All the teams for the Smithy’s VFL semi finals.

Geelong fans’ dream week got even better with AFL superstars Tom Hawkins and Cam Guthrie named to return from injury in Saturday’s Smithy’s VFL first semi final against Southport at GMHBA Stadium.

As telegraphed by AFL coach Chris Scott earlier this week, Hawkins – the Cats’ games record holder – will get his on-field farewell at the Cattery as he aims to prove his fitness after a serious foot injury suffered in the Round 15 AFL thrashing from Carlton.

He played the last of his 24 VFL games way back in 2011 before cementing his position as one of the all-time greats and will hope to significantly add to his 54 VFL goals to lead Geelong into a preliminary final against the Footscray Bulldogs.

Guthrie has only played four AFL games this year due to an achilles injury, and none since the big loss to Gold Coast in Darwin in Round 10.

The pair bring 599 AFL games of experience into the Cats’ VFL team, with Darcy Edmends and Tanner Lovell also back from injury.

Irishmen Oisin Mullin (AFL) and Mark O’Connor (injured) go out of the team that lost last week’s qualifying final to Werribee, while key forward Kaelan Bradtke and midfielder Kade Chalcraft are the unlucky pair to step aside for the big guns.

Southport will head to GMHBA Stadium brimming with confidence after blasting 30 goals past Frankston last week and with the knowledge they won their only previous trip to Geelong in May last year.

The Sharks were forced to make one change after Will Sexton was concussed early against the Dolphins last week, with teenage Suns Academy graduate Will Derrington to play just his third game of the year.

It’s a big day of milestones for the Sharks, who have Brayden Crossley and Jacob Heron playing their 100th NEAFL/VFL games and Matt McGuinness and Matt Shannon their 50ths in the VFL.

Brisbane Lions have gone for experience ahead of their second semi final against Williamstown at Brighton Homes Arena, with Darragh Joyce returning from the AFL team after Jack Payne won his spot back.

The Lions have called up former GWS Giants forward and assistant coach Daniel Lloyd as well as ex-Richmond player Will Martyn, with James Tunstill and Jack Manly going into concussion protocols.

Williamstown, which bowed out of last year’s finals against the same opponent on the same venue last year, will trust the same 23 who upset the Box Hill Hawks last week.

The Seagulls will aim for redemption for last year’s defeat, with none of their injured stars being fit to return.

All matches in the 2024 Smithy’s VFL and VFLW seasons will be live streamed free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL App.

Smithy’s VFL broadcast partner, the Seven Network, will broadcast the clash between the Geelong Cats and Southport Sharks live and free on 7mate in Victoria and on 7plus nationally.

GEELONG CATS vs SOUTHPORT SHARKS

First Semi Final, Saturday 7 September, 11:35am, GMHBA Stadium

GEELONG CATS
B: O. Wiltshire (21), E. Jeka (43), O. Murdoch (31)
HB: C. O'Sullivan (14), S. De Koning (16), M. Knevitt (10)
C: G. Stevens (15), T. Clohesy (40), M. Hardie (41)
HF: P. Foster (19), D. Capiron (50), J. Willis (20)
F: G. Rohan (23), T. Hawkins (26), J. Clark (13)
R: J. Furphy (37), B. Parfitt (3), C. Guthrie (29)
INT: D. Edmends (53), T. Lovell (78), P. Hughes (64)*, M. Herbert (62), L. Antonac (79)
EMG: J. Sarcevic (52), T. Murray (61), T. White (63), K. Bradtke (48), R. Eyers (75), K. Chalcraft (58), H. Lucas (82), J. Pike (84)

IN: D. Edmends, C. Guthrie, T. Hawkins, T. Lovell
OUT: O. Mullin (AFL), M. O'Connor (injured), K. Bradtke, K. Chalcraft

