STATE Leagues around the country are underway, and we'll bring you a wrap of all the action.
Check out how your team fared in the VFL, SANFL and WAFL this weekend.
State league affiliate: Adelaide (SANFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for SANFL finals
State league affiliate: Brisbane (VFL)
This weekend: Footscray v Brisbane at Whitten Oval, Saturday August 31, 1.05pm AEST
MATCH CENTRE Check out all the stats from Brisbane's clash
Jack Payne and Bruce Reville made successful returns from injury but the Lions suffered a heartbreaking loss to Footscray in the dying moments of their qualifying final.
Leading by two points with just seconds remaining, the Dogs kicked a goal to grab back the lead and send them straight into a preliminary final. The Lions will meet Williamstown in a semi-final next weekend after the Seagulls beat Box Hill.
Payne, who hasn't played since round 18 due to a foot injury, had nine disposals and three marks in a promising comeback as he looks to prove his fitness for next Saturday night's final against Carlton. Reville had six touches on his return from a leg problem.
Veteran Jarryd Lyons continued his superb VFL form with 23 disposals and two goals, while James Tunstill (19 and 10 tackles) and Jaxon Prior (18) were also important.
Ruckman Darcy Fort was immense with a massive 68 hitouts, 18 disposals, seven tackles and 12 clearances.
Harry Sharp, who was the substitute in the AFL win over Essendon in the last round, had 17 touches, while fellow youngsters Shadeau Brain (13 disposals) and Henry Smith (13, 13 hitouts and one goal) almost got their side over the line.
Other AFL-listed players were Deven Robertson (12), Brandon Ryan (nine) and small forward Darcy Craven, who had eight touches and two goals.
State league affiliate: Carlton (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: Collingwood (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: Essendon (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: Peel Thunder (WAFL)
This weekend: Peel Thunder v Swan Districts at Lane Group Stadium, Saturday August 31, 2.30pm AWST
MATCH CENTRE Check out all the stats from Peel Thunder's clash
Neil Erasmus and Will Brodie continued their midfield dominance in the WAFL but their efforts were in vain as Peel Thunder fell in the qualifying final by 17 points.
Erasmus – who managed four appearances for Fremantle this season – gathered 28 disposals and eight clearances, while Brodie, who has played 29 games for Fremantle after crossing from Gold Coast, had 27 touches and six clearances.
Dominant ruckman Liam Reidy had a mammoth 66 hitouts, 12 disposals and six clearances.
Matt Taberner added another three goals to his season tally.
Karl Worner (26 disposals, six marks, two tackles) and Nathan O'Driscoll (25 disposals, eight tackles, six clearances) were also impressive in the middle.
Other AFL-listed players included Ethan Hughes (17), Tom Emmett (14 and one goal), Hugh Davies (nine) and Cooper Simpson (five),
State league affiliate: Geelong (VFL)
This weekend: Werribee v Geelong at Avalon Airport Oval, Saturday August 31, 12pm AEST
MATCH CENTRE Check out all the stats from Geelong's clash
Geelong fell short to minor premier Werribee by 21 points in Saturday's qualifying final.
Midfielder Brandan Parfitt was relentless, amassing a huge 14 tackles and four clearances to go with his 19 disposals to be among the Cats' better players.
Sam De Koning (18 disposals, 23 hitouts, two marks) got through the game unscathed on return from a knee injury as he pushes to find his way back into the senior side for Thursday night's qualifying final against Port Adelaide.
Defender Mark O'Connor (19 disposals, seven marks, four clearances) also got through the game on return from a knee injury.
Rookie Mitch Hardie was the leading disposal winner for the Cats, finishing with 24 touches and three clearances, while midfielder Jhye Clark kicked a team-high two goals to go with his 14 touches.
Young defender Emerson Jeka (18 disposals, six marks) found plenty of the ball, rookie forward Ted Clohesy (20 disposals, six clearances, one goal) was busy, while last year's pick No.11 Connor O'Sullivan (14 disposals, six marks) found himself among the action.
