Werribee and the Southport Sharks will meet in the 2024 Smithy's VFL Grand Final at IKON Park on Sunday, September 22.
Sunday, September 22
Werribee (1st) vs Southport Sharks (5th)
Sunday, September 22
3:10pm AEST
IKON Park
Broadcast: The 2024 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final will be broadcast live and free on the Seven Network via Channel 7 in Victoria and 7plus nationally. The match will also be streamed live and free on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App.
Ticketing: For the 2024 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final admission prices will be adults $20, concession/pensioners $15 and children under 15 free. Tickets can be purchased at www.intix.com.au/org/vfl from midday on Tuesday, September 17. Patrons purchasing at the gate are advised the payment method is card only.
The 2024 Smithy's VFL Grand Final will be contested by two standalone clubs for the first time since the AFL-aligned teams came into the competition in 2000.
This year's premiership decider will also feature the beaten grand finalists from the past two seasons.
Werribee will be striving for its second VFL premiership after winning its maiden flag in 1993, while Southport is hunting its first premiership since joining the competition in 2021.
After going down to the Gold Coast Suns in the 2023 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final with a team that featured AFL draftees Shaun Mannagh and Sam Clohesy, Werribee claimed this year’s minor premiership with a 15-3 record.
The Tigers reached their second-consecutive Grand Final by defeating the Geelong Cats by 21 points in the qualifying final before producing a 20-point win over the Brisbane Lions in the preliminary final.
Southport Sharks lost the 2022 Grand Final to Casey Demons by 32 points before slipping to 14th spot last year.
They finished the 2024 regular season in fifth spot on the ladder and have reached their second Grand Final in three seasons on the back of three consecutive finals victories.
The Sharks downed Frankston by 92 points at Fankhauser Reserve in the elimination final, before beating the Geelong Cats by 29 points at GMHBA Stadium in the semi final and the Footscray Bulldogs by 10 points at Mission Whitten Oval in the preliminary final.
Werribee and the Southport Sharks met twice during the home and away season and shared one win apiece.
The Tigers won a three-point thriller at Fankhauser Reserve in Round 2 before the Sharks responded with a six-point win at Avalon Airport Oval in Round 19.
AFL Head of State League Competitions Jennie Loughnan congratulated both clubs on reaching the 2024 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final.
“After an extremely competitive Smithy’s VFL season it is fantastic to have two standalone clubs in Werribee and the Southport Sharks competing for the 2024 premiership,” Loughnan said.
“It’s been an outstanding effort by the Tigers to reach the Grand Final for the second straight season with a new coach and largely different playing list from last year, and just as fantastic by Southport after missing the finals last year following their 2022 Smithy's VFL Grand Final defeat to the Casey Demons.
“On behalf of the AFL, I would like to thank all clubs, players, umpires, venues and our broadcast and commercial partners for their fantastic support of the Smithy’s VFL in 2024 and wish Werribee and the Southport Sharks the best of luck for the Grand Final.”
The 2024 Smithy’s VFL season featured 21 teams who each played 18 matches across a 21-round fixture. The finals series ran across five weeks, commencing with Wildcard Round featuring the teams who finished seventh to 10th on the ladder.
Selected teams for the 2024 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final will be announced on Friday, September 20.
The Norm Goss Medal will be awarded to the best player on the ground.
2024 SMITHY’S VFL FINALS SERIES RESULTS
Wildcard Round
Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25
Wildcard Round Game One: Gold Coast SUNS (7th) 14.16 (100) def by Frankston (10th) 16.7 (103)
Wildcard Round Game Two: Williamstown (8th) 18.12 (120) def Richmond (9th) 7.12 (54)
Qualifying and Elimination Finals
Saturday, August 31
First Qualifying Final: Werribee (1st) 8.9 (57) def Geelong Cats (4th) 5.6 (36)
Second Qualifying Final: Footscray Bulldogs (2nd) 12.10 (82) def Brisbane Lions (3rd) 12.6 (78)
First Elimination Final: Southport Sharks (5th) 30.15 (195) def Frankston (8th) 16.7 (103)
Second Elimination Final: Box Hill Hawks (6th) 7.10 (52) def by Williamstown (7th) 11.14 (80)
Semi Finals
Saturday, September 7
First Semi Final: Geelong Cats (4th) 7.16 (58) def by Southport Sharks (5th) 13.9 (87)
Second Semi Final: Brisbane Lions (3rd) 19.16 (130) def Williamstown (7th) 18.5 (113)
Preliminary Finals
Saturday, September 14
First Preliminary Final: Werribee (1st) 10.6 (66) def Brisbane Lions (3rd) 6.10 (46)
Second Preliminary Final: Footscray Bulldogs (2nd) 7.9 (51) def by Southport Sharks (5th) 9.7 (61)
Grand Final
Sunday, September 22
Werribee vs Southport Sharks
IKON Park, 3:10pm
