AFL Introduces Wild Card Round

[Seeds]

A final-10 is a good idea. It was 8 teams making it in a 16 team league. We have added three teams yet not increased the finalists, so it makes sense to have 10 making it in a (soon to be) 19 team league.

But it's not a "wild card" They are just elimination finals in a 5-week final-10

It's like saying that the current final-8 is really just a final 6 with a "wild card of "5v8 and 6v7"

They are just elimination finals, so call them that.

It's the wrong final-10 through. Should be the knockout final-10 that I've been promoting for years.

It absolutely should not be the knockout 10. What is the point of having 22 home and away if it comes down to a handful of knockout games at the end. That is just stupid. May as well not even bother watching home and away games if they are almost completely pointless.

 

[marcmurphy3]

Dillon, the level of management below him who supported this and many of his other recently approved decisions, and the entire board who appointed him should all resign and never be allowed anywhere near the game ever again.

Get out.

I think this is partly on McLachlan too. Clearly a great operator, but seems the type that doesnt like to be challenged so surrounded himself with useful idiots who would do as they're told.

That can work for a time if you have an exceptional CEO, but is terrible for succession planning.

 

[Fud#3]

9th and 10th this season won more games than lost

23 Adel 11w, 12l
22 stk 11w, 11l
21 stk 10w, 12l
20 Giants 8w, 9l

 

[Fud#3]

So now you've just got to be in the top 60% of teams to make finals.
Are the other 8 teams going to play off for a merit certificate?

Div 2 finals

 

[Eastdog]

We should not be rewarding mediocrity. Looking back to 2016 when we won the flag from 7th we would have played the team in 10th Port that year in this wildcard round who had 5 less wins compared to us (15 vs 10) and potentially could have gone out!

Glad that it was not around then. We finished 9th this year but so be it. The final rounds of the season can be very exciting despite a number of games not having a bearing on it.

The AFL and broadcasters are all in as are the media.

Also the AFLPA I believe were wanting less games not more.

 

[Fud#3]

Yes it does.

View attachment 2473572

I'm buying up Essendon stock.

 

[Seeds]

I dont think this is a terrible idea. It now makes it much harder for 7th to 8th to win a flag. Not impossible but very close to it.

So really this system change means making top 6 is absolutely crucial to wnning a flag. It may look like a top 10 but really this change is shifting it to a top 6.

 

[Ambrosia]

The NBA is so saturated with pointless games of basketball that the play-in stands out more.
However surveys of the players overwhelmingly say that they don't like it.
Considering they play 82 games during the season, that's well enough of a sample to decide who deserves playoffs and who doesn't.
Each AFL Round game has enough at stake to engage the fans. You don't need this.

I'm all for NBA cutting games. Don't know why they can't just play 3 a week with no back to backs.

 

[ImCheatingToWin]

Until you finish 9th or 10th then one cares.

Still wouldn't care. Imagine thinking you finish in the bottom half of the ladder and that means you should play in the finals. Absolutely farcical concept

 

[JuniorWatch]

I'm all for NBA cutting games. Don't know why they can't just play 3 a week with no back to backs.

75 billion reasons i think

 

[ImCheatingToWin]

So now you've just got to be in the top 60% of teams to make finals.
Are the other 8 teams going to play off for a merit certificate?

Participation trophies for everyone!!!!

 

[Monco Matt]

Every Carlton fan!

 

[Ambrosia]

75 billion reasons i think

Yeah I'm just not sure the extra games are earning that much more money especially with the new tv deal being slated more towards national/streaming partner games making the most of the money and the local tv games making less.

 

[Freddy Swift]

Sure, but its a top 8 still.

Im really struggling with the fact 2 clubs who've earned their finals spot over 24 rounds, now are asked to earn it for a second time.

I know it will suit fringe clubs like Essendon, but id rather lose than take a spot off a club that earned it first.

You’ve highlighted a big problem here Foxx. Teams 7 & 8 have made the finals and now have to play again to keep their spot. That is so unfair. How can that be allowed to happen?

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Evolution of finals:

Final 4 of 8 teams (50%) = 1897
Final 3 of 8 teams (37.5%) = 1898
Final 2 of 8 teams (25%) = 1899
Final 3 of 8 teams (37.5%) = 1900
Final 4 of 8 teams (50%) = 1901-1907
Final 4 of 10 teams (40%) = 1908-1914
Final 4 of 9 teams (44.4%) = 1915
Final 4 of 4 teams (100%) = 1916
Final 4 of 6 teams (66.7%) = 1917
Final 4 of 8 teams (50%) = 1918
Final 4 of 9 teams (44.4%) = 1919-1924
Final 4 of 12 teams (33.3%) = 1925-1941
Final 4 of 11 teams (36.4%) = 1942-1943
Final 4 of 12 teams (33.3%) = 1944-1971
Final 5 of 12 teams (41.7%) = 1972-1986
Final 5 of 14 teams (35.7%) = 1987-1990
Final 6 of 15 teams (40.0%) = 1991-1993
Final 8 of 15 teams (53.3%) = 1994
Final 8 of 16 teams (50.0%) = 1995-2010
Final 8 of 17 teams (47.1%) = 2011
Final 8 of 18 teams (44.4%) = 2012-2025

Final 10 of 18 teams (55.6%) = 2026-Present

 

[longsuffreosupp]

You’ve highlighted a big problem here Foxx. Teams 7 & 8 have made the finals and now have to play again to keep their spot. That is so unfair. How can that be allowed to happen?

