AFL Introduces Wild Card Round

[coastalpipeline]

No side finishing 7-10 in this system will have any chance of winning a flag.

What's the point besides money?

Guess I answered my own question.

Someones stuffing up the game royally.

 

[revo333]

The NBA and NFL extended their playoffs so we better do it as well

 

[Gersman]

Nup. Lost all interest in the AFL. Too much messing about with the whole thing and these pointless theme rounds and that dreadful round zero excrement.
Just call it Yankball and be done with it!

 

[Demon13304]

You have to have more than half making it if it's a 19 team league, because half of 19 is 9.5.

That means either 9 or 10 is the number (remembering that the best proportion was from 1995-2010 when 18 out of 16 made it.

You can't have 9.5 (obviously)
9 is impractical because it is an odd number
So it's 10.

People seem to forget the AFL is a business. The "sporting" part of the AFL is just as important as the "entertainment" part of it. Both are equal. Less dead-rubbers, more fan engagement, more interest for longer over the course of the Home and Away season. These are all VITAL.

Let's just be realistic. When Tasmania joins and it becomes 19 teams the AFL were never going to have 8 making it and 11 missing the finals. So, 10 it is. Embrace it, accept it, and don't be a regressive sook. Move with the times. The AFL have brought in 3 new teams expanding the league from 16 to 19. What did you think would happen? When the number of teams increases, the AFL has always expanded the finals series. From 5 to 6 to 8. Moving to 10 is no different. Yet, the same sooks who complained 32 years ago, are sooking again

You've definitely got a "everyone's stupid except me" attitude here and I feel like you're ignoring all my points. I think you're being a bit of a campaigner about this, other fans are allowed to have different opinions. A lot of the reasons and points are valid here.

I think most of us were fine with them changing it once Tassie come in or a 20th team comes. We're just not happy that 10/18 teams make the finals. Yeah I know you've said they're "preparing" us but I think just make the change once Tassie comes in. Tassie aren't in yet, so leave it at 8 or 9 (if they must) teams making finals. "What did you think was going to happen?" I thought they'd change it once they add the 19th and/or the 20th team, but hey call me a sook for that.

Also I wasn't alive 32 years ago lol, so no I'm not the same sook that was complaining about it then.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

Top 10??

It will now be a Top 6

The AFL Admin are complete buffoons ... can just imagine them high fiving & back slapping this genius meaningless move

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Just call EVERY GAME a final, problem solved

 

[Crankyhawk]

People are coming at it from the wrong perspective.

Previously we had two tiers - top 4 and bottom 4.
Now we have three - top 4, middle 2 and a bottom 4. AFL have just elevated the importance of the finishing top 6.

I like Dan's straight knock-out top 10, but don't think it will happen.

What I think is more palatable is to actually run two separate final 5s (like the old finals).

GroupA - 1,4,5,8,9
GroupB - 2,3,6,7,10

It becomes a 5 week finals, only bye goes to top 2 teams - actually give them a reward.

Week 1 (4 finals) 2 Elim finals & 2 qualifying finals
Week 2 (4 finals) 2 major semis & 2 minor semis
Week 3 2 prelim finals
Week 4 2 group finals
Week 5 the Grand Final between respective group champions.

Get an extra 4 finals doing it that way.

The advantages are just like the old final 5 (but two groups)

Finish H&A in 1 or 2
Reward is get Wk1 off, and a home DBL chance in Wk2...so are guaranteed week 3 of finals (prelim final week) where knock-out kicks in - need to win 3 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 3 or 4
Both teams get a home final in week 1 and have a DBL chance to use in Wk1 or Wk2. They are only guaranteed to make week 2 of finals (semi week) - need to win 4 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 5 or 6
Both teams get away final in week 1 and have a DBL chance to use in Wk1 or Wk2. They are only guaranteed to make week 2 of finals (semi finals) - need to win 4 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 7 or 8
Knock-out finals all the way, but a home final in week 1. Need to win 5 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 9&10
Knock-out away finals all the way. Need to win 5 finals to be premier.

Dan hates the double chance though, so will not like your plan

 

[Milanista28]

Attendance and TV numbers will be super high, so they'll be right at the end of the day. People want footy, they give people footy. Is what it is.

 

[HairyO]

These ****wits just cant help themselves. Every opportunity to make the game worse they do it.

Soon it will change to a Wildcard round robin where 7th through 12th will play 3 mini games each over a weekend with the 2 highest scoring teams getting through.

 

[dean33]

Ffs do they really need to copy everything that America does

Yep, next step is to give everyone at the game a free gun, cause it's our God given right.

 

[dean33]

Dillon and Kane will go down as the worst duo to run the game, add in Swan and its just 3 ****wits who will ruin our once great game.
Watch the afl apologists in the media tell us all how great this is for the fans.

 

[windyhill]

Hopefully my boys are not involved, they would find some unusual way to **** it up.

 

[Fud#3]

Lose more games than you win...yay, we made finals!

 

[beside the seaside]

No side finishing 7-10 in this system will have any chance of winning a flag.

What's the point besides money?

Guess I answered my own question.

As others have pointed out there has been one team win from 7th or 8th in over 30 years of having a top eight. It wasn't happening anyway.

 

[boncer34]

Lose more games than you win...yay, we made finals!

Happened multiple times under a final 8 system.

 

[Gough]

The regressive sooky attitude by so many in here is so typical. I've seen it for years. Make any sort of change and the sooks come out. Then one year after that they all shut up abut that issue and we never hear from the again. It happened with the final eight 32 years ago. People on talkback radio sooked and whined. They said all the same things people are saying in this thread. Then one year after it as introduced, they all shut up and got used to it.

It's just part of life and being human. Humans don't like chchange.

Regressive sooks you say?

