AFL goes Top 10 for 2026

[giantroo]

 

[DuckYeah]

Andrew, sorry but its not a finals win until we the people say so. It doesn’t get easy for *

 

[toepoker]

Andrew Dillon just seems like the embodiment of failing upwards
Every time I see or hear him, he screams "vacant"

 

[Horace]

Andrew Dillon just seems like the embodiment of failing upwards
Every time I see or hear him, he screams "vacant"

And just to confirm how stupid they are, this coming weekend the Second Semi-Final will be played first and the First Semi-Final will be played second. Really?????? (They have plenty of form with this stupidity.)

I know the terminology First and Second preceeding each of the Semis (apparently) is to do with the finishing order in the eight, but hardly anyone would be aware of that.

Also, the terms First Semi-Final comes from the old Final 4 in a 12 team Victorian competition, (and most other competitions did the same) when teams 3 and 4 on the ladder played each other in the first week of finals, with the loser eliminated and teams 1 and 2 playing each other in the second week, with the winner through to the GF and the loser off to the PF in the third week of the finals, to play the winner from week 1. Those terms should remain unique to that era in football and not bastardised now by incompetents.

Call the first game this Saturday, Semi Final 1 and the second game, Semi-Final 2.

But no, the simpletons at the AFL cannot make the simplest of decisions.

 

[Horace]

I most make a correction to my assertion that Dillon is the worst AFL Chief we have had and worse than Dimwit.

How could I ever forget, "Ross the Boss" or "Up yours Oakley". Right up there in the pecking order for incompetents, with the added personality trait of being a very vindictive individual.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Incorrect it’s a wildcard win and will be known as such by the fans

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

We already essentially have a wildcard round, which is the 5th - 8th elimination finals.

 

[roopdog]

1897 (start of the VFL) - 8 clubs, top 4 finals
1931 - 12 clubs, top 4 finals
1972 - 12 clubs, top 5 finals
1991 - 15 clubs, top 6 finals
1994 - 15 clubs, top 8 finals
2000 - 16 clubs, top 8 finals
2011 - 17 clubs, top 8 finals
2012 - 18 clubs, top 8 finals
2026 - 18 clubs, top 10 finals
2027 - 19 clubs, top 10 finals

I see this as prep for Tasi and a 19 club competition. Don't just look at the ratio, (% of teams playing in the finals) look at the clubs who do not. 7 or 8 clubs missing out on finals is fairly consistent, where we sit now with 10 clubs outside is unusual.

I'm going to love that wildcard round. For a club like North and most Victorian clubs, it might be our best chance to ever play finals. And once you are in you are a shot. With a bit of luck and a bit of momentum...

 

[DuckYeah]

1897 (start of the VFL) - 8 clubs, top 4 finals
1931 - 12 clubs, top 4 finals
1972 - 12 clubs, top 5 finals
1991 - 15 clubs, top 6 finals
1994 - 15 clubs, top 8 finals
2000 - 16 clubs, top 8 finals
2011 - 17 clubs, top 8 finals
2012 - 18 clubs, top 8 finals
2026 - 18 clubs, top 10 finals
2027 - 19 clubs, top 10 finals

I see this as prep for Tasi and a 19 club competition. Don't just look at the ratio, (% of teams playing in the finals) look at the clubs who do not. 7 or 8 clubs missing out on finals is fairly consistent, where we sit now with 10 clubs outside is unusual.

I'm going to love that wildcard round. For a club like North and most Victorian clubs, it might be our best chance to ever play finals. And once you are in you are a shot. With a bit of luck and a bit of momentum...

Its rare to see a club win it from 6th and 7th.. I cant recall an 8th placed team winning a flag.. so I will make a prediction that clubs will not be winning flags from 9th n 10th.

Premierships are generally 2 or 3 horse race.

 

[Marstermind]

The entire competition has jumped the shark.

 

[andana]

Nobody seems to want an AFL Wildcard Round, so why is it here?

Footy fans are not impressed with the AFL's new finals-extending Wildcard Round, but it is all part of Andrew Dillon's grand plan for total domination of Australian sport.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Ry009]

Have to say im surprised that this was the tipping point for most people, not the constant rule and tribunal changes - plus the complete and utter evisceration of anything resembling a fair draft system, fixture or ability to earn matchday revenue - over the last 20+ years.

 

[Hopper10]

When you’re the worst performing team in living memory and only 1 person on this site thinks it’s got legs, that shows what a dumb idea this is. AFL fast losing credibility as a sport, it’s now the mafia for money laundering

 

[DrZaius]

Have to say im surprised that this was the tipping point for most people, not the constant rule and tribunal changes - plus the complete and utter evisceration of anything resembling a fair draft system, fixture or ability to earn matchday revenue - over the last 20+ years.

I think it just comes down to how blatantly profit driven this decision is. At least with other bullshit changes the AFL generally offers up some sort of flimsy pretext.

