AFL Introduces Wild Card Round

[Proper Gander]

I’m genuinely sick of this shit.

I actually like sport, even though my team is detestable, and it would be nice to see the league conducted in a manner that gives people the opportunity to see the fairest possible competition that sees the best teams go through to the end - or as close as possible - for the enjoyment of fans who want to see the best quality football.

Oh no. Apparently that won’t make enough money so twist the fixture, the academy system, the allocation of marquee games, the allocation of prime time. Whatever. Just make money AFL. You do you.

 

[Proper Gander]

My mob is a chance in 2031

I should think like you do, Percel. Okay. Bring it on!

 

[joe444]

Was this one of hutchy's harebrained "happens in the us" schemes?

The point is it makes sense in the US because they have conferences and divisions.

Ironically, sports like the NFL have a schedule and playoffs structure that is designed with fairness in mind. Home teams play at home, top team in each conference is the only one rewarded. Elimination all the way for everyone else.

Even when we claim to be copying America, our league buggers it up.

 

[beside the seaside]

I don't hate it. It's just another week of finals.

Top 6 just became a lot more important.

 

[Dan26]

The reaction just goes to show you that the fans know nothing. If the fans were in charge, they wouldn't want to change anything.

• There was opposition to the final-6 when it came in
• There was HUGE opposition to the final-8 when it came in (in the 15 team league in 1994)
• there was opposition to the national competition.
• there was opposition to non-Vic teams getting home finals. I remember Allan McAllister saying that all finals should be played in Victoria and he wasn't alone.

• there was opposition to teams moving out of their traditional home grounds
• there was massive opposition before the first ever night final between Essendon and Carlton in 1993.

etc etc

Virtually every move was opposed by the riff-raff, and every move was in retrospect the right thing to do. I notice the riff-raff is alive in well in here. The "leave-the-game-alone" crowd need to be ignored.

The fans don't like change, but they always come around to it eventually. It'll be the same when the GF is moved to night/twilight. The fans will whine and then get over it in 12 months time.

We had a final-8 in a 16 team league when 50% of the teams made the finals.

We will soon be at 19 teams, so 50% of 19 is 9.5 (rounded up to 10) so 10 is the right number. Keeps more teams involved, less dead -rubbers etc. Same proportion as 8 in the 16-team league.

My opposition is that it is the wrong type of final-10. Should have been a knockout version. But 10 is clearly the right number.

 

[Cleavy]

thanks AFL, I hate it!

 

[Stottzy]

Remind me how Greg Swann was a "common sense" appointment?

 

[carlton_99]

Can we get a poll going or something because I am yet to hear anyone that likes this idea. Rubbish decision from the AFL

 

[JayJ20]

Does it count as a finals win if we win wild card round?

 

[Dan26]

It doesn't make "sense" to have a 10 team finals system

Of course it does. It makes perfect sense. It's not the 16 team league anymore.

We had 8 teams making it in a 16-team league (50%)

50% of 19 teams is 9.5, which you round up to 10 (because it can't be 9)

It makes sense because the AFL are a business and it makes sense to have more fan engagement by having less dead rubbers. This helps the TV rights, it helps attendances. It Makes Sense.

I just wish they listened to me and used my knockout final-10 which is far superior for many reasons which I'm happy to list.

 

[jwikked]

The reaction just goes to show you that the fans know nothing. If the fans were in charge, they wouldn't want to change anything.

• There was opposition to the final-6 when it came in
• There was HUGE opposition to the final-8 when it came in (in the 15 team league in 1994)
• there was opposition to the national competition.
• there was opposition to non-Vic teams getting home finals. I remember Allan McAllister saying that all finals should be played in Victoria and he wasn't alone.

- there was opposition to teams moving out of their traditional home grounds
- there was massive opposition before the first ever night final between Essendon and Carlton in 1993.
etc etc

Virtually every move was opposed by the riff-raff, and every move was in retrospect the right thing to do. I notive the riff-raff is alive in well in here. The "leave-the-game-alone" crowd need to be ignored.

