Moved Thread The AFL will almost certainly introduce a Final-10 when Tasmania joins the AFL. Here is a poll with 5 different systems. Which do you prefer?

[Dan26]

The AFL will almost certainly be moving to a 10-team finals system when Tasmania joins the AFL, and maybe as early as next year. I've provided 5 different systems. Four of them are final-10's and one of them is a final-9. Which do you you prefer? Let me know in the poll.




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 1

This system is just the regular final-8 we have now, with 7 v 10 and 8 v 9 in what we now have as the "week off" in what the media refer to as wildcard games, but in reality are just two elimination finals. Then it's the regular final-8 from week two onwards.

Number of finals: 11 finals over 5 weeks.

WEEK 1 (winners to week 2, losers out)
1st elimination final: 7 v 10
2nd elimination Final: 8 v 9

WEEK 2
1st Qualifying Final: 1 v 4
2nd Qualifying Final: 2 v 3
3rd Elimination Final : 5 v 8
4th Elimination Final : 6 v 7


WEEK 3
1st Semi-Final: Loser of 1Q vs winner of 3E
2nd Semi-Final: Loser of 2Q vs Winner of 4E

WEEK 4
1st Preliminary Final: Winner of Q1 vs winner of 2nd-semi
2nd Preliminary Final: Winner of Q2 vs winner of 1st semi

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 2

This system is total knockout but ensures the top teams cannot be eliminated any earlier than week 2. This is my preferred system. Same amount of finals as we have now as under the current final-8 and a week off before the Grand Final, whilst maintaining the pre-finals bye for the top 6

Number of finals: 9 finals over 5 weeks. (it's a 4 week system, extended to 5 weeks with the bye before the Grand Final)


WEEK 1 (winners to week 2, losers out)
1st elimination final: 7 v 10
2nd elimination Final: 8 v 9

WEEK 2 (winners to week 3, losers out)
1st Semi Final: 1st vs lowest ranked Elimination final winner (1 v 8)
2nd Semi Final: 2nd vs highest ranked Elimination final winner (2 v 7)
3rd Semi Final : 3 v 6
4th Semi Final : 4 v 5

WEEK 3 (winners to Grand Final, losers out)
1st Preliminary Final: highest ranked team vs lowest ranked team (1 v 4)
2nd Preliminary Final: 2nd-highest ranked team vs 2nd lowest ranked team (2 v 3)

WEEK 4
Bye (ensuring 14 day break for Grand Final)

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 3

This system is the old McIntyre final-5 system, doubled. Effectively two final-5's where the two winners play in the Grand Final. Winners in bold. I personally think it's too long with too many finals

Number of finals: 13 finals over 5 weeks.

WEEK 1 (1st and 2nd have a week off)
1st elimination final: 7 v 10.... loser out
2nd elimination Final: 8 v 9 ..... loser out
1st Qualifying Final: 3 v 6 .... winner to Major Semi-Final, loser to minor semi-final
2nd Qualifying Final: 4 v 5.... winner to Major-Semi-Final, loser to minor semi-final


WEEK 2
1st Major Semi-Final: 1st vs lowest QF winner (1 v 4)........ winner to Prelim. Loser to week 3
2nd Major Semi-Final: 2nd vs highest QF winner (2 v 3)...... winner to Prelim loser to week 3
1st Minor-Semi-Final : highest QF loser vs lowest Elimination final winner (5 v 8) ............ winner to week 3 loser out
2nd Minor Semi Final : lowest QF loser vs highest elimination Final winner (6 v 7)..... winner to week 3 loser out


WEEK 3
1st Semi-Final: Lowest Major-Semi Final loser vs highest Minor-semi final winner (4 v 5)
2nd Semi-Final: Highest Major-Semi Final loser vs lowest Minor semi-Final winner (3 v 6)

WEEK 4
1st Preliminary Final: Highest Major-Semi Final winner vs lowest Semi-Final winner (1 v 4)
2nd Preliminary Final: Lowest Major Semi Final winner vs highest Semi-final winner (2 v 3)

