelaide
- Round 5, 2026: St Kilda 14 (Adelaide Oval)
- Round 4, 2025: St Kilda by 7 (Adelaide Oval)
- Round 16, 2024: Port Adelaide at 2 (Docklands)
- R7 2024: Port Adelaide at 4 (Adelaide Oval)
- R7, 2023: Port Adelaide on 7 (Docklands)
- Round 7 2022: Port Adelaide by 1 (Cairns)
It’s fair to say this match has been exceptionally close as of late. The Saints have won their last two matches, both in Adelaide.
The last game was slightly overshadowed by an incident between the Port Adelaide team. Zach Butters and the judge Nick Foote – it ended in verbal abuse at the Tribunal, but all five previous matches had been decided by seven points or less. Can we have another one of these on our hands?
As it stands, the Power have won their last four games against St Kilda at Docklands since 2013.
Sat, 11 July 2026, 13:06
Sat, 11 July 2026, 13:06
Teams are preparing for the match Saints vs Power
There was one late change in Port Adelaide.
(AFL.com.au)
As you might expect, the Saints named the same side as the one that dispatched Essendon by 67 points last week.
There have been two changes to the Port Adelaide squad that took a 21-point closer-than-look win over North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval.
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher goes down and goes in Kane Farrell and his quick left foot, which should help Powers in attack.
And later change Mitch Zadow with illness, replaced Jacob Ver.
Sat 11 Jul 2026 at 12:57
Sat 11 Jul 2026 at 12:57
WorkSave Victoria launches investigation into suspected concussion incidents in the AFL
WorkSafe Victoria is investigating suspected AFL concussion cases.
The matter was first reported by the Herald Sun’s Jay Clarke, with a WorkSafe Victoria spokeswoman confirming the investigation when contacted by the ABC.
“WorkSafe Victoria has received an inquiry regarding an alleged breach of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and is investigating the issues raised.”
The investigation is reportedly looking into whether the league adequately protected players from repeated blows to the brain during training. The investigation will look into contact training and collision load monitoring from late 2022, according to a Herald Sun report.
ABC’s Four Corners reported last month that 33 Australian rules players, 19 of them professional or semi-professional, had been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease.
CTE occurs as a result of repeated blows to the head and can only be diagnosed after death.
Before the Four Corners investigation, there were only five known diagnoses of CTE in professional AFL players.
In December 2022, WorkSafe Victoria completed an investigation into the AFL’s management of concussion risks associated with sport. It found no apparent violations by the league.
Sat Jul 11, 2026 12:46 pm
Sat, July 11, 2026 12:46 pm
Welcome to Saturday Football
Hello, good afternoon and welcome to ABC’s live online coverage of Round 18 of the AFL.
We have four games scheduled for Saturday football today, starting with St Kilda hosting Port Adelaide in Docklands.
Next we will have a ripping competition, in which DHW taking over Geelong at the Sydney Showground, with the Giants hoping to finish in the top 10 while the Cats try to hold on to a wild card spot after losing three of their last four.
And tonight we have a traditional Saturday split with Carlton taking over Hawks at the MCG and Crows playing Sun at Adelaide Oval.
My name is Andrew McGarryand I’ll take you through the beginning of today’s meeting before turning the floor over to my friend and colleague, also known as the Chief. Kyle Pollard.
Let’s jump!