Overview
- Carlton beat West Coast by 53 points at Marvel Stadium on Saturday to record their sixth consecutive win since Josh Fraser became interim coach.
- Key defender Jacob Weitering has been ruled out for a third straight match with a recurring calf issue, forcing Carlton to rely on younger defenders to cover his role.
- Fremantle recalled ruckman Sean Darcy for Sunday's match against Gold Coast to give coach Justin Longmuir the option of managing Luke Jackson's minutes during the club-record 13-match winning streak.
- Port Adelaide made five changes for the Showdown, dropping Todd Marshall and losing Esava Ratugolea to a knee injury while recalling Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and Ollie Wines.
- Essendon named Andy McGrath plus Jye Caldwell, Isaac Kako and Darcy Parish in its inclusions, a short-term boost that reshapes their selection options as clubs jockey for finals positions.