AFL Finals Week 2 Tips 2026 | SGM Bets & Predictions

Fraudmantle’s loss last week could be a blessing in disguise. There is no room for complacency in finals, and everyone who has come across to Perth and given them a run for their money has shown that excessive pressure is how you stun the Dockers.

The problem for everyone else has been holding that pressure for four quarters. Most teams have been able to annoy Freo for a while, but no one has been able to hang onto it all game, and the Dockers have usually surged past them once things settle.

Geelong are about as annoying a team as you could possibly face after a loss, because they’ve been doing this finals thing forever and won’t panic just because the stadium gets loud. If Freo are still wobbling, the Cats are experienced enough to make this properly uncomfortable.

But this feels like a good time for Fremantle to recalibrate and realise they actually need to play footy. They’ll need to bring the pressure here, then take that same pressure to the SCG the week after. Or they get shown up by the most experienced finals team in the comp. No pressure, naturally.

Speaking of complacency, Brisbane also played last week like they thought the win was just going to get done for them. Sydney gave them a wake-up call, and now the Lions get Adelaide at the Gabba instead of a nice clean week off. Very generous of the football gods, who remain unemployed chaos merchants.

Adelaide were definitely the better team against the Dogs, but that game still had warning signs. If the Bulldogs could kick straighter, that last momentum swing could have finished them. Instead, the Crows survived, moved on, and now have to face an angry Brisbane team at the Gabba.

That is not exactly a relaxing career development opportunity. The fellas may as well book Silly Sunday at Fortitude Valley and save everyone the admin.

The Crows have enough forward talent to keep this interesting, and Thilthorpe, Fogarty and Walker can all hurt you if they get clean looks. But Brisbane at the Gabba in September is a different problem. The Lions usually decide to get into gear at this time of year, and once they do, they can make a decent side look like they’ve wandered into the wrong oval.