AFL finals week 1 2026 LIVE scores: Sydney Swans v Brisbane Lions qualifying final results, video highlights, latest news; Callum Mills suffers possible ACL rupture; Tom Papley dominates; Swans approa

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says his side will once again attempt to win the premiership going the long way around, after achieving this in 2024 and 2025.

In 2024, the Lions finished 5th and went on the road three times to secure a flag. The very next year, they lost a qualifying final to Geelong and once again had to win a prelim on the road to make the grand final and then win the premiership.

"The only way we can do it now is the hard way… The ball's in our players' court, how badly do they want it? We'll see next week," Fagan told reporters after the loss to Sydney.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is well and truly on the hot seat tonight, with multiple reports that he will lose his job if the Crows lose to the Western Bulldogs tonight.

The Crows finished top of the ladder in 2025, but went out in straight sets. A year on, they've finished sixth and are under enormous pressure.

Nicks has been with the club since 2020 and is yet to lead the club to a finals win.

A loss tonight could be the end of his seven-year run as head coach of the Crows.

Adelaide football director Mark Ricciuto played down those fears before the game on Fox Footy, however.

"I highly doubt (that news report has) come from anyone at the football club. I don't think that's come from the club at all," Ricciuto said.

"The last two years he's had a great record in the home and away, but last year in finals he didn't get the job done. The team didn't get the job done."

Nicks himself had a laugh with Fox Footy when discussing the looming pressure half an hour before the game.

"Most players came and addressed it with me and had a bit of a chat. There's a lot of things that are said. This is what happens at this time of year. It's understandable. Everyone wants to get better, 'how do we do that, let's get rid of the coach'," Nicks said.

"And that's not always the case … in this case it's definitely not the coach," Nicks laughed. "This coach is a gun, don't get rid of this one … are we live?"

Nice moment ahead of the game.

David King has heaped enormous praise on the Swans after that incredible display, given the turmoil surrounding the club.

"On paper, I think it's the best finals win I've seen. I don't think anyone gave them a chance, even the most die hard Swans fan," King told Fox Footy.

“They didn’t just win. They smashed them.

“You lose your captain to a season-ending injury, the emotion of that can really flatten a group ... to be able to put that aside and continue to do what you’re doing to the best side we’ve seen for five years, is not easy to do.”

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