AFL finals system
Encyclopedia
The current AFL finals system was devised by the Australian Football League
in 2000 as its end-of-season championship playoff
tournament
. It is a revision of the McIntyre Final Eight System
, used by the AFL from 1994 to 1999, designed to address several perceived issues with that system. A similar system was previously used by the Australian Rugby League
in the 1995 and 1996 seasons, however there was no crossover in 1995, and in 1996 teams crossed over in Week 2, rather than Week 3. The system has also been adopted by the Victorian Football League
and a slightly modified version adoped by Super League
.
The highest-ranked eight teams in the AFL regular season standings participate in a four-week tournament, with two teams eliminated in each of the first three weeks. The seventh team is eliminated (and the premiership awarded) in the Grand Final
.
The system is designed to give the top four teams an easier road to the Grand Final than the second four teams. The top four needs to win only two finals to reach the Grand Final, while the second four needs to win three; and, two of the top four teams receive a bye
in the second week of the playoff and then play at home in the third week, while the other two play at home in the second week.
The eight finalists are split into two groups for the opening week of the Finals Series. The top four teams have the best chance of winning the premiership and play the two Qualifying Finals. The winners get a bye through to Week Three of the tournament to play home Preliminary Finals, while the losers play home Semi-Finals in Week Two. The bottom four teams play the two Elimination Finals, where the winners advance to Week Two away games and the losers' seasons are over.
There is a game on Friday Night, Saturday Afternoon, Saturday Night and Sunday Afternoon.
One semi final is played on a Friday Night and the other is played on a Saturday Night.
One Preliminary final is played on a Friday Night and the other is played on either Saturday Afternoon or Night.
's contract with the Melbourne Cricket Club requires that at least ten finals matches (excluding Grand Finals) are played at the M.C.G.
over a period of five years (2006-10). This means an average of two games must be played at the venue per year, plus each Grand Final. This is not normally expected to be a problem, but in a non-Victorian clubs dominate the competition, it is possible that the AFL will be forced to schedule a non-Victorian team's home match at the M.C.G. to reach the quota.
This existing contract with the M.C.G. was put together after significant criticism of the previous contract, which required that at least one final be played at the M.C.G. during every week of the finals. This meant that in the event that interstate clubs were to host either both semi-finals or both preliminary finals, one of those matches would be moved to the M.C.G. This happened in the 1999 Semi-Finals and the 2004 Preliminary Finals.
Finals in Victoria are usually played at the M.C.G., regardless of whether or not the home team normally plays its home games there. Only when Victoria is to host two finals on one day would the lowest-drawing final be moved to Docklands Stadium. The Geelong Football Club is not permitted to host a finals match at Kardinia Park
.
The Grand Final is always played at the M.C.G., and has been in every year since 1902, except when the venue was not available.
Extra time is not played if the grand final is drawn. In the case of a drawn Grand Final, a Grand Final Replay
is played on the following weekend. The drawn Grand Final in 2010 sparked a debate about whether or not to continue the practice into the future, with many players saying they would have preferred extra time.
If the grand final replay is also drawn at full time, extra time will be played.
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
in 2000 as its end-of-season championship playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
. It is a revision of the McIntyre Final Eight System
McIntyre Final Eight System
The McIntyre Final Eight System was devised by Ken McIntyre in addition to the McIntyre Four, Five and Six systems. It is a playoff system of the top 8 finishers in a competition to determine which two teams will play in the Grand Final. The teams play each other over three weeks, with two teams...
, used by the AFL from 1994 to 1999, designed to address several perceived issues with that system. A similar system was previously used by the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
in the 1995 and 1996 seasons, however there was no crossover in 1995, and in 1996 teams crossed over in Week 2, rather than Week 3. The system has also been adopted by the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
and a slightly modified version adoped by Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
.
The highest-ranked eight teams in the AFL regular season standings participate in a four-week tournament, with two teams eliminated in each of the first three weeks. The seventh team is eliminated (and the premiership awarded) in the Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
.
The system is designed to give the top four teams an easier road to the Grand Final than the second four teams. The top four needs to win only two finals to reach the Grand Final, while the second four needs to win three; and, two of the top four teams receive a bye
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
in the second week of the playoff and then play at home in the third week, while the other two play at home in the second week.
Week one
- 1st Qualifying Final: 1st seed hosts 4th seed
- 2nd Qualifying Final: 2nd seed hosts 3rd seed
- 1st Elimination Final: 5th seed hosts 8th seed
- 2nd Elimination Final: 6th seed hosts 7th seed
The eight finalists are split into two groups for the opening week of the Finals Series. The top four teams have the best chance of winning the premiership and play the two Qualifying Finals. The winners get a bye through to Week Three of the tournament to play home Preliminary Finals, while the losers play home Semi-Finals in Week Two. The bottom four teams play the two Elimination Finals, where the winners advance to Week Two away games and the losers' seasons are over.
There is a game on Friday Night, Saturday Afternoon, Saturday Night and Sunday Afternoon.
