All the teams for the Smithy’s VFL Wildcard Round.

Key forward Noah Gown has emerged from concussion protocols to boost Frankston’s hopes of springing a huge upset in its return to the finals on Saturday.

The Dolphins will play a final for the first time in 16 years in one of the most daunting road trips in the Smithy’s VFL, taking on reigning premier the Gold Coast Suns at People First Stadium.

But the inclusion of Gown, who has kicked 19.10 in 13 matches, will increase their chances of kicking a winning score against the freewheeling Suns, who put 175 points on the Casey Demons last week.

Young goalkicker Lachie Sharp is the unlucky Dolphin to make way.

Suns stalwart Sam Day and young gun Jed Walter return to the Gold Coast forward line from injury and AFL duties respectively, with last week’s five-goal guns Jack Lukosius and Alex Sexton promoted.

Academy prospects Zeke Uwland and Lachie Gulbin also come in for the Suns, with Ethan Read suffering a concussion and a leg injury last week and bottom-ager Koby Coulson losing his spot.

There was mixed news out of Williamstown ahead of its Wildcard final against Richmond at DSV Stadium on Sunday.

Experienced backmen Aidan Bonar and Joel Fitzgerald return from quad and hamstring injuries respectively but star defender Fin O’Dwyer has been ruled out for the season with his own torn quad and wingman Noah Gadsby (hamstring) has suffered the same fate.

The Tigers made five changes to the team that secured its Wildcard spot with a narrow victory over Carlton last week.

They have list last week’s match winner Maurice Rioli and the retiring Marlion Pickett to the AFL team, while injury victims Nick Guiney (concussion) and Kane McAuliffe (shoulder) will also miss and top five draft contender Harvey Langford returns to the Dandenong Stingrays.

Star full-back Jacob Blight, who earned an AFL chance by single-handedly keeping Richmond in its Round 20 loss to Sandringham, drops back to resume his spot in the general’s position.

Matt Coulthard and James Trezise will also boost the defence, Joel Garner returns from suspension and first-year player Harry Scott has forced his way back in as well.

All matches in the 2024 Smithy’s VFL and VFLW seasons will be live streamed free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL App.

Smithy’s VFL broadcast partner, the Seven Network, will broadcast select matches live and free on the Seven Network in Victoria and on 7plus nationally. This week’s broadcast match will be Williamstown vs Richmond, which will also be broadcast on Casey Radio.

GOLD COAST SUNS vs FRANKSTON

Saturday 24 August, 1:05pm, People First Stadium

GOLD COAST SUNS
B: J. Farrar (50), S. Brock (45), Z. Evans (57)
HB: L. Johnston (38), R. Atkins (2), J. Jeffrey (40)
C: H. Oea (47), B. Fiorini (8), O. Faulkhead (37)
HF: W. Rowlands (36), J. Mahony (42), B. Moyle (59)
F: S. Day (12), M. Rosas (41), J. Walter (17)
R: N. Moyle (49), T. Berry (16), D. Macpherson (44)
INT: J. Murray (52), N. Beikoff-Smart (56)*, L. Lombard (54), Z. Uwland (51), L. Gulbin (61)
EMG: K. Coulson (64), C. Collins (63), C. Nancarrow (58), B. Addinsall (53), D. Patterson (55)

IN: S. Day, L. Gulbin, Z. Uwland, J. Walter
OUT: J. Lukosius, A. Sexton (AFL), E. Read (leg), K. Coulson

FRANKSTON
B: T. Milne (15), K. Stainthorpe (29), T. Barlow (3)
HB: J. Lloyd (18), J. Smith (25), B. O'Leary (10)
C: G. Grey (6), J. Newnes (14), N. Burke (17)
HF: T. Murphy (5), N. Gown (1), T. Mynott (12)
F: J. Butland (8), J. Davies (35), M. Johnson (24)
R: A. Grant (19), L. Riley (21), S. Quirk (11)
INT: J. Stern (33), O. Moran (28), J. Voss (13), T. Campbell-Farrell (26), L. Reidy (2)
EMG: M. Nelson (32), J. Burton (40), L. Sharp (47), J. Mounter (38)

IN: N. Gown
OUT: L. Sharp

MATCH INFO
Head-to-Head: Gold Coast Suns 4-0
At People First Stadium: Gold Coast Suns 2-0
Streak: Gold Coast Suns 4
This Season: Round 14: Gold Coast Suns 12.8 (80) def Frankston 6.11 (47) at Kinetic Stadium
Finals Head-to-Head: Never met
Finals Record: Gold Coast Suns 6-6, Frankston 11-25

WILLIAMSTOWN vs RICHMOND

Sunday 25 August, 12:00pm, DSV Stadium

WILLIAMSTOWN
B: C. Polson (5), A. Bonar (25), J. Greiser (18)
HB: L. Conway (34), L. Parks (22), R. Stoddart (15)
C: B. Coleman (27), J. Toner (14), M. Philpot (19)
HF: T. Triffett (23), C. Ellison (1), B. McLaughlin (6)
F: N. Ebinger (26), R. Collier-Dawkins (9), J. Brown (28)
R: T. Downie (11), J. Cousins (10), W. Fordham (7)
INT: J. McHale (32), N. Colenso (35), J. Fitzgerald (8), C. Rich (3), L. Impey (45)
EMG: M. Ktona (33), H. Minton-Connell (16), L. Grego (40), D. Weeks (46), J. Browne (12), J. Petric (24)

IN: A. Bonar, J. Fitzgerald
OUT: L. Grego (Western Jets), J. Petric

RICHMOND
B: M. El Nour (57), J. Blight (51), T. Brindley (61)
HB: C. Harris (54), K. Smith (49), J. Trezise (36)
C: A. Johnson (70), T. Dow (27), L. George (67)*
HF: M. Coulthard (26), L. Wilson (82), N. Cumberland (38)
F: L. Fawcett (37), S. Davidson (73), A. May (71)
R: S. Ryan (32), T. Sonsie (40), J. Garner (53)
INT: T. McCarthy (76), H. Scott (74), M. Yassine (65), N. Collier (81), O. Hayes-Brown (47)
EMG: R. Cantwell (68), J. Pollocks (79), H. White (56), N. Girolami (59)

IN: J. Blight, M. Coulthard, J. Garner, H. Scott, J. Trezise
OUT: M. Pickett, M. Rioli (AFL), N. Guiney (concussion), K. McAuliffe (shoulder), H. Langford (Dandenong Stingrays)

MATCH INFO
Head-to-Head: Williamstown 33-25-3
At DSV Stadium: Williamstown 19-9-2
Streak: Williamstown 2
This Season: Round 17: Williamstown 8.10 (58) def Richmond 5.6 (36) at DSV Stadium
Finals Head-to-Head: 1-1
Finals Record: Williamstown 78-64-2, Richmond 10-10

UMPIRES

GOLD COAST SUNS vs FRANKSTON
FIELD: 11. Cam Manthey, 32. Michael Willcox, 34. Joel Clamp, emg: 54. Jake Edgar. BOUNDARY: Josh Blain, Trent Bowes, Sam Button, Harry Hansford. GOAL: Nick Ford, Kane Miller, emg: Darcie Rehbein.

WILLIAMSTOWN vs RICHMOND
FIELD; 8. Jack Howard, 26. Jordyn Pearson, 33. Kyle van Raay, emg: 19. Cam Williams. BOUNDARY: Sam Beer, Jake D’Angelo, Scott Hansford, Corey Malcolm. GOAL: Matt Edwards, Brad Kellett, emg: Josh Dudman-Doyle.