Fixture 2026 Fixture

[chiwigi]

If it gets rid of the bye week, I'm all for it.

 

[backtozero]

Clubs are expecting the AFL to introduce a wildcard round in 2026, giving teams that finish as low as 10th on the ladder after the home-and-away season a chance to qualify for finals and win the flag. The wildcard round would mean the team that finishes seventh on the ladder in the home-and-away season would play the team that finished 10th, and the team that finished eighth would play the ninth-placed team.
It would add intrigue to where clubs finish inside the top eight too, as the top six would be rewarded with the week’s break.
It is expected a wildcard round would be played on the weekend of the pre-finals bye, which was introduced in 2016. It would be a money-spinner for the league and good for the broadcasters.

Finals shake-up looms as clubs get set for wildcard round in 2026

The AFL is likely to introduce a wildcard round in 2026 as the clubs wait for the fixture to be finalised this week.

www.smh.com.au

Really bad timing for Kenny.

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

Thank God that Hinkley is already gone!

If this was always in place then we would have only missed finals under him in 2022 and 2025.

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

You watch St Kilda win the flag from 9th or 10th now.

 

[SC_Power]

Thank God that Hinkley is already gone!

If this was always in place then we would have only missed finals in 2022 and 2025.

Port Adelaide were on a measly 14 finals appearances in 29 seasons, but we’ve also finished 9th twice and 10th on 6 occasions.

Now we’re on 22 out of 29, better than 75 % strike rate.

 

[Visenfest]

Clubs are expecting the AFL to introduce a wildcard round in 2026, giving teams that finish as low as 10th on the ladder after the home-and-away season a chance to qualify for finals and win the flag. The wildcard round would mean the team that finishes seventh on the ladder in the home-and-away season would play the team that finished 10th, and the team that finished eighth would play the ninth-placed team.
It would add intrigue to where clubs finish inside the top eight too, as the top six would be rewarded with the week’s break.
It is expected a wildcard round would be played on the weekend of the pre-finals bye, which was introduced in 2016. It would be a money-spinner for the league and good for the broadcasters.

Finals shake-up looms as clubs get set for wildcard round in 2026

The AFL is likely to introduce a wildcard round in 2026 as the clubs wait for the fixture to be finalised this week.

www.smh.com.au

Okay with it, as long as clubs can’t claim a wildcard round win as a finals win. Essendon don’t get off that lightly.

 

[tribey]

- Collingwood finish 17th in 2021, then Craig McRae comes in and wins a flag by 2023 = “their list is better than yours”

Just the thought of their 2023 Grand Final forward line spluttering and bumbling through week after week of Hinkleyball, instead of preventing the Brisbane Lions from being sat here with their second threepeat of the new millennium.

And people wonder why so many Port diehards have gone off footy.

Lol.

 

[TazD]

Andrew Dillon is a terrorist

 

[Buget]

Just add a wild card round to the list of things the AFL said fans need….

Like “Opening round” and “AFL-X”

 

[Andy_B]

its always fun to watch the AFL try to fix problems they caused.

we dont need a wild card you need to kill the pre-finals bye or move it to after the prelim.

Finals should be hard to make, now 10 out 18, eventually 19 (maybe) will play finals.

 

[Portwrld]

Clubs are expecting the AFL to introduce a wildcard round in 2026, giving teams that finish as low as 10th on the ladder after the home-and-away season a chance to qualify for finals and win the flag. The wildcard round would mean the team that finishes seventh on the ladder in the home-and-away season would play the team that finished 10th, and the team that finished eighth would play the ninth-placed team.
It would add intrigue to where clubs finish inside the top eight too, as the top six would be rewarded with the week’s break.
It is expected a wildcard round would be played on the weekend of the pre-finals bye, which was introduced in 2016. It would be a money-spinner for the league and good for the broadcasters.

Finals shake-up looms as clubs get set for wildcard round in 2026

The AFL is likely to introduce a wildcard round in 2026 as the clubs wait for the fixture to be finalised this week.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Portwrld]

Really bad timing for Kenny.

 

[theouthouse]

There comes a point in a season for the lower placed sides where you seriously have to consider chucking in the towel and start preparing for next year.

I can't see any benefit for a team thats been beaten up all season for 10th position to be going all guns blazing for a premiership tilt.

There is almost the likelihood of teams with longer injury lists tanking to avoid the scenario of an extra game or two.

Yeah sure its good for a team thats getting its shit together towards the end of the year, but usually those teams get enough wins to get in the 8 anyway.

 

[soafraid]

is afl the only sport in the world where the cucks in charge feel like they have tamper with multiple major rule changes every ****ing year, despite record ratings and attendances?

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Having a ridiculous wildcard weekend just screams of a shotgun approach to a couple Vic clubs missing finals the last couple years by the narrowest of margins and finding a way to squeeze them back in.

If you can’t make the finals in 23 games then you don’t deserve it. Simple.

 

[240volt]

There comes a point in a season for the lower placed sides where you seriously have to consider chucking in the towel and start preparing for next year.

I can't see any benefit for a team thats been beaten up all season for 10th position to be going all guns blazing for a premiership tilt.

There is almost the likelihood of teams with longer injury lists tanking to avoid the scenario of an extra game or two.

Yeah sure its good for a team thats getting its shit together towards the end of the year, but usually those teams get enough wins to get in the 8 anyway.

Load of AFL shit, everyone wins a prize.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

Okay with it, as long as clubs can’t claim a wildcard round win as a finals win. Essendon don’t get off that lightly.

If Kochie had his way we'd be claiming a wildcard win as a premiership

 

[melanChronic]

Thank God that Hinkley is already gone!

If this was always in place then we would have only missed finals under him in 2022 and 2025.

Nah if they had been in place then he would've found a way to finish 11th because wildcard rounds are scary.

 

[soafraid]

Having a ridiculous wildcard weekend just screams of a shotgun approach to a couple Vic clubs missing finals the last couple years by the narrowest of margins and finding a way to squeeze them back in.

If you can’t make the finals in 23 games then you don’t deserve it. Simple.

it makes finishing 7th and 8th pretty worthless. you have to play an extra knockout game, then go again next week against a rested team who finished above you. what the bulldogs did in 2016 would be all but impossible.

it actually makes it more like a final 6.

 

[Macca19]

Having a ridiculous wildcard weekend just screams of a shotgun approach to a couple Vic clubs missing finals the last couple years by the narrowest of margins and finding a way to squeeze them back in.

If you can’t make the finals in 23 games then you don’t deserve it. Simple.

Less about Vic teams, more about the $$$ the league will make from that weekend

 

[Jojay]

 

[Burningleviathan]

Add it to the list of stupid shit added to next season.
Even the format is like the NBA play in rather than the NFL wildcard which doesn't make sense.
It should be 1 and 2 with the week off only. Keeps it to a 4 week finals.

 

[Jack_1870]

Wildcard - lets reward mediocrity.

 

[PatientMental]

Reduces chances of 7th and 8th winning a flag to nearly 0.

Thank **** donuts is gone though

Imagine the absolute floggings we wouldve gotten under him in those 10th placed seasons

 

[Lambot]

I can't wait until we have a 23 round season just to have all 18 teams play finals!