At least they'll get a home game. Generally they wouldn't for the whole finals series..

 

[Consolaçao]

You’ve highlighted a big problem here Foxx. Teams 7 & 8 have made the finals and now have to play again to keep their spot. That is so unfair. How can that be allowed to happen?

Another way to look at it is that if you're mediocre enough to finish 7th or 8th, you should expect a tough ride.
I'm generally not a fan, but one silver lining for me is that it becomes almost like a Top 6. How many seasons are we going to have to wait to see a team that finishes 7th to 10th going 5-0 in a finals series to win a flag?

 

[Gavin Excell]

Yep. It's death by a thousand cuts. And those cuts are starting to get deep now. Among many, many other reasons:

• The idiotic stand rule - the single worst rule change I can ever remember.
• The almost as idiotic '6-6-6' rule - don't forget, designed to improve scoring, and resulted in the lowest scoring season since 1968, before Covid too.
• Below the knees free kicks - one player got a broken leg ONCE - because another player slid in stupidly and carelessly. The answer? Let's remove all incentive to go in lower and harder to get the ball legally, what the game has been based on for 100+ years.
• Allowing players to play on from the goal square without kicking it to themselves, a quirky little skill that 6-year-olds have had mastered for decades, but apparently top professionals now can't do.
• Allowing any mark in the goal square to automatically go to the goal line. Again, sometimes you had an awkward angle to kick from, which top players had no issue with. Nope, let's dumb that down too.
• Umpires fawning over star players instead of treating them like everyone else.
• Umpires endlessly talking to the players like it's the under-10s.
• Acting like every injury to pretty much any star player is some Earth shattering calamity. It's not. It's footy. Tough shit. You aren't entitled to anything.

And that's just on field. Off field you have players (and some coaches) that with the increase in money are becoming steadily more unlikeable with each passing season. Commentators who openly barrack for their favourites, and have no ability to either speak coherently or understand the game is not about them.

Anyway, I know I'm in the minority. Because I have already stopped watching plenty of times. I'll still watch some games - sometimes - but I've happily found other things to do even when Geelong are playing. Honest truth - I don't care enough to be bothered now. The game itself can and sometimes is still great, but just about everything outside it makes it very easy to walk away.

Just on the no longer care anymore thoughts - I've been thinking about this recently as feel the same way which I wonder is more a reflection of your respective age. I find a lot of games tedious and almost meaningless in the same way cricket has lost its way over the past 20 years

 

[Obeanie1]

It absolutely should not be the knockout 10. What is the point of having 22 home and away if it comes down to a handful of knockout games at the end. That is just stupid. May as well not even bother watching home and away games if they are almost completely pointless.

What's the point.

 

[Dan26]

It absolutely should not be the knockout 10. What is the point of having 22 home and away if it comes down to a handful of knockout games at the end.

That's exactly what has happened in the final-8. They are called Preliminary and Grand Finals mate. Knockout games. Geelong would have been eliminated in the Preliminary Final had they lost it, after just the one loss and they finished 2nd

All Finals should be knockout. Finals are about performing on the day, not getting second chances for losing. That's why we all love the Preliminary Finals and the Grand Final. All finals should be do or die. Hardly controversial, We've had a knockout Grand Final for 100 years and two knockout Preliminary Finals since 1994.

 

[Fire]

This is not how wildcards work.

This is, in fact, a top 10 finals system.

 

[shaqsuns]

I'll only be happy if the wizard cup makes a return.

 

[Foxx]

You’ve highlighted a big problem here Foxx. Teams 7 & 8 have made the finals and now have to play again to keep their spot. That is so unfair. How can that be allowed to happen?

Its clear to me now its no longer a top 8 since the "wildcard games" are classed as finals by Dillon.
Its now essentially a Top 10 with the first round elimination finals between sides 7-10.

 

[banzai]

It absolutely should not be the knockout 10. What is the point of having 22 home and away if it comes down to a handful of knockout games at the end. That is just stupid. May as well not even bother watching home and away games if they are almost completely pointless.

It always has come down to a handful of knockout games hasnt it? Brisbane finished 4th last year, got belted in the first final and then won the Premiership comfortably. It's decided by the knockout games.

 

[LuckyBounce!]

23 Adel 11w, 12l
22 stk 11w, 11l
21 stk 10w, 12l
20 Giants 8w, 9l

So St. Kilda made finals in 20 and 23 and we would have in 21 and 22 aswell under this system. It really shows how bad it is at rewarding mediocrity!