Expansion Should the AFL introduce a Wildcard Weekend?

[Matchu]

Been a bit of talk about the AFL introducing it next year so I'm curious to see what others think.

WG1 - 7th (home) v 10th (away)
WG2 - 8th (home) v 9th (away)

The winner of WG1 plays 6th in the first week of finals and the winner of WG2 plays 5th. This is how it would have looked if it existed over the last five years:

2017 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: WG1 - Essendon (12-10) v Western Bulldogs (11-11) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Sydney @ SCG)
Saturday: WG2 - West Coast (12-10) v Melbourne (12-10) @ Subiaco (Winner plays Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval)

2016 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Western Bulldogs (15-7) v Port Adelaide (10-12) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays West Coast @ Subiaco)
Saturday: North Melbourne (12-10) v St Kilda (12-10) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval)

2015 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Adelaide (13-8) v Geelong (11-9-1) @ Adelaide Oval (Winner plays Bulldogs @ MCG/Etihad)
Saturday: North Melbourne (13-9) v Port Adelaide (12-10) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Richmond @ MCG/Etihad)

2014 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Essendon (12-9-1) v Adelaide (11-11) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays North Melbourne @ MCG/Etihad)
Saturday: Richmond (12-10) v West Coast (11-11) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval)

2013 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Port Adelaide (12-10) v Adelaide (10-12) @ Football Park (Winner plays Collingwood @ MCG/Etihad)
Saturday: Carlton (11-11) v North Melbourne (10-12) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Richmond @ MCG/Etihad)


Interesting to see what it would look like in reality. The old theory of 11 wins gets you into finals would return (and in some cases 10 wins gets you in) because mathematically we would have more teams playing in the post-home and away competition than those who don't. It would also add two extra significant games to the calendar.

What do you guys think? Should the AFL introduce a Wildcard Weekend next year?

 

[BotsMaster]

No

 

[The Blue Baggers]

The whole fixture needs to be revised

Play everyone once , then have a wild card weekend for teams 5-12 before the finals commence !!

 

[Drewie11]

We should change the AFL to the NFL

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Been a bit of talk about the AFL introducing it next year so I'm curious to see what others think.

WG1 - 7th (home) v 10th (away)
WG2 - 8th (home) v 9th (away)

The winner of WG1 plays 6th in the first week of finals and the winner of WG2 plays 5th. This is how it would have looked if it existed over the last five years:

2017 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: WG1 - Essendon (12-10) v Western Bulldogs (11-11) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Sydney @ SCG)
Saturday: WG2 - West Coast (12-10) v Melbourne (12-10) @ Subiaco (Winner plays Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval)

2016 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Western Bulldogs (15-7) v Port Adelaide (10-12) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays West Coast @ Subiaco)
Saturday: North Melbourne (12-10) v St Kilda (12-10) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval)

2015 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Adelaide (13-8) v Geelong (11-9-1) @ Adelaide Oval (Winner plays Bulldogs @ MCG/Etihad)
Saturday: North Melbourne (13-9) v Port Adelaide (12-10) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Richmond @ MCG/Etihad)

2014 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Essendon (12-9-1) v Adelaide (11-11) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays North Melbourne @ MCG/Etihad)
Saturday: Richmond (12-10) v West Coast (11-11) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval)

2013 Wildcard Weekend
Friday: Port Adelaide (12-10) v Adelaide (10-12) @ Football Park (Winner plays Collingwood @ MCG/Etihad)
Saturday: Carlton (11-11) v North Melbourne (10-12) @ MCG/Etihad (Winner plays Richmond @ MCG/Etihad)


Interesting to see what it would look like in reality. The old theory of 11 wins gets you into finals would return (and in some cases 10 wins gets you in) because mathematically we would have more teams playing in the post-home and away competition than those who don't. It would also add two extra significant games to the calendar.

What do you guys think? Should the AFL introduce a Wildcard Weekend next year?

That's not a wildcard. That's adding 9th and 10th to the finals.

 

[Matchu]

That's not a wildcard. That's adding 9th and 10th to the finaks.

That's what the AFL want to do. 7th-10th play off for the two remaining finals places.

 

[Toump Ass]

Should just draw the premier out of a hat and give the other teams participation medals.

 

[SterlingArcher]

No.

I don't like the idea of a team having 23 rounds to finish 10th but still get the chance to play off for finals. What have they done to deserve it? More teams finished ahead than below them. Are the 23 rounds prior not indicative enough of their performance?

I like how right now <50% of teams make finals. That's what it should be.

 

[SterlingArcher]

If the bye week is to remain and the AFL wants to fill it in, then they should just have an awards 'extravaganza' (coaches awards, player awards, Rising Star, AA and Brownlow in the same week - hold AA and Brownlow on the same night for interstate players to keep travel to a minimum, the other awards can be handed out without a big official ceremony in the players home state) and State of Origin for the women.

 

[FootyJunkie]

It's a Final 10 over 5 weeks

It's not Wild Card if there's just one ladder...

 

[Wayne Dwop]

Maybe a final 18?

 

[Spacedog]

No. The reason america has wildcards is because they have divisions and sometimes one division will have a lot of good teams so you let the best of the rest in. The way our ladder is a wildcard is ******* stupid. It wouldnt even be a wildcard, just an extra final.

 

[Spacedog]

Maybe a final 18?

Yeah that would be interesting, maybe 22 rounds where all of the 18 sides play each other?

