The First qualifying final saw minor premiers face fourth-placed . Geelong and Collingwood met for the 26th time, the most common finals match-up in VFL/AFL history, having met in six grand finals in 1925, 1930, 1937, 1952, 1953 and 2011; qualifying finals in 1981 and 2019; semi-finals in 1901, 1927, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1967, and 2020; and preliminary finals in 1930, 1938, 1955, 1964, 1980, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
