AFL Roundup: Results, Rivalry, and Team News

Recent Match Results

Geelong Defeats West Coast in Gather Round

Geelong defeated the West Coast Eagles by 46 points in a Round 5 match during the AFL's Gather Round. The game was played at Norwood Oval on Sunday, April 12, 2026, before a crowd of 9,434, reported as a record for Gather Round games at that venue.

The final score was Geelong 17.20 (122) to West Coast 11.10 (76).

Match Progression: West Coast led by one point midway through the second quarter before Geelong scored five consecutive goals late in the term to establish a lead it maintained for the remainder of the game. The first half featured multiple lead changes.

Key Performers (Geelong):

Mark O'Connor kicked three goals.
Bailey Smith recorded 34 disposals, 16 inside-50s, seven clearances, and one goal.
Max Holmes had 34 disposals.
Tanner Bruhn and Tom Atkins were noted for their midfield play.

Key Performers (West Coast):

Jobe Shanahan kicked four goals.
Tom McCarthy recorded a team-high 28 disposals.
Harley Reid was prominent in the midfield.

Player Incidents:

Geelong's Mark O'Connor is expected to be reviewed by the Match Review Officer for contact made with West Coast's Willem Duursma during the match; Duursma continued playing.
West Coast's Deven Robertson left the field in the final quarter with a left knee injury following a collision.

Context: The win maintains Geelong's undefeated record in Gather Round fixtures. The match was Geelong defender Jake Kolodjashnij's first AFL game since the 2024 preliminary final.

Hawthorn Defeats Geelong in Easter Monday Clash

In a separate Round 4 match, Hawthorn defeated Geelong by one point in their traditional Easter Monday fixture at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The final score was Hawthorn 13.14 (92) to Geelong 14.7 (91).

Match Summary: The contest featured multiple lead changes. Hawthorn led by eight points at quarter time, but Geelong held a nine-point lead at halftime. Hawthorn regained the lead by three-quarter time. Geelong went ahead by 13 points in the final term before Hawthorn mounted a comeback, leveling the scores and then scoring twice in the final 90 seconds to win.

Key Performers (Hawthorn):
Listed among Hawthorn's best players were James Ward, Jarman Impey, James Sicily, Tom Barrass, Jack Gunston (3 goals), and Nick Watson (3 goals).

Key Performers (Geelong):
Listed among Geelong's best players were Bailey Smith (33 disposals), Max Holmes (27 disposals), Shannon Neale (4 goals), Tom Stewart, Mark Blicavs, and Oliver Henry (3 goals). Geelong's Mitch Edwards received the Dare to Hope Medal as the team's most courageous player.

Historical Rivalry Context

The Hawthorn versus Geelong rivalry has featured numerous close matches over the past two decades.

Notable results include:

2008 Grand Final: Hawthorn defeated Geelong.
2009 Round 17: Geelong won by one point after a behind was scored following the siren.
2012 Round 19: Geelong won by two points after a goal was scored following the siren.
2013 Preliminary Final: Hawthorn ended an 11-game losing streak against Geelong.
2016 Qualifying Final: Geelong won by two points.
2018 Round 2 (Easter Monday): Hawthorn won by one point.
2022 Round 5: Hawthorn, as a young team, defeated the eventual premier, Geelong.
2025 Round 6 (Easter Monday): Geelong won by seven points.
2026 Round 4 (Easter Monday): Hawthorn won by one point, as detailed above.

Upcoming Fixture Team News

Ahead of a Round 2 match between Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans at the MCG, team changes have been announced.

Hawthorn Team: Will field an unchanged lineup from its Round 1 victory over Essendon. The team is expected to maintain a two-ruck strategy featuring Ned Reeves and Lloyd Meek.

Sydney Team: Has made two changes due to injury. Errol Gulden (shoulder) and Isaac Heeney (hamstring) are unavailable. They have been replaced in the selected side by Corey Warner (22) and Caiden Cleary (21). Sydney enters the match with a 2-0 record.

The match is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, at the MCG at 7:30 PM AEDT.