With just four teams left in the hunt, the AFL finals series is heating up!
This weekend, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs, Collingwood and Geelong will all fight for their chance to make it through to the 2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
Collingwood will revisit its near-miss of 2007 as it heads into a preliminary final against Geelong in week three of the Toyota AFL Finals Series.
In beating Adelaide by five points, the Pies booked an MCG date with the Cats for 7.30pm AEST this Saturday night.
The Pies finished the home and away season in fourth place but last week fell on their double chance with a 28-point loss to minor premier St Kilda. Collingwood met Geelong at the penultimate stage of the latter's 2007 premiership campaign: a match it lost by five points before a crowd of 98,002.
In their only encounter this season – round three at the 'G – the Pies led by 20 points at quarter time but were overrun in the second term and lost by 27.
Playing for this year's other grand final spot will be the Saints and the Western Bulldogs, with that encounter to unfold at the MCG from 7.45pm on Friday night.
St Kilda won their two clashes this year, in rounds six and 17, by an average margin of 36 points.
After slipping to the Cats in their qualifying final, the Bulldogs comfortably accounted for the Brisbane Lions, winning Friday night's semi-final by 51 points.
2009 Toyota AFL Finals Series: week 3
Friday September 18
First preliminary final
St Kilda v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, 7.45pm
Saturday September 19
Second preliminary final
Geelong v Collingwood at the MCG, 7.30pm