 

[Zondor]

There have been a cavalcade of A Grade Bonafide ****wits who have been in the position of AFL CEO. Andrew Dildoes is no exception. A dead set Bozo. :stern look

 

[big_e]

View attachment 2473678

The entire competition has jumped the shark.

Henry Winkler talking about that episode is a pisser. Worth the five minutes.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Any chance we can just leave the game alone for once?

 

[zoomba23]

Have to say im surprised that this was the tipping point for most people, not the constant rule and tribunal changes - plus the complete and utter evisceration of anything resembling a fair draft system, fixture or ability to earn matchday revenue - over the last 20+ years.

The simple answer to this question is that most-all of the above elements affect smaller clubs disproportionately. Smaller clubs generally cause less uproar. This change affects everyone. I'd be willing to bet that every single team over the last ten seasons has finished the H&A season in the 7-10 bracket.

Edit: ok, I'd lose my money because of Brisbane. But 17/18 have done it since 2018. Compelling evidence

 

[Dinkers]

Ya know I actually don't hate it, You're not winning a flag from there, but it could be a legitimate stepping stone. When one looks at it as you've been a perennial bottom 4 side. Probably not terribly sexy if you finished say fourth the previous year and are now sitting in tenth spot.


And maybe if we went ok, it could open a decent FA's eyes, or one can hope I suppose.

 

[Roo202]

Wow, he is a pompous prick! The majority of fans don't want it, so they are 'hysterical' in their opposition. His pay masters obviously approve, so he'll condescendingly explain to the great unwashed, uneducated masses, why they are wrong.

Citing similar objections to the expansion to final six and eight from a few decades ago, somehow 'proves' this is misplaced anger. If North were playing in a wildcard game, of course we'd be interested and hoping we win, but it wouldn't change the majority opinion that in principle they are not a good idea.

To justify it all by then spending the last few minutes (I can't believe I listened to it all either!) saying that the issue for the AFL is not that they are constantly making bad decisions which upset the fans, but rather they have upset fans, who are for some reason getting angry about the good decisions the AFL is making!

 

[Horace]

Wow, he is a pompous prick! The majority of fans don't want it, so they are 'hysterical' in their opposition. His pay masters obviously approve, so he'll condescendingly explain to the great unwashed, uneducated masses, why they are wrong.

Citing similar objections to the expansion to final six and eight from a few decades ago, somehow 'proves' this is misplaced anger. If North were playing in a wildcard game, of course we'd be interested and hoping we win, but it wouldn't change the majority opinion that in principle they are not a good idea.

To justify it all by then spending the last few minutes (I can't believe I listened to it all either!) saying that the issue for the AFL is not that they are constantly making bad decisions which upset the fans, but rather they have upset fans, who are for some reason getting angry about the good decisions the AFL is making!

This is a good decision??? Wow Gerard you are way out of touch with the real world. When roughly 80% think it is a bad idea, surely not all of them could be wrong.

 

[toepoker]

Unsurprisingly this is about the value of broadcast rights, with the AFL concerned about the number of dead rubber games in the latter part of this season with the race for the 8 down to essentially 9 teams. So the answer is.....give the crappy dead rubber games relevance by letting mediocre teams qualify for finals!! Win Win!!!
Wild idea, but if you actually make a serious attempt to address the myriad integrity issues in the competition, teams might actually level out a fraction and those late season games gain their own relevance. But nah, that might require some hard decisions and long term planning

 

[Roo202]

This is a good decision??? Wow Gerard you are way out of touch with the real world. When roughly 80% think it is a bad idea, surely not all of them could be wrong.

 

[Roo202]

Unsurprisingly this is about the value of broadcast rights, with the AFL concerned about the number of dead rubber games in the latter part of this season with the race for the 8 down to essentially 9 teams. So the answer is.....give the crappy dead rubber games relevance by letting mediocre teams qualify for finals!! Win Win!!!
Wild idea, but if you actually make a serious attempt to address the myriad integrity issues in the competition, teams might actually level out a fraction and those late season games gain their own relevance. But nah, that might require some hard decisions and long term planning

Yep this exactly, more games, more teams involved for longer, more eyes, more $$$, who cares if it rewards mediocrity and they twiddle their thumbs as the product gets worse and worse!

The AFL just needs to work out how far they can go chasing $$$, before they start driving fans away en masse and back it off slightly from that.

Similar to the inevitable night GF, most week in week out fans don't want it, BUT will still watch it at night, plus the broadcasters pick up a big chunk of casual viewers, what's to lose for the AFL? More advertising money is far more enticing than what actual fans of the game would prefer.

Almost as if fans expect the AFL to be some sort of custodian for the greater good of the game, instead of what they clearly see their role as; to make as much money for their business partners and in turn executive bonuses for themselves.

As long as they have a self interested sycophantic media to toe the line, they're good to go!

 

[scottywiper]

There have been a cavalcade of A Grade Bonafide ****wits who have been in the position of AFL CEO. Andrew Dildoes is no exception. A dead set Bozo. :stern look

I would say it's a plethora of ****wits.