Jarman Impey attempts to mark the ball during the Round 20 match between Hawthorn and Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 25, 2026. Photo: AFL Photos
RIVALS Hawthorn and Essendon meet in a huge twilight clash on Saturday at the MCG.
Hawthorn (12-1-5) have set themselves up for a run home with a pair of stunning wins over Carlton and Richmond and, despite other results slipping, are now well positioned to secure a top-two finish.
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The Hawks are less concerned about the percentage given they had a draw, but will want to remove the Bombers, Roos and Eagles even if their focus is on upcoming clashes with the Lions and Magpies.
Essendon (2-16) returned to the winner’s table for just the second time in 421 days, stunning Greater Western Sydney with manic pressure to claim a first win under interim coach Dean Solomon.
The victory was enough to lift the Bombers off the bottom of the standings and above the Tigers on percentage, adding reason to avoid huge losses in their remaining games.
Hawthorn v Essendon MCG, 16:15 AEST
NO LATE CHANGES
The Hawks are encouraged by the return of Will Day, who replaces the departed Will McCabe.
Following their second win of the season, the Bombers made four changes with Ben Mackay, Lachlan Blakiston, Will Setterfield and Nick Cox replacing Kyle Langford, Nick Bryan, Jay Caldwell and Xavier Duursma.
Greater Western Sydney and rivals Sydney will be looking to bounce back from their Round 19 defeats when they meet in the Sydney Derby at Angie Stadium on Saturday night.
The Giants (8-10) loosened their tenuous grip on the wildcard position, adding a shock loss to Essendon to previous defeats to lesser West Coast sides, St Kilda (twice), Carlton and Gold Coast.
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They have proven they are at their best against the best, with wins over the Dockers, Lions, Hawks, Demons and Cats, and need to bounce back against the Swans to reignite their finals hopes.
Sydney (13-5) are back in the race for a top two spot, adding defeat to premiership rivals Adelaide to defeats to Fremantle and Brisbane over the past month.
The Swans’ problems start at the coal face where they score and score, but they can look to an ominous recent record against the Giants with six wins in their last seven matches.
Toby Green was out with a hit injury for the Giants, and Harvey Thomas returned.
The Swans made two changes, with Harry Kyle and Billy Cootey replacing Harry Cunningham and Angus Sheldrick.
Greater Western Sydney vs Sydney FC at Angie Stadium, 4:35pm AEDT.
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Saturday’s second game sees the Western Bulldogs host Richmond at Marvel Stadium.
The Bulldogs (11-7) continue to get the job done, adding a pair of scattered wins over West Coast and now Gold Coast to add to their six wins by one goal or less to start the season.
The Dawgs may not be the most compelling of the six contenders, but they could almost book their place in the finals with a win over the Tigers, especially with the Kangaroos and Blues still ahead.
BULDOGS vs TIGERS Follow it live
Richmond (2-16) appeared to be on the move at times as they were overwhelmed by Hawthorn before the main break and extended their losing streak to seven matches by an average of 47 points.
The Tigers have paid a huge price for their recent lack of competitiveness as they have been overtaken by the struggling Bombers and now sit at the bottom of the league table on percentage.
The Bulldogs return Tom Liberatore and make way for Lachlan McNeil.
The Tigers made four changes with Jack Ross, Luke Treanor, Tyler Sonsey and Zane Peuker replacing Noah Balta, Kane McAuliffe, James Trezise and Steely Green.
Carlton v Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium, 13:05 AEST
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“BLUES” – “SANS” Full match broadcast and statistics