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 4

This system has 9 finals over 4 weeks (extended to 5 weeks with the bye before the Grand Final and is total knockout)

Number of finals: 9 finals over 4 weeks (5 weeks with the bye before the Grand Final)

WEEK 1 (losers out)... Five matches so there are 5 winners. The three highest placed winners go to week 3. The two lowest placed winners go to week 2
1st elimination final: 1 v 10
2nd elimination Final: 2 v 9
3rd elimination final: 3 v 8
4th Elimination final: 4 v 7
5th Elimination Final: 5 v 6


WEEK 2
1st Semi-Final: the two lowest placed winners from week one play off. (4 v 5)


WEEK 3
1st Preliminary Final: Highest-placed week one winner vs winner of semi-final (1 v 4)
2nd Preliminary Final: 2nd highest week one winner vs 3rd-highest week one winner (2 v 3)

WEEK 4
BYE

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




(FINAL 9 ALTERNATIVE.) SYSTEM NUMBER 5

This system has 8 finals over 4 weeks, is total knockout and features 9 teams, not 10

Number of finals: 8 finals over 4 weeks

WEEK 1 (losers out)... 1st 2nd, and 3rd all have a week off
1st elimination final: 4 v 9
2nd elimination Final: 5 v 8
3rd elimination final: 6 v 7


WEEK 2 (losers out) highest-placed winner to Grand Final. The other two winners to week 3
1st Semi-Final: 1st vs lowest week one winner (1 v 6)
2nd Semi-Final: 2nd vs 2nd-lowest week one winner (2 v 5)
3rd Semi-Final: 3rd vs highest week one winner (3 v 4)
* so if 1st win, they are guaranteed to be the highest-placed winner and therefore go to the Grand Final. If 1st lose then 2nd - should they beat 5th- goes to the GF


WEEK 3
Preliminary Final: The two lowest-placed semi-Final winners play off. (2 v 3)


WEEK 4
Grand Final (1 v 2)

 

[Occidental]

I don’t like System 2. It devalues the entire Home & Away season into being nothing more than a series of games to determine seedings for cut throat finals.
Say Melbourne finish first with 20 wins and Carlton finish tenth with 12 wins. Carlton win a final and play Melbourne in an immediate elimination game at a neutral venue - the MCG.
What was the point of all those Melbourne wins? You get one week off, but so did all teams first to sixth. They are “rewarded” with a home elimination final against a team that shares the same venue and won 8 less games.

 

[Dan26]

I don’t like System 2. It devalues the entire Home & Away season into being nothing more than a series of games to determine seedings for cut throat finals.
Say Melbourne finish first with 20 wins and Carlton finish tenth with 12 wins. Carlton win a final and play Melbourne in an immediate elimination game at a neutral venue - the MCG.
What was the point of all those Melbourne wins? You get one week off, but so did all teams first to sixth. They are “rewarded” with a home elimination final against a team that shares the same venue and won 8 less games.

Obviously, the more teams you have in the finals, the mathematical probability is more evenly spread. You say what was the point of the all the Melbourne wins? Melbourne got a week of, Carlton didn't. It's like saying that Adelaide and Hawthorn are now equal in the 2nd week of the finals after the week-one results. If Hawthorn this year were Port, then Adelaide would have no advantage over Port this week. That's the way it is. It's the same on Preliminary Final weekend. All 4 teams have a 25% probability.

If you are 1st and you lose to 10th after you had a week off and they didn't, that's not the finals systems fault. Perform on the day and win. That's the job.

 

[PhilX]

There is no way they have a final 10 with the same number of finals we currently have.

The entire reason the AFL wants to add more teams to the finals is to add more games, because more games means more money.

 

[L_W_P]

The AFL will go to System 1 under the guise of removing the pre finals bye.

Calling it 'Wildcard Weekend's is BS though.

