A knockout finals system would be perfect for this season

[FootyJunkie]

I like this idea, the double chance is too big a advantage and the bottom 4 of the 8 are pretenders every year .. the idea that a team could come from 8th to win the flag should be embraced. In America and Canada teams who time their run end up winning the flag/cup.

This system removes the unfairness the Eagles supporters complained about last year as the hawks lost week 1 so would be out

The elimination finals are wank games really and occasionally they can knock a team out in straight sets but it's been what 20 years since one has even played in a GF?

We were the last team to win a flag from an Elimination Final in 1992.

 

[Pessimistic]

5v8 and 6v7 is wildcard entry

 

[hawkman]

Always seems supporters of teams that don't make the top 4 want to get rid of the double chance in the first week

 

[Silgni]

The current finals system works just fine. But out of boredom, I made a new system. Would be interested to hear what others think about it. It presumes that the highest ranked team progresses to the next game.

Week 1 - Qualifying Finals 1
1 v 8
2 v 7
3 v 6
4 v 5

Week 2 - Qualifying Finals 2
8 v 1
7 v 2
6 v 3
5 v 4

Week 3 - Qualifying Finals 3 (if necessary, otherwise a bye)
1 v 8
2 v 7
3 v 6
4 v 5

Week 4 - Semi Finals
1 v 4
2 v 3

Week 5 - Grand Final
1 v 2

e.g. The first week would see:
Sydney v North Melbourne
Geelong v W. Bulldogs
Hawthorn v West Coast
GWS Giants v Adelaide
Then the home ground advantage would be reversed the following week.

 

[Kram]

I like this idea, the double chance is too big a advantage and the bottom 4 of the 8 are pretenders every year .. the idea that a team could come from 8th to win the flag should be embraced. In America and Canada teams who time their run end up winning the flag/cup.

This system removes the unfairness the Eagles supporters complained about last year as the hawks lost week 1 so would be out

The elimination finals are wank games really and occasionally they can knock a team out in straight sets but it's been what 20 years since one has even played in a GF?

Even though it's close to impossible to win a GF from the bottom half of the 8 the elimination finals often provide valuable experience for up and coming teams, they certainly aren't pointless.

Having a team under perform through the main season and finish say 6th and yet get a chance to get to a GF just winning a couple of games is rubbish.

The top 4 rightfully get a massive advantage because they have had to scrap for a whole 22 game season to get there..

 

[iluvparis]

Likely match ups:
Sydney vs St Kilda
Geelong vs Bulldogs
Hawthorn vs West Coast
GWS vs Adelaide

You'd expect Sydney and Geelong to benefit from the week off, but neither opponent would be a walk in the park. The other games are effectively the semi finals under the current system, and could easily go either way, with home ground advantage probably coming into play (although I'd back Adelaide over GWS - first final nerves).

Stopped reading here.

Not really - you also said 1st has no advantage over 4th - yes they do - they host a home final

 

[Pies n Punt]

Not bad but I reckon they have a drawing of lots to see who makes the finals out of 7,8,9 and 10. Just one team goes through. Either that or have a penalty shoutout, with a soccer ball. Have elf men as keepers.

 

[Topkent]

Even though it's close to impossible to win a GF from the bottom half of the 8 the elimination finals often provide valuable experience for up and coming teams, they certainly aren't pointless.

Having a team under perform through the main season and finish say 6th and yet get a chance to get to a GF just winning a couple of games is rubbish.

The top 4 rightfully get a massive advantage because they have had to scrap for a whole 22 game season to get there..

But if they are so s**t they wouldn't win anyway so it's a moot point

 

[come on oliver]

Would love to hear the ideas the big boys at AFL world actually throw out at the board room end of season.
Order their Chinese and "fix" the game. Well done fellas justified our pay check another year.

Just get them chugging beer bongs to a penalty shoot out. Tex will probably kick straight.

 

[swiftdog]

Even though it's close to impossible to win a GF from the bottom half of the 8 the elimination finals often provide valuable experience for up and coming teams, they certainly aren't pointless.

Having a team under perform through the main season and finish say 6th and yet get a chance to get to a GF just winning a couple of games is rubbish.

The top 4 rightfully get a massive advantage because they have had to scrap for a whole 22 game season to get there..

Why top 4? It seems everyone in favour of keeping finals as is acts as if top 4 is the magic number of teams that deserve a big leg-up. My question is why? Top 4 is completely arbitrary. Yes, mathematically it used to fit nicely as the top quarter of teams in the comp. Is there any other reason why 4th should get a huge advantage over 5th though?

 

[wing it]

Why top 4? It seems everyone in favour of keeping finals as is acts as if top 4 is the magic number of teams that deserve a big leg-up. My question is why? Top 4 is completely arbitrary. Yes, mathematically it used to fit nicely as the top quarter of teams in the comp. Is there any other reason why 4th should get a huge advantage over 5th though?

Because the current system allows finals to be squeezed into 4 weeks. If you mix it up with who gets the double chances, the mathematics won't allow for a 4-week finals series.

 

[PerthBoy86]

The 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 is how the NBL finals worked, I'm not sure if it's still that way, I haven't followed for years. Of course the NBL finals series when I was growing up was best of 5 (NBA is best of 7). I wonder how fans would feel about a Grand Final series? haha. Nah I wouldn't like that, ofc. I honestly wouldn't mind eliminating the double chance, though. If the top 4 are good enough, they'll be good enough to earn their way same as everyone else.

