State of Play - VFL/W Podcast

Joe Pignataro and Pete Marcato bring you the State of Play ahead of the first bounce of the 2025 Smithy's VFL Grand Final

For the first time in a long time, AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App will have an audio call of the Grand Final to compliment Channel 7's coverage of the game.

Join Joe Pignataro, Pete Macarto alongside Coburg coach Jamie Cassidy-McNamara, and Port Melbourne captain Harvey Hooper with Josh Heriot roaming ...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Wrapping up the VFL/W Awards Night
• INTERVIEW: Ange Gogos wins the Lambert-Pearce Medal
• INTERVIEW: Jacob Dawson after claiming the JJ Liston Trophy
• Paying credit to both competition Rising Stars
• Unpacking the VFL preliminary finals
• INTERVIEW: Stuart Edge & Daniel Orgill; Coach & Captain of Foo...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Bodie Ryan & Bailey Lambert live the dream of kicking match winning goals 
• Frankston into a Preliminary Final for the first time since 1997
• Box Hill's incredible final quarter comeback
• Tasmania is joining the VFL and VFLW in 2026
• Daniel Ward has been announced the new coach of Sandringham&nb...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• North Melbourne-Werribee create history by going back-to-back
• Heartbreak for Dom Carbone and the Magpies
• Southport stun the Box Hill Hawks to advance to the VFL Preliminary Final
• Footscray are becoming an indestructible outfit 
• INTERVIEW: Riley Bonner; Casey Demons defender
• INTERVIEW: Stella Rei...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• North Melbourne-Werribee join Collingwood in the Rebel VFLW Grand Final
• Richmond's season continues on after beating the Giants in their VFL Wildcard match
• A disappointing finish to the Magpies campaign with Williamstown advancing
• INTERVIEW: Tom Cashin & Dom Carbone, coach and captain of Collingw...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Collingwood VFLW book their spot in the Grand Final
• North Melbourne advance to the Preliminary Final against Box Hill
• Footscray claim the minor premiership
• 2 Williamstown stars are weekend heroes
• INTERVIEW: Stewart Edge; Coach of Footscray
• A preview of the Rebel VFLW Preliminary Final
• The preview of ...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Collingwood end the winning streak of the reigning premiers
• Box Hill & Williamstown win through to the next round of the VFLW finals
• All 10 spots are still LIVE going into the final round of the Smithy's VFL
• INTERVIEW: Amelia Peck; Collingwood VFLW foward
• INTERVIEW: Tobyn Murray; Geelong VFL forw...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Essendon VFLW come from the clouds to book a spot in the finals
• Unpacking how the rest of the VFLW final round played out
• Box Hill have every reason to be considered VFL premiership favourites
• INTERVIEW: Lulu Beatty; VFLW finals analyst
• Taking a look at the three Rebel VFLW finals this weekend
• All Sm...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Tobyn Murray the Geelong hero from the weekend
• Zac Foot keeping the Sharks on the right foot
• The Dolphins are charging towards September
• INTERVIEW: Tom Blamires; Frankston midfielder
• Previewing the final round of the Rebel VFLW season
• Games you can't sleep on in the Smithy's VFL

Subscribe to th...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• VFLW sets up a fascinating final home and away round
• The form sides of the Smithy's VFL
• Corey Ellison produces the second biggest bag of the season
• INTERVIEW: Andy Otten; Collingwood VFL coach
• A competition wide bye in the Rebel VFLW this weekend
• Games you can't sleep on in the Smithy's VFL

Sub...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Tobyn Murray's 5-goal haul is one you can't go past
• It's Jacob Dawson's world, we're just living in it
• Back-to-back wins for the Bullants
• INTERVIEW: Ella Southgate, Darebin Falcons young star
• INTERVIEW: Jake Greiser, celebrating 150 VFL games this weekend
• The penultimate round of VFLW action coming u...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Carlton's Keeley Skepper ends Collingwood's winning streak
• Box Hill's VFLW program moves to 2nd on Gemma's power-rankings
• Finally the Bullants break their winless drought
• A weekend of close finishes in the Smithy's VFL
• INTERVIEW: Lachie Street, Richmond VFL captain
• Season defining weekend in the Rebe...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Frankston's pressure rating through the roof
• Another bag of 7 for Brodie McLaughlin
• Box Hill make a statement to the rest of the competition
• The ladder tightens up in the Rebel VFLW
• INTERVIEW: Mel Staunton; Geelong VFLW captain
• Season defining weekend in the Rebel VFLW
• Games you can't sleep on in the...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Charlie West is firmly in line for an AFL debut after kicking 6 including the matchwinner
• Super Saturday of comebacks in the Smithy's VFL
• Geelong's drought breaking win in the Rebel VFLW after 421 days
• Is this Nike Dojiok's most consistent season of footy?
• INTERVIEW: Zac Banch; North Melbourne mid-se...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Casey have catapulted into 6th on the table
• Stuart Edge has the Dogs humming
• No complacency with North Melbourne Werribee in the VFLW 
• Box Hill going stride for stride with the Kangaroos
• INTERVIEW: Tom Cashin, Collingwood VFLW coach
• Ladder shaping weekend in the VFLW
• Wildcard spots up for grabs ...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Zac Banch debuts for North against his old side Werribee
• Next man in mentality at Box Hill
• A deep-dive into Williamstown's 5 straight wins
• AFLW Academy Game recap
• INTERVIEW: Emily Eaves; Williamstown vice-captain
• It's a mini-final weekend in the VFLW
• Must-watch matches in the Smithy's VFL

Subsc...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Hugh Dixon's bag of 13 sends Southport to the top of the ladder
• Box Hill's shock loss to Collingwood
• Dom Brew's dynamic final 5 minutes to win the game for Werribee
• Collingwood VFLW go 3 wins in a row
• Mon De Matteo the reason the Falcons have won 4 in a row
• INTERVIEW: Liam McMahon; Carlton captain tu...

Joe Pignataro and Gemma Bastiani bring you the State of Play in the Smithy's VFL and Rebel VFLW competitions. 

Catch up on:

• Jordan Endemann with a bomb for a goal of the year contender
• Coburg the highest they've been on the ladder since Rnd 1, 2019
• How do Geelong stop a 5-match losing streak
• The unsung heroes of the Rebel VFLW from the weekend
• Sandringham & Port Melbourne play out the season's first draw
• INTERVIEW: Br...