AFLW Finals Race Heats Up: Fremantle Surges Into Top Eight as West Coast Mounts Remarkable Comeback

The 2026 AFLW season has reached its tipping point. While the undefeated North Melbourne Kangaroos and Melbourne Demons continue to set the pace at the summit, the real drama is unfolding in the middle of the ladder, where a cluster of teams are fighting tooth and nail for the remaining finals berths. With five rounds left in the 12-round sprint, Round 7 delivered a massive shakeup to the top eight, headlined by a sudden, surging Western Australian renaissance.[7]

The Fremantle Dockers delivered the loudest statement of the weekend, dismantling Adelaide at Unley Oval on Sunday to secure a 9.6 (60) to 5.5 (35) victory. The 25-point win lifted Fremantle to a 4-3 record, vaulting them directly into the league's top eight and leaving the Crows vulnerable at 3-4.[1]

The Dockers effectively ended the contest in the opening term, stunning Adelaide with a 28-point first-quarter blitz. Fremantle's lead swelled to 45 points before the Crows managed a late consolation push, stringing together three consecutive goals across the third and fourth quarters. But the deficit was too vast, and Adelaide never closed the gap to fewer than 25 points.[1]

If Fremantle's rise was emphatic, the West Coast Eagles' resurgence borders on the miraculous. After starting the season 0-4 under coach Daisy Pearce, the Eagles have roared back into contention. On Friday at Windy Hill, West Coast secured their third straight win, holding off Essendon 6.9 (45) to 4.11 (35) to keep their finals fire burning.[2][4]

Emerging superstar Ella Roberts was the architect of the Eagles' triumph in her 50th AFLW appearance. Roberts amassed 31 disposals, laid nine tackles, won four clearances, and gained a staggering 717 metres. Driven by her dominance, West Coast built a 34-point lead in the third term before weathering a late Essendon surge that saw the Bombers dominate final-quarter territory but fail to convert on the scoreboard.[2][4]

"Just the health of the squad in general now... it sends a great message to those that competed today that there's this competitive squad coming up underneath them, which helps intensity at training," Pearce noted, praising the versatility of co-captains Charlie Thomas and Bella Lewis in executing the turnaround.[3]

Further up the ladder, the Sydney Swans solidified their place in the upper echelon, defeating the reigning premier Brisbane Lions 5.7 (37) to 3.5 (23). The result keeps Sydney firmly entrenched in the top four, while Brisbane's title defense hangs by a thread as they slip to a precarious 2-5 record.[1]

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The Gold Coast Suns also capitalized on the weekend's chaos, surging into sixth place after a dominant 10.9 (69) to 6.3 (39) victory over St Kilda. Meanwhile, the Western Bulldogs improved their record to a formidable 5-2, defeating Port Adelaide 62-49 on the back of a career-best four-goal haul from forward Heidi Woodley.[1][2]

The stakes are only getting higher. With league attendance tracking 43 percent ahead of last year and scoring reaching all-time highs, the competition is producing some of the most attacking football in its history. For surging squads like Fremantle and West Coast, the margin for error remains razor-thin, but their Round 7 heroics prove they are genuine postseason threats.[5]