Irish defender Oisin Mullin (16 disposals, three clearances), Mitch Knevitt (14 disposals, six clearances, five tackles) and Phoenix Foster (eight disposals, one goal) were also busy.
Young mid George Stevens (10 disposals, four tackles), rookie ruckman Joe Furphy (19 hitouts, four tackles) and Oliver Wiltshire (12 disposals, five tackles) were also in the action, while veteran forward Gary Rohan (six disposals) and untried duo James Willis (10) and Oscar Murdoch (three) were quiet.
State league affiliate: Gold Coast (VFL)
This weekend: Eliminated in Wildcard Round
State league affiliate: GWS Giants (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
This weekend: Box Hill v Williamstown at Box Hill City Oval, Saturday August 31, 3pm AEST
MATCH CENTRE Check out all the stats from Box Hill's clash
Finn Maginness looks likely to retain his place in Hawthorn's team for next Friday's AFL elimination final after another excellent performance for Box Hill.
The son of a gun gathered 30 disposals, one goal, five tackles and eight clearances in a starring role, but it wasn't enough as the Hawks were bundled out of the finals by Williamstown.
With Will Day ruled out of the clash against the Western Bulldogs earlier in the day, Maginness is in the box seat to keep his spot in the senior side.
Josh Ward did his chances of a recall no harm, though, with 26 touches and a goal, while defender Jai Serong continued his superb season with 29 touches and 10 marks.
Changkuoth Jiath returned from injury after missing the final three games of the home and away season with calf tightness, but was relatively quiet with eight disposals.
Seamus Mitchell (21) and Henry Hustwaite (19) were also industrious, while ruck/forward Max Ramsden kicked a goal from 16 disposals.
Ned Reeves had 35 hitouts to go with 12 disposals.
Other AFL-listed players included Cooper Stephens (15), Bodie Ryan (14), Will McCabe (14), Bailey Macdonald (11), Ethan Phillips (10) and Denver Grainger-Barras (six) and mid-season pick-up Jasper Scaife (five).
Veteran forward Chad Wingard had nine disposals.
State league affiliate: Casey Demons (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: North Melbourne (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: Port Adelaide Magpies (SANFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for SANFL finals
State league affiliate: Richmond (VFL)
This weekend: Eliminated in Wildcard Round
State league affiliate: Sandringham (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: Sydney (VFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for VFL finals
State league affiliate: West Coast (WAFL)
This weekend: Did not qualify for WAFL finals
State league affiliate: Footscray (VFL)
This weekend: Footscray v Brisbane at Whitten Oval, Saturday August 31, 1.05pm AEST
MATCH CENTRE Check out all the stats from Footscray's clash
Bulldogs tall Ryan Gardner kicked the match-winning goal with seconds remaining to send his side straight into the preliminary final after a see-sawing clash with Brisbane.
Gardner, who has played 53 AFL games but none this season, only had nine disposals for the match, but his last kick was the most important of all in windy conditions at Whitten Oval.
Buku Khamis shifted forward from his usual defensive role and notched up two goals, 16 disposals and nine marks as he looks to push his way back into the senior line-up for next Friday night's AFL elimination final against Hawthorn.
Jason Johannisen (calf) and Rhylee West (jaw) also pressed their case after returning from injury, with 18 and 12 touches respectively.
James Harmes was superb through the middle with 36 disposals, nine clearances and a goal, while young speedster Arthur Jones snared three majors from 12 touches.
In a team stacked with AFL-listed players, Riley Garcia was among the biggest ball-winners with 28 disposals and seven clearances, while Caleb Poulter had 24 touches.
Young gun Ryley Sanders added a mammoth 14 tackles to his 21 disposals, while Jedd Busslinger also had 21.
Luke Cleary (19), Oskar Baker (16 and a goal), Nick Coffield (15) and Anthony Scott (13) also got their hands dirty.