Australia will grow to like Tony Abbott as PM

This chroncally underestimated politician is on the verge of being our next Prime Minister. And one of the more frustrating things out there in voting-land is hearing comments such as "Oh I can't stand Abbott." It's so ignorant, and shows litle understanding of the man. He was laughed at when he...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[boncer34]

You seem to be ignoring everyone's main point here: that we don't want more than half the league making finals. And no matter how you look at this, more than half the teams are making finals even when Tassie come in

Again even 9th would've been acceptable, 10th team coming in is just too generous

So to you it makes perfect sense, but not to a massive amount of fans that are not happy with this

Which really just boils down to "I'm unhappy my preferred arbitrary cut off isn't the one the AFL is using."

Perfectly fine to think that. But there's no logic or reason to it, same as there being no logic or reason to it being a 10 other than the AFL just wanted it.

 

[kirky]

I've played lots of competitive sport. I'd suggest a lot more than you. It's not radical to have half the teams make the finals. The NBA have 20 out of 32 for instance. I wouldn't go that far, but half is more than acceptable (or in the AFL's case half plus one)

Remember, this is being done in preparation for Tasmania's entry into the AFL. You can't have half of 19, so you round up to 10. The AFL is not just a sporting league. It's very much in the entertainment industry. That's a fact, not an opinion. These are billion dollar TV rights, we are talking about.

All that's happened is that the AFL have added three teams to the league, increasing the teams from 16 to 19. And they have expanded the finals to cater for this increase. It's not exactly a radical change.

Think about it
8 teams in a 16 team league - everyone is happy.

Increase three teams.

Add two spots to the finals as a response to this, and a bunch of regressives act like the world has ended.

It's so laughably predictable how humans react to change. You'd think the regressives would have a bit of self-awareness. This EXACT same discussion happened in 1994.

So much bedwetting on here.

Over the past 15 years, only 4 times did the 10th side not have a 50% WL record - 2013, 2016, 2021 and 2023 (when Adelaide should have won against Sydney). The 9th side has always had above 50% WL record.

 

[demondavey]

AFL seems obsessed with the Americanisation of the game.

They seem to think it's a strength to mirror US sports

Id argue it's more of a strength being an organic local brand.

If you want to just copy the US sports it's a game you won't win long term.

Australia’s worst cultural traits are mirroring America because ‘it’s what they do’. They even rolled out conferences in AFLW a few years ago and that fell flat.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

This really sucks.

The AFL is so scared of dead rubbers (that have always been part of the game). They are focused on creating more entertainment (revenue) rather than a better sport.

The more exclusive you make something (finals placements) the more valuable and respected they are.

And the more level the playing field for those in the finals the clearer the outcome is on who is the best team. We already have weird permutations of higher teams getting additional rest (which works for and against in some ways) and home groudn challenges, etc.

This wild card roudn basically takes 7 and 8 out of all contention because they're likely worse teams that now have a longer/harder road to get into finals. While the top 4 have double chances and extra rest.

Three classes of finalist:
Top 4
Teams placed 5th and 6th.
Teams that win the 7/8 wild card scramble.

Just unnecessary.
Nobody wants this or has asked for this.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

AFL seems obsessed with the Americanisation of the game.

They seem to think it's a strength to mirror US sports

Id argue it's more of a strength being an organic local brand.

If you want to just copy the US sports it's a game you won't win long term.

We've been importing as much american culture as we can into Australia for decades now. It shows up in sport as much as anywhere else.

 

[Xtreme]

Hopefully my boys are not involved, they would find some unusual way to **** it up.

Even if Essendon finish 9th-10th they still won't win a final!

 

[Jackie_Moon]

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.

I get the sentiment but Supercars does it now

 

[Bostonian]

People are coming at it from the wrong perspective.

Previously we had two tiers - top 4 and bottom 4.
Now we have three - top 4, middle 2 and a bottom 4. AFL have just elevated the importance of the finishing top 6.

I like Dan's straight knock-out top 10, but don't think it will happen.

What I think is more palatable is to actually run two separate final 5s (like the old finals).

GroupA - 1,4,5,8,9
GroupB - 2,3,6,7,10

It becomes a 5 week finals, only bye goes to top 2 teams - actually give them a reward.

Week 1 (4 finals) 2 Elim finals & 2 qualifying finals
Week 2 (4 finals) 2 major semis & 2 minor semis
Week 3 2 prelim finals
Week 4 2 group finals
Week 5 the Grand Final between respective group champions.

Get an extra 4 finals doing it that way.

The advantages are just like the old final 5 (but two groups)

Finish H&A in 1 or 2
Reward is get Wk1 off, and a home DBL chance in Wk2...so are guaranteed week 3 of finals (prelim final week) where knock-out kicks in - need to win 3 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 3 or 4
Both teams get a home final in week 1 and have a DBL chance to use in Wk1 or Wk2. They are only guaranteed to make week 2 of finals (semi week) - need to win 4 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 5 or 6
Both teams get away final in week 1 and have a DBL chance to use in Wk1 or Wk2. They are only guaranteed to make week 2 of finals (semi finals) - need to win 4 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 7 or 8
Knock-out finals all the way, but a home final in week 1. Need to win 5 finals to be premier.

Finish H&A in 9&10
Knock-out away finals all the way. Need to win 5 finals to be premier.

Nobody is asking for an extra 4 finals.

Nobody gives a **** about the 9th and 10th teams.

 

[Bostonian]

Which really just boils down to "I'm unhappy my preferred arbitrary cut off isn't the one the AFL is using."

Perfectly fine to think that. But there's no logic or reason to it, same as there being no logic or reason to it being a 10 other than the AFL just wanted it.

There's zero logic in adding shit average teams into a finals system that is supposed to be about the best teams over a season .