We could have QF, SF, GF, just three finals rounds. It's the most simple, logical and arguably fair system imho.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

The 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 is how the NBL finals worked, I'm not sure if it's still that way, I haven't followed for years. Of course the NBL finals series when I was growing up was best of 5 (NBA is best of 7). I wonder how fans would feel about a Grand Final series? haha. Nah I wouldn't like that, ofc. I honestly wouldn't mind eliminating the double chance, though. If the top 4 are good enough, they'll be good enough to earn their way same as everyone else.

We could have QF, SF, GF, just three finals rounds. It's the most simple, logical and arguably fair system imho.

With a three week system (no chance of course, $):

Bye: 1st, 2nd
1st Elimination: 3rd v 6th
2nd Elimination: 4th v 5th

1st Preliminary: 1st v Winner 2nd Elimination
2nd Preliminary: 2nd v Winner 1st Elimination

Grand Final

 

[wing it]

If you bust your backside all year and finish top 4 (or top 2, or top 3 whatever), you deserve every advantage that comes your way in finals. I'm astonished that some are advocating the abolition of a double chance.

 

[PerthBoy86]

With a three week system (no chance of course, $):

Bye: 1st, 2nd
1st Elimination: 3rd v 6th
2nd Elimination: 4th v 5th

1st Preliminary: 1st v Winner 2nd Elimination
2nd Preliminary: 2nd v Winner 1st Elimination

Grand Final

That'd be interesting, but I'd still prefer no double chance. I don't see why finishing top 4 should afford you any extra advantages. You've already shown you're one of the best teams.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

That'd be interesting, but I'd still prefer no double chance. I don't see why finishing top 4 should afford you any extra advantages. You've already shown you're one of the best teams.

There is no double chance in that, one loss for any team and they are out. Top two do get the automatic pass to a prelim though.
Personally, I don't mind the double chance, but think eight is too many finalists. Most years there are only max three realistic premiership chances, six allows for good teams to make it despite a slump at some point.

 

[wing it]

There is no double chance in that, one loss for any team and they are out. Top two do get the automatic pass to a prelim though.
Personally, I don't mind the double chance, but think eight is too many finalists. Most years there are only max three realistic premiership chances, six allows for good teams to make it despite a slump at some point.

Although your system has no double chances, it actually makes it easier for the top 2 to make the GF than currently. Straight through to a prelim without having to win a QF first.

 

[PerthBoy86]

There is no double chance in that, one loss for any team and they are out. Top two do get the automatic pass to a prelim though.
Personally, I don't mind the double chance, but think eight is too many finalists. Most years there are only max three realistic premiership chances, six allows for good teams to make it despite a slump at some point.

Oh right yes, but yeah, they still only have to play 1 game to get in, while the others have to play 2.

 

[PerthBoy86]

There is no double chance in that, one loss for any team and they are out. Top two do get the automatic pass to a prelim though.
Personally, I don't mind the double chance, but think eight is too many finalists. Most years there are only max three realistic premiership chances, six allows for good teams to make it despite a slump at some point.

Well the one-sidedness in finals IS partly due to the top 4 getting a double-chance. Get rid of that, and it becomes a bit more equal, depending on the system you use. This year it's an equal playing field, but double chances make it less so.

Like I think Adelaide have been the better team than Hawthorn.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Although your system has no double chances, it actually makes it easier for the top 2 to make the GF than currently. Straight through to a prelim without having to win a QF first.

Oh right yes, but yeah, they still only have to play 1 game to get in, while the others have to play 2.

Yes, there is that. Its just an option for a 3 week system.
I prefer that finishing higher gives an advantage. Is that too much? I don't know. But its one way of doing a six team, three week knock out that came to immediate mind.

As i said, I'm actually not against the double chance, I think it works fine. Eight is too many teams though (personal opinion, of course).

 

[Furn2]

There are no dead rubbers now.

This method swaps 2 top 4 games for games involving 7-10 and then swaps 5v8 and 6v7 for mismatches in 1-2 v 7-10.

So the only interesting quality games in the first 2 weeks are the 3v6 and 4v5.

 

[PerthBoy86]

There are no dead rubbers now.

This method swaps 2 top 4 games for games involving 7-10 and then swaps 5v8 and 6v7 for mismatches in 1-2 v 7-10.

So the only interesting quality games in the first 2 weeks are the 3v6 and 4v5.

Maybe a three week finals series, 1v4, 2v3, 5v8, 6v7, with the winner of 1v4 playing the winner of 5v8, and the winner of 2v3 playing the winner of 6v7 playing the semi-finals.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Maybe a three week finals series, 1v4, 2v3, 5v8, 6v7, with the winner of 1v4 playing the winner of 5v8, and the winner of 2v3 playing the winner of 6v7 playing the semi-finals.

That leaves 6th in a better position that 4th (as one example)
First week, home against weaker opponents and therefore more likely to get through. Second week, play 2nd where 4th had to play 1st in week one.
This would be the reason why 1/4 finals are often 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5.

 

[Furn2]

Maybe a three week finals series, 1v4, 2v3, 5v8, 6v7, with the winner of 1v4 playing the winner of 5v8, and the winner of 2v3 playing the winner of 6v7 playing the semi-finals.

Aren't you better off finishing 5th than 1st ? Especially if you're from the same state as 1st.

The only issue with the current system is 1st potentially getting the harder prelim.

 

[PerthBoy86]

That leaves 6th in a better position that 4th (as one example)
First week, home against weaker opponents and therefore more likely to get through. Second week, play 2nd where 4th had to play 1st in week one.
This would be the reason why 1/4 finals are often 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5.

That's true. Aussie rules is a bit of a different sport to basketball. Basketball has lower scoring increments, so upsets are less likely if a team just has an off day. The fact North made the prelim last year could make some 1v8 matches interesting, depending on form.