Arabic version: هاوثورن وبريزبن يستعدان لنصف نهائي دوري كرة القدم الأسترالية

According to ABC News, Hawthorn will host Brisbane at the MCG in an AFL preliminary final on Saturday, September 19, with the winner to join Fremantle in next week’s grand final. The first bounce is scheduled for 5:15pm.

Hawthorn enters the match after a week’s break following its qualifying-final upset of Fremantle in Perth. Brisbane, the dual reigning premier, comes into the contest after thrashing Adelaide in a home semifinal the previous weekend.

The Hawks are seeking their first grand-final appearance since 2015. Brisbane is aiming to make a fourth straight trip to the AFL’s season decider. Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston was pictured warming up before the match, with the ABC noting his 301-game career and his experience in preliminary finals.

ABC’s live coverage reported that conditions at the MCG were “absolutely perfect for football”, with the playing surface prepared after an NFL match at the venue just over a week earlier. Fans were arriving from across Melbourne, with thousands lining up hours before the first bounce along the Yarra Park precinct. Brisbane’s Victorian following was also noted in connection with the club’s Fitzroy roots.