 

[Andrew Mc]

We should change the AFL to the NFL

The NFL at least have a valid reason for their wildcard weekend. This is just a grab for more cash. 10 teams in the finals out of 18 - let's reward mediocrity some more.

 

[kickazz]

That's what the AFL want to do. 7th-10th play off for the two remaining finals places.

That's just making it a final ten, calling it something that it isn't doesn't change the fact that it is just simply a final ten.

 

[Power Raid]

We should change the AFL to the NFL

but with a round ball and nets behind the goal

 

[BTs Nana]

Clearly just trying to get Port a finals gig when they finish 10th next year cos they don't get to play the bottom 4 twice each.

 

[Billy ray]

Top 7 automatically qualify for top 8 finals series. Out of those left, the two best teams in terms of percentage (not wins/losses) play off for the final 8th spot. That could be 8 v 9 or even 10 v 15.
That's a wildcard round for ya.

Means teams will play out every game through the season and not allow blow outs if they can.

 

[Upgrayedd]

I never realised the final 8 was such a sham untill the same losers kept making threads on it week after week on bigfooty,.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

It becomes to much of an advantage for the teams who finish 5th and 6th, they get to play unrested opposition in week 1 and could end up playing the 9th or 10th ranked teams from the HaA season, and for that reason it will never work.

 

[Kram]

Happy with the way things are but wouldn't be against an 8 v 9 playoff just so there is something on the bye weekend. But 10 teams is too many.

 

[Dan26]

No Wild card as such, but a simple knockout final-10 system. Still with 9 finals, like now, and still over 4 weeks. It's the best system ever devised.

Week 1
7 v 10
8v 9

Week 2
1st vs lowest placed week one winner (eg 8th)
2nd vs highest placed week one winner(eg 7th)
3 v 6
4 v 5

Week 3
Highest reamining teams vs lowest remaining team (eg 1 v 4)
2nd-highest remaining team vs 2nd-lowest remaining team (eg 2 v 3)

Week 4
Grand Final



It's a fantastic system. It gets rid of the wretched double chances forever. Finals are not about getting second chances for losing - they are about performing on the day


1st and 2nd
- get the advantage of a week off and playing an opponent who played the week before
- all home games until Grand Final

3rd and 4th
- week off, but it's no advantage because they play an opponent who also has a week off
- home in week two, and probably away from home for the Preliminary Final

5th and 6th
- week off, but it's no advantage because they play an opponent who also has a week off
- away games all the way through (unless 7,8,9,10 are the opponent in the prelim)

7th and 8th
- home in week one
- away in week 2 against a rested opponent and away games all the way through.

9th and 10th
- away in week one
- away in week 2 against a rested opponent and away games all the way through.

 

[Kram]

No Wild card as such, but a simple knockout final-10 system. Still with 9 finals, like now, and still over 4 weeks. It's the best system ever devised.

Week 1
7 v 10
8v 9

Week 2
1st vs lowest placed week one winner (eg 8th)
2nd vs highest placed week one winner(eg 7th)
3 v 6
4 v 5

Week 3
Highest reamining teams vs lowest remaining team (eg 1 v 4)
2nd-highest remaining team vs 2nd-lowest remaining team (eg 2 v 3)

Week 4
Grand Final



It's a fantastic system. It gets rid of the wretched double chances forever. Finals are not about getting second chances for losing - they are about performing on the day


1st and 2nd
- get the advantage of a week off and playing an opponent who played the week before
- all home games until Grand Final

3rd and 4th
- week off, but it's no advantage because they play an opponent who also has a week off
- home in week two, and probably away from home for the Preliminary Final

5th and 6th
- week off, but it's no advantage because they play an opponent who also has a week off
- away games all the way through (unless 7,8,9,10 are the opponent in the prelim)

7th and 8th
- home in week one
- away in week 2 against a rested opponent and away games all the way through.

9th and 10th
- away in week one
- away in week 2 against a rested opponent and away games all the way through.

They will never use your crappy idea no matter how many times you repeat it.

 

[Dan26]

One thing I hate about the current system is the lack of excitement regarding semi-final weekend (week 2)

Why is this?

It's simple. One of the teams in each match is coming of a loss and doesn't want to be playing in that match. They had aspirations only 7 days earlier of playing a home Preliminary Final, and now they disappointingly have to play a home semi-final. They have a pessimistic and slightly "down" view coming into the match because it's a match they don't really want to be playing in.

Now consider the NFL playoffs, which is a full knockout system. Every match you are in you are EXCITED to be in because you won the week before and have progressed. You are excited, optimistic and energized.

Geelong weren't excited going into the match against Sydney. Instead they were pissed off. They didn't want to be playing in that match. Their aspirations were to win the Qualifying Final, bypass week 2 and go straight o the prelim.

But instead their fans have to endure a slightly pessimstic week, where they aren;'t excited about the match because it's a match they don't really want to be in.

I don't like that. You should always be excited and optimistic going into a finals match, because you have WON the week before to progress to it. You don't get that with the week-2 semi-finals in the AFL.

Knockout is what finals are all about, You should never get second chances for losing. The minor-premier doesn't get a second chance if they lose the Preliminary Final or the Grand Final, do they? Nor should they.

 

[Dan26]

They will never use your crappy idea no matter how many times you repeat it.

It's the best system, whetheer of not you like it is irrelevant.

The total knockout nature of my stem is the clincher.

Double chances are a disgrace. An utter disgrace.

Finals are about performing on the day. They should NOT be about about a second chance for NOT performing on the day.

Double chances suck, and go against the very nature of what finals are supposed to be about.