It's just a Final 10. We don't have divisions so there's no 'wildcards' from strong divisions that are missing out ala the NFL.

 

[Clark G]

System two. But system one is the one the AFL would most likely go to should finals extend to 10 teams.

 

[terrybull]

System nr 3

Everyone plays each other once in the home and away with maybe an extra round in the Gather Round.

No bye before the Finals.

 

[Dan26]

Maybe, and I’m not denying that the AFL are motivated by money as a generalisation. But I don’t think that has anything to do with the way the final-10 is constructed. I think what’s more relevant is that a final-10 will create less dead rubbers and add more to attendances and tv rights due to creating more meaningful games. Anyway I’ve voted for number 2 in an ideal world.

 

[BigVic]

System 1 is more likely

 

[BigVic]

1998 NRL season - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The NRL in 1998 operated a final 10 system with 20 teams

 

[btdg]

I prefer none of these. The current top 8 system works.

If we had to expand, I would prefer a true 'wildcard'. Not just 9th or 10th, but a one-off spot goes to a true wildcard team. There's a number of ways you could choose this:
1. Have a panel of experts select the team outside the top 8 they most want to play in finals (would be highly controversial, but good fun... and imagine if they went on to win...)
2. Team outside the top 8 with the best record in the last 6 weeks of the season
3. Teams outside the top 8 with the best record against the top 8

The wildcard gets to CHOOSE one team from 5-8 on the ladder and plays them (away). If the wildcard wins they replace the team they beat and go into 8th spot (everyone moves up). The wildcard match is played in the current bye week (obviously).

I probably lean to 'team with best record in last 6 weeks of season', but whichever wildcard method you use, it throws up a really interesting off week and the 'choose your opponent' dynamic is more interesting than just adding another straight elimination game.

It also adds a lot to those last 6 rounds for teams eliminated from finals if you use the 'best record in last 6 rounds' method. I may be wrong but I think it would have meant that not only was Freo/Bulldogs deciding the last finals spot this year, but I think that St Kilda could have nabbed the wildcard had they won against GWS...

 

[BigVic]

The last scenario follows the Page Playoff system with only one preliminary final in week 3 with the first semi-final winner advancing directly to the grand final

 

[GoldbergsGold]

The AFL will almost certainly be moving to a 10-team finals system when Tasmania joins the AFL, and maybe as early as next year. I've provided 5 different systems. Four of them are final-10's and one of them is a final-9. Which do you you prefer? Let me know in the poll.




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 1

This system is just the regular final-8 we have now, with 7 v 10 and 8 v 9 in what we now have as the "week off" in what the media refer to as wildcard games, but in reality are just two elimination finals. Then it's the regular final-8 from week two onwards.

Number of finals: 11 finals over 5 weeks.

WEEK 1 (winners to week 2, losers out)
1st elimination final: 7 v 10
2nd elimination Final: 8 v 9

WEEK 2
1st Qualifying Final: 1 v 4
2nd Qualifying Final: 2 v 3
3rd Elimination Final : 5 v 8
4th Elimination Final : 6 v 7


WEEK 3
1st Semi-Final: Loser of 1Q vs winner of 3E
2nd Semi-Final: Loser of 2Q vs Winner of 4E

WEEK 4
1st Preliminary Final: Winner of Q1 vs winner of 2nd-semi
2nd Preliminary Final: Winner of Q2 vs winner of 1st semi

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 2

This system is total knockout but ensures the top teams cannot be eliminated any earlier than week 2. This is my preferred system. Same amount of finals as we have now as under the current final-8 and a week off before the Grand Final, whilst maintaining the pre-finals bye for the top 6

Number of finals: 9 finals over 5 weeks. (it's a 4 week system, extended to 5 weeks with the bye before the Grand Final)


WEEK 1 (winners to week 2, losers out)
1st elimination final: 7 v 10
2nd elimination Final: 8 v 9