The fans don't like change, but they always come around to it eventually. It'll be the same when the GF is moved to night/twilight. The fans will whine and then get over it in 12 months time.

We had a final-8 in a 16 team league when 50% of the teams made the finals.

We will soon be at 19 teams, so 50% of 19 is 9.5 (rounded up to 10) so 10 is the right number. Keeps more teams involved, less dead -rubbers etc. Same proportion as 8 in the 16-team league.

My opposition is that it is the wrong type of final-10. Should have been a knockout version. But 10 is clearly the right number.

In a 20 team competition, you don’t need to continue rewarding half the competition. Top 8 is fine.

Night and twilight grand finals will never be accepted, it ruins the flow of the day. Having time to go out after the game makes the day even better.

We saw what a night grand final was like a few years ago, and it was awful. The day dragged on, and it was around 11 by the time things wrapped up.
Terrible experience for what is usually the best day of the year.

 

[SC_Power]

This is the year the AFL says “**** you” to the fans. Stand rule was doubled down on, Opening round is still here, now the wildcard round. Make no mistake the Twilight Grand Final will happen this year too. Despite a consistent 75% of fans saying they want it to remain a day Grand Final.

This is the year the AFL turn their back on those that matter.

They’ll do it, because they know they’re now too big to fail. Andrew Dillon knows he won’t be there long term, so he’ll be used to force through the unpopular changes. It’s over.

Said it before, say it ad nauseaum.

AFL don’t care what you think of the AFL. Hating them will never cost them any money.
They only care about what you think of your club. That’s where money is lost.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

 

[Pivot Piece]

Just don’t call it a “wildcard” and don’t pretend it’s not another week of finals and it’s palatable.

 

[joe444]

The reaction just goes to show you that the fans know nothing.

Every. Other. Single. Major competition in the world does not pull sh!t like this.

Your highly selective memory of fan reactions does not account for the fact that only the AFL fanbase have to put up with nonsensical fixtures, drafts compromised every which-way, home games that are away games at stadiums a third of the competition share, a finals system that is constantly tinkered with and seems to undermine the very purpose of having finals itself.

Forget the name "wildcard". Think of it in terms of a system which, on the basis of one week, grants a 10th placed team equal opportunity to a 5th. Or even allows a team that finished in the bottom half of the competition to win the whole thing by getting on a five week run.

Name one sporting competition other than ours that does this shit.

 

[JayJ20]

I don't mind it. 7 and 8 are very unlikely to win the premiership anyway and it gives a real incentive beyond home ground advantage to finish top 6. It also lessens the amount of dead rubber games. This year in particular was awfully boring for anyone other than the top 9.

 

[Dan26]

In a 20 team competition, you don’t need to continue rewarding half the competition. Top 8 is fine.

Night and twilight grand finals will never be accepted, it ruins the flow of the day. Having time to go out after the game makes the day even better.

We saw what a night grand final was like a few years ago, and it was awful. The day dragged on, and it was around 11 by the time things wrapped up.
Terrible experience for what is usually the best day of the year.

You're proving my point. The riff-raff never like change, then they get over it and accept it. Every major change the AFL has implemented over 40 years has been (mostly) the right thing to do and every change was opposed by the riff-raff "leave the game alone" losers.

10 teams in a 19-team league is clearly the right thing to do. It's just the wrong type of final-10 that's all.

 

[Pivot Piece]

Every. Other. Single. Major competition in the world does not pull sh!t like this.

Your highly selective memory of fan reactions does not account for the fact that only the AFL fanbase have to put up with nonsensical fixtures, drafts compromised every which-way, home games that are away games at stadiums a third of the competition share, a finals system that is constantly tinkered with and seems to undermine the very purpose of having finals itself.

Forget the name "wildcard". Think of it in terms of a system which, on the basis of one week, grants a 10th placed team equal opportunity to a 5th. Or even allows a team that finished in the bottom half of the competition to win the whole thing by getting on a five week run.

Name one sporting competition other than ours that does this shit.

