Fremantle keeps same 23 for AFL Grand Final; Brisbane must replace Lachie Neale after suspension

Fremantle has made the boldest selection call of Grand Final week by leaving defender Brennan Cox out of its 23, while Brisbane listed Noah Answerth only as an emergency and now must make at least one late change after Lachie Neale’s one-match suspension was upheld.

The 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final will pit Fremantle against Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday, Sept. 26, with a 2:30 p.m. AEST start. Team selection always carries weight before a premiership decider, but these calls stand out because Fremantle has effectively backed the side that won its preliminary final, while Brisbane heads into the week with uncertainty forced by both injury and suspension.

Fremantle stuck with the same 23 that beat Sydney in the preliminary final, according to AFL.com.au’s Grand Final teams announcement by Michael Rogers, even though Cox had progressed in his recovery. The key defender was left out of the Dockers’ Grand Final squad despite returning to significant training loads in the lead-up. In the club’s official injury update, Fremantle director of performance Adam Beard said Cox had moved closer to a comeback. “We had Brennan complete a football circuit on the weekend, game-like loads, really match simulation,” Beard said. “He’ll be available to main train tomorrow.” Even so, Fremantle opted not to alter a winning lineup. Jaeger O’Meara and Chris Scerri were named among the Dockers’ emergencies.

Brisbane’s selection picture is less settled. Answerth, a defender who missed the Lions’ previous two finals with an ankle injury, was named as an emergency rather than recalled straight into the side. That matched Brisbane’s official injury report, which listed him as “Ankle — Test.” AFL.com.au reported that Bruce Reville and Cody Curtin were Brisbane’s other emergencies, leaving the Lions with multiple contingency options heading into the decider.

The bigger disruption for Brisbane came away from the team sheet. Neale, the Lions’ star midfielder, will miss the Grand Final after the AFL Tribunal upheld his one-match suspension for striking, according to AFL.com.au’s tribunal coverage. The practical effect is straightforward: Brisbane must bring in at least one replacement from its emergencies before the match. That makes the Lions’ final setup more fluid than Fremantle’s, with Answerth’s fitness and Neale’s enforced absence both shaping the final composition of the side.

The stakes are unusually high on both sides. Brisbane is chasing a third straight premiership after winning the 2024 and 2025 flags, a rare feat in the AFL era. Fremantle is trying to claim the first men’s premiership in club history.