Week two
- 1st Semi-final: Loser of 1st QF hosts winner of 1st EF
- 2nd Semi-final: Loser of 2nd QF hosts winner of 2nd EF
One semi final is played on a Friday Night and the other is played on a Saturday Night.
Week three
- 1st Preliminary Final: Winner of 1st QF hosts winner of 2nd SF
- 2nd Preliminary Final: Winner of 2nd QF hosts winner of 1st SF
One Preliminary final is played on a Friday Night and the other is played on either Saturday Afternoon or Night.
Week four
- Grand Final: Winner of 1st PF meets Winner of 2nd SF at the Melbourne Cricket GroundMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
on a Saturday Afternoon.
Venues
The Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
's contract with the Melbourne Cricket Club requires that at least ten finals matches (excluding Grand Finals) are played at the M.C.G.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
over a period of five years (2006-10). This means an average of two games must be played at the venue per year, plus each Grand Final. This is not normally expected to be a problem, but in a non-Victorian clubs dominate the competition, it is possible that the AFL will be forced to schedule a non-Victorian team's home match at the M.C.G. to reach the quota.
This existing contract with the M.C.G. was put together after significant criticism of the previous contract, which required that at least one final be played at the M.C.G. during every week of the finals. This meant that in the event that interstate clubs were to host either both semi-finals or both preliminary finals, one of those matches would be moved to the M.C.G. This happened in the 1999 Semi-Finals and the 2004 Preliminary Finals.
Finals in Victoria are usually played at the M.C.G., regardless of whether or not the home team normally plays its home games there. Only when Victoria is to host two finals on one day would the lowest-drawing final be moved to Docklands Stadium. The Geelong Football Club is not permitted to host a finals match at Kardinia Park
Kardinia Park
Kardinia Park is an Australian rules football stadium located in South Geelong, Victoria. The stadium is the home ground of the Geelong Football Club. It is nicknamed "The Cattery" by the club's supporters...
.
The Grand Final is always played at the M.C.G., and has been in every year since 1902, except when the venue was not available.
Advantages for ladder positions
Under this finals system, the final eight teams are broken up into four groups of two. Each group of two earns one extra benefit over the teams beneath it. These benefits are home ground finals and the double-chance, whereby a first-week loss will not eliminate the team from the finals. Note that the "home" designations may be irrelvant for games played between teams from the same state - almost all finals games played between two Victorian teams will be held at the MCG, regardless of the "home" team's home ground.First and second
First and Second receive the double-chance, and will play their first two finals matches at home: their qualifying final, and then either a semi-final if they lose their qualifying final or a preliminary final if they win their qualifying final. They need to win two finals to reach the Grand Final.Third and fourth
Third and Fourth also receive the double-chance, but receive only one finals match at home: either a semi-final if they lose their qualifying final or a preliminary final if they win their qualifying final. They need to win two finals to reach the Grand Final.Fifth and sixth
Fifth and Sixth receive one home final: their elimination final. They need to win three finals to reach the Grand Final.Seventh and eighth
Seventh and Eighth receive no home finals. They need to win three finals to reach the Grand Final.Drawn games
Under the current AFL finals system (and under all previous AFL finals systems since 1991), a game during the first three weeks of the finals cannot finish in a draw. If two teams are tied at the end of regulation time, extra time is played until a winner is decided. This replaced the former practice of replaying the final on the following weekend, and delaying all other finals by one week.Extra time is not played if the grand final is drawn. In the case of a drawn Grand Final, a Grand Final Replay
Grand Final Replay
A Grand Final Replay is a method of deciding the winner of a competition when a Grand Final is drawn. It is commonly used in football codes, particularly in Australian rules football, and most notably in the Australian Football League, where it has been used three times, most recently in...
is played on the following weekend. The drawn Grand Final in 2010 sparked a debate about whether or not to continue the practice into the future, with many players saying they would have preferred extra time.
If the grand final replay is also drawn at full time, extra time will be played.
See also
- Early VFL Final systemsEarly VFL Final systemsThroughout its history, the Victorian Football League has used a system of finals after playing a regular season to determine the winner of the premiership....
- AFL Grand FinalAFL Grand FinalThe AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
- McIntyre SystemMcIntyre SystemThe McIntyre System, or systems because there have been five of them, is a playoff system that gives an advantage to teams or competitors qualifying higher...
- Top five play-offsTop five play-offsA play-off structure involving the top five teams was used to determine the winners of the Super League competition in British rugby league from 1998 until 2001. A top six play-off system was then introduced...
- Top six play-offsTop six play-offsAfter a top five play-off system was used, a play-off structure involving the top six teams was used to determine the winners of the Super League competition in British rugby league from 2002 through 2008....
- Super League play-offsSuper League play-offsSince 1998 a play-off system has been used to determine the Super League champions. The format has changed over the years, starting with a play-off involving first five, then six teams and currently eight. The play-offs culminate in the Super League Grand Final....
External links
- Grand Finals at the MCG Contains a brief summary of the finals systems used in the VFL/AFL