The Sydney Swans and Hawthorn Hawks had their eyes set on the third instalment of their storied grand final history after both produced marvellous qualifying final victories, as underdogs.
A 2026 rendezvous would have added to the fantastic lineage of Hawks v Swans grand finals, as the two sides met on the grandest stage of them all in 2012 and 2014.
It was not to be.
In their preliminary final, the Swans ran out of gas at home to Fremantle, with an emotionally and physically taxing month finally coming home to roost.
The Hawks were on the wrong side of the greatest game ever played, bitterly falling to Brisbane, and falling oh-so-short of the big dance for the second year running.
Just 10 of the last 20 qualifying final winners have progressed to the last Saturday in September, dating back to the AFL's introduction of the pre-finals bye in the 2016 season.
17 of 18 had done so in the period immediately preceding that decision.
Qualifying final winners, owing to the pre-finals bye and the week off they receive for that first-up September victory, play just one game in roughly a 27 day span (Sydney played once in 26 days, Hawthorn once in 27), between the conclusion of the home and away season, and preliminary final weekend.
The trend raises questions, namely, "is a top four finish as positive a force as it used to be?"
Looking at those raw numbers, one would be compelled to argue that it isn't.
Teams to lose qualifying finals, or reach a preliminary final from outside the top four, play at least one extra game in that same period, allowing them to stay calmly inside the rhythms of a regular match week.
Sure, there may be more fatigue, but there's also more match-hardening, more exposure to the finals environment, and more chances to gather momentum.
The Lions lost their qualifying final in 2025, and finished outside the top four in 2024. In both seasons, they saluted as premiers.
The won their qualifying final in 2023, and ultimately lost that year's decider, adding credence to the argument.