10th doesn’t have equal opportunity to 5th though, they need to win 5 games to win a premiership vs 4. And also play all away games.

 

[jwikked]

You're proving my point. The riff-raff never like change, then they get over it and accept it. Every major change the AFL has implemented over 40 years has been (mostly) the right thing to do and every change was opposed by the riff-raff "leave the game alone" losers.

10 teams in a 19-team league is clearly the right thing to do. It's just the wrong type of final-10 that's all.

People don’t like change, because it doesn’t need to change. The AFL makes record amounts of money, and still goes against the wishes of those who follow the sport, by forcing through highly unpopular changes.

When is enough enough?

 

[beside the seaside]

Every. Other. Single. Major competition in the world does not pull sh!t like this.

Your highly selective memory of fan reactions does not account for the fact that only the AFL fanbase have to put up with nonsensical fixtures, drafts compromised every which-way, home games that are away games at stadiums a third of the competition share, a finals system that is constantly tinkered with and seems to undermine the very purpose of having finals itself.

Forget the name "wildcard". Think of it in terms of a system which, on the basis of one week, grants a 10th placed team equal opportunity to a 5th. Or even allows a team that finished in the bottom half of the competition to win the whole thing by getting on a five week run.

Name one sporting competition other than ours that does this shit.

It just makes the comp more interesting. More interesting matches at the end of the season with sides around 12th that could still make the wildcard round. The team that's fifth still gets a rest and then a home final so it should have an advantage.

 

[kreuze_missile]

7th and 8th are barely finals competitive 99% of the time.

Now we’re going to make them play without a week off, and give 9th and 10th a chance for an upset, giving even shitter sides a chance to participate.

Finals might be a week longer now.. but it’s almost certainly going to be worse as a result.

May as well bring in the “in-season tournament” too and steal all the NBA’s recent shit ideas.

The AFL are so ****ing utterly useless.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Of course it does. It makes perfect sense. It's not the 16 team league anymore.

We had 8 teams making it in a 16-team league (50%)

50% of 19 teams is 9.5, which you round up to 10 (because it can't be 9)

It makes sense because the AFL are a business and it makes sense to have more fan engagement by having less dead rubbers. This helps the TV rights, it helps attendances. It Makes Sense.

I just wish they listened to me and used my knockout final-10 which is far superior for many reasons which I'm happy to list.

More than half of the competition now qualifies for the finals

Its simply crap

 

[Dan26]

Every. Other. Single. Major competition in the world does not pull sh!t like this.

Your highly selective memory of fan reactions does not account for the fact that only the AFL fanbase have to put up with nonsensical fixtures, drafts compromised every which-way, home games that are away games at stadiums a third of the competition share, a finals system that is constantly tinkered with and seems to undermine the very purpose of having finals itself.

Forget the name "wildcard". Think of it in terms of a system which, on the basis of one week, grants a 10th placed team equal opportunity to a 5th. Or even allows a team that finished in the bottom half of the competition to win the whole thing by getting on a five week run.

Name one sporting competition other than ours that does this shit.

10 does not have the same opportunity as 5th.

Here are the probabilities of the new final-10

1st - 18.75%
2nd - 18.75%
3rd - 18.75%
4th - 18.75%
5th - 6.25%
6th - 6.25%
7th - 3.125%
8th - 3.125%
9th - 3.125%
10th -3.125%

Yes it's true that 10th if they win, doubled their probability from 3.125% to 6.25% (the same as 5th) So friggin what?

Under the final-8, one loss to 1st and win to 8th sees both 1st and 8th on the same mathematical probability in wek two of the finals (12.5%). That's what happens in finals.

 

[Rob]

So a final 10 then.

Nothing wildcard about it

 

[Demon13304]

You're proving my point. The riff-raff never like change, then they get over it and accept it. Every major change the AFL has implemented over 40 years has been (mostly) the right thing to do and every change was opposed by the riff-raff "leave the game alone" losers.

10 teams in a 19-team league is clearly the right thing to do. It's just the wrong type of final-10 that's all.

Currently it's an 18 team comp though?