The 2025 home-and-away season has ended and the all-important finals series has kicked off.
So, who will stand up when it matters most?
Here's all the key dates ahead of this year's AFL finals:
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AFL Finals schedule, dates
2025 AFL Finals dates
| Week | Dates |
| Finals week one | Sept. 4-6 |
| Semi Finals | Sept. 12-13 |
| Preliminary Finals | Sept. 19-20 |
| Grand Final | Sept. 27 |
AFL Finals fixture 2025
Week one
| Fixture | Date | Time (AEST) | Venue | |
| Qualifying Final 1 | Adelaide 8.7 (55) def. By Collingwood 11.13 (79) | Thu Sep 4 | 7:40pm | Adelaide Oval |
| Qualifying Final 2 | Geelong 16.16 (112) def. Brisbane 11.8 (74) | Fri Sep 5 | 7:40pm | MCG |
| Elimination Final 1 | GWS 13.10 (88) def. By Hawthorn 16.11 (107) | Sat Sep 6 | 3:15pm | ENGIE Stadium |
| Elimination Final 2 | Fremantle 12.7 (79) def. By Gold Coast 11.14 (80) | Sat Sep 6 | 7:35pm | Optus Stadium |
Semi Finals
| Fixture | Date | Time (AEST) | Venue | |
| Semi Final 1 | Adelaide 10.7 (67) def. By Hawthorn 14.17 (101) | Fri. Sep 12 | 7:40pm | Adelaide Oval |
| Semi Final 2 | Brisbane 14.16 (100) def. Gold Coast 6.11 (47) | Sat. Sep 13 | 7:35pm | The Gabba |
Preliminary Finals
| Fixture | Date | Time (AEST) | Venue | |
| Preliminary Final 1 | Collingwood 11.5 (71) def. By Brisbane 15.10 (100) | Sat. Sep 20 | 5:15pm | MCG |
| Preliminary Final 2 | Geelong 17.13 (115) def. Hawthorn 13.7 (85) | Fri. Sep 19 | 7:40pm | MCG |
Grand Final
| Match | Fixture | Date | Time (AEST) | Venue |
| Grand Final | Brisbane vs. Geelong | Sat. Sep 27 | 2.30pm | MCG |
AFL Finals system
Since 2000, the AFL has used the same structure for the finals season, with the top eight further broken down into two groups of four.
In this system, those higher-placed teams are given a "double chance" should they lose in the first week of the finals.