Geelong has locked in their starting line-up for Friday night's blockbuster Semi-Final, as they prepare to battle Fremantle for a spot in the penultimate week of the 2026 season. 

For just the second time this year and the first time since Round 11, the Cats have opted to take an unchanged team into the game, backing in the same 23 players that helped to defeat Carlton in last week's Elimination Final. 

The West Australian trio of Shannon Neale, Lawson Humphries and Mitch Edwards will all play their first Final in their home state, while Patrick Dangerfield will also play his 379th game which moves him into ninth place on the all-time V/AFL leaderboard for games played. 

Superstar midfielder Bailey Smith will notch another significant milestone, as he prepares to play the 150th game of his AFL career, while head coach Chris Scott will also feature in his 600th AFL match as either a player or coach, becoming just the 13th individual in the game's history to reach the milestone. 

Geelong's three emergencies for Friday night will be Jack Martin, Jhye Clark and Sam De Koning. 

Geelong face another do-or-die clash as they look to extend their 2026 AFL season, set to take on Fremantle in an enthralling Semi-Final at Optus Stadium on Friday night. 

As was the case in last week's clash with Carlton, the loser of the match will be eliminated from the season, while the winner will progress to a Preliminary Final against Sydney. 

There are plenty of exciting activations planned for Cats fans, including a watch party at GMHBA Stadium and much more. Head to Geelong's Finals Hub for more information. 

All matches in the 2026 AFL Finals series will be broadcast live and free on Channel 7, while Geelong's Semi-Final will also be broadcast on Kayo and Fox Footy from 7.00pm AEST, before the game commences at 8.10pm. 

K rock will also be covering all the action from 7.00pm. Tune in via FM 95.5 across Geelong & the Surf Coast, via the K rock app or the AFL app.