There are two types of players when we get to September: those who rise to the occasion, and those who crumble under the finals pressure.
For the superstars of the competition, there is an expectation that they will rise and deliver for their clubs in September, but in the first week of the 2026 AFL Finals, there were many who crumbled under the pressure.
Now with a spot in a preliminary final on the line, there are five players firmly in the gun, in need of a major response in this weekend's semi-finals.
Murphy Reid
Being selected in the All-Australian team puts a player amongst the elite of the competition, and in just his second year of football, Reid was awarded this honour, edging out superstars of the game.
In Fremantle's qualifying final loss to Hawthorn, Reid played an uninspiring brand of football with cheap possession, lack of physicality and minimal impact on the match.
At the other end of the ground, Reid's All-Australian small forward counterpart, Nick Watson, was one of the dominant forces on the ground, willing his team to victory in a dominant display.
Reid, on the other hand, laid one tackle in his match against the Hawks, with only 153 metres gained and four score involvements.
As an All-Australian talent, Reid will continue to experience greater attention in games like this and must be stronger in the physical contest and show composure in a higher pressure game.