SOUTHPORT SHARKS
B: B. Jepson (11), N. Williams (30), M. Spencer (6)
HB: M. Willis (10), K. Gray (17), J. Joyce (25)
C: M. Manteit (4), M. Shannon (16), M. McGuinness (14)
HF: W. Buzza (15), Z. Foot (2), J. Edwards (21)
F: J. Sexton (28), H. Dixon (29), J. Dawson (3)
R: B. Crossley (20), J. Heron (5), B. Woodcock (1)
INT: C. Lake (33), J. Lockhart (12), W. Derrington (39), R. Clark (18), B. Aston (32)
EMG: Z. Molloy (8), R. Bowman (7), A. Hall (31), B. Finch (35), R. Banks-Smith (24)

IN: W. Derrington
OUT: W. Sexton (concussion)

MATCH INFO
Head-to-Head: Southport 2-0
At GMHBA Stadium: Southport 1-0
Streak: Southport 2
Last Time: Geelong Cats 10.4 (64) def by Southport Sharks 16.12 (108) – Round 6, 2023 at GMHBA Stadium
Finals Head-to-Head: Never met
Finals Record: Geelong 16-12, Southport 3-1 (VFL)

BRISBANE LIONS vs WILLIAMSTOWN

Second Semi Final, Saturday 7 September, 12:45pm, Brighton Homes Arena

BRISBANE LIONS
B: L. Beecken (47), D. Joyce (41), Z. Zakostelsky (21)
HB: J. Prior (20), S. Brain (34), J. Madden (14)
C: D. Robertson (2), J. Lyons (17), B. Reville (38)
HF: D. Lloyd (65), H. Smith (25), D. Craven (50)
F: W. McLachlan (42), B. Ryan (24), L. Lloyd (19)
R: D. Fort (32), H. Sharp (22), R. Torrent (36)
INT: T. Abberley (48), K. Dunkley (52), E. Macpherson (54), W. Martyn (55), L. Hude (59)*
EMG: W. Greenaway (53), B. Thomas (61), B. McDonald (66), J. Lohmann (49), T. Gallopp (60)

IN: D. Joyce, D. Lloyd, W. Martyn
OUT: J. Payne (AFL), J. Manly (concussion), J. Tunstill (concussion)

WILLIAMSTOWN
B: C. Polson (5), A. Bonar (25), J. Greiser (18)
HB: L. Conway (34), J. Petric (24), R. Stoddart (15)
C: B. Coleman (27), J. Toner (14), J. McHale (32)
HF: T. Triffett (23), C. Ellison (1), B. McLaughlin (6)
F: N. Ebinger (26), R. Collier-Dawkins (9), J. Brown (28)
R: T. Downie (11), J. Cousins (10), W. Fordham (7)
INT: H. Minton-Connell (16), N. Colenso (35), J. Fitzgerald (8), C. Rich (3), L. Impey (45)
EMG: A. Deng (30), L. Grego (40), J. Browne (12), O. Sasalu (37)

No change

MATCH INFO
Head-to-Head: Brisbane Lions 2-1
At Brighton Homes Arena: 1-1
Streak: Brisbane Lions 1
Last Met: Brisbane Lions 12.16 (88) def Williamstown 7.6 (48) – Second Semi Final 2023 at Brighton Homes Arena
Finals Head-to-Head: Brisbane Lions 1-0
Finals Record: Brisbane Lions 2-5 (VFL), Williamstown 82-63-1

UMPIRES

GEELONG CATS vs SOUTHPORT SHARKS
FIELD: 8. Nick Scott, 16. Joe O’Brien, 23. Sam Ferguson, emg: 19. Cam Williams. BOUNDARY: Harry Bell, Ben Duce, Corey Malcolm, Mitch O’Neill. GOAL: Adam Steger, John Varker, emg: Jack Stammers

BRISBANE LIONS vs WILLIAMSTOWN
FIELD: 2. Lachlan Coyne, 4. Sam Whetton, 14. Luke Porter, emg: 54. Jake Edgar. BOUNDARY: Sam Button, Mitch Dorling, Ryan Hickey, Zach Mousaco. GOAL: Matt Edwards, Kane Miller, emg: Nick Ford.