WEEK 2 (winners to week 3, losers out)
1st Semi Final: 1st vs lowest ranked Elimination final winner (1 v 8)
2nd Semi Final: 2nd vs highest ranked Elimination final winner (2 v 7)
3rd Semi Final : 3 v 6
4th Semi Final : 4 v 5

WEEK 3 (winners to Grand Final, losers out)
1st Preliminary Final: highest ranked team vs lowest ranked team (1 v 4)
2nd Preliminary Final: 2nd-highest ranked team vs 2nd lowest ranked team (2 v 3)

WEEK 4
Bye (ensuring 14 day break for Grand Final)

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 3

This system is the old McIntyre final-5 system, doubled. Effectively two final-5's where the two winners play in the Grand Final. Winners in bold. I personally think it's too long with too many finals

Number of finals: 13 finals over 5 weeks.

WEEK 1 (1st and 2nd have a week off)
1st elimination final: 7 v 10.... loser out
2nd elimination Final: 8 v 9 ..... loser out
1st Qualifying Final: 3 v 6 .... winner to Major Semi-Final, loser to minor semi-final
2nd Qualifying Final: 4 v 5.... winner to Major-Semi-Final, loser to minor semi-final


WEEK 2
1st Major Semi-Final: 1st vs lowest QF winner (1 v 4)........ winner to Prelim. Loser to week 3
2nd Major Semi-Final: 2nd vs highest QF winner (2 v 3)...... winner to Prelim loser to week 3
1st Minor-Semi-Final : highest QF loser vs lowest Elimination final winner (5 v 8) ............ winner to week 3 loser out
2nd Minor Semi Final : lowest QF loser vs highest elimination Final winner (6 v 7)..... winner to week 3 loser out


WEEK 3
1st Semi-Final: Lowest Major-Semi Final loser vs highest Minor-semi final winner (4 v 5)
2nd Semi-Final: Highest Major-Semi Final loser vs lowest Minor semi-Final winner (3 v 6)

WEEK 4
1st Preliminary Final: Highest Major-Semi Final winner vs lowest Semi-Final winner (1 v 4)
2nd Preliminary Final: Lowest Major Semi Final winner vs highest Semi-final winner (2 v 3)

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




FINAL 10 SYSTEM NUMBER 4

This system has 9 finals over 4 weeks (extended to 5 weeks with the bye before the Grand Final and is total knockout)

Number of finals: 9 finals over 4 weeks (5 weeks with the bye before the Grand Final)

WEEK 1 (losers out)... Five matches so there are 5 winners. The three highest placed winners go to week 3. The two lowest placed winners go to week 2
1st elimination final: 1 v 10
2nd elimination Final: 2 v 9
3rd elimination final: 3 v 8
4th Elimination final: 4 v 7
5th Elimination Final: 5 v 6


WEEK 2
1st Semi-Final: the two lowest placed winners from week one play off. (4 v 5)


WEEK 3
1st Preliminary Final: Highest-placed week one winner vs winner of semi-final (1 v 4)
2nd Preliminary Final: 2nd highest week one winner vs 3rd-highest week one winner (2 v 3)

WEEK 4
BYE

WEEK 5
Grand Final (1 v 2)




(FINAL 9 ALTERNATIVE.) SYSTEM NUMBER 5

This system has 8 finals over 4 weeks, is total knockout and features 9 teams, not 10

Number of finals: 8 finals over 4 weeks

WEEK 1 (losers out)... 1st 2nd, and 3rd all have a week off
1st elimination final: 4 v 9
2nd elimination Final: 5 v 8
3rd elimination final: 6 v 7


WEEK 2 (losers out) highest-placed winner to Grand Final. The other two winners to week 3
1st Semi-Final: 1st vs lowest week one winner (1 v 6)
2nd Semi-Final: 2nd vs 2nd-lowest week one winner (2 v 5)
3rd Semi-Final: 3rd vs highest week one winner (3 v 4)
* so if 1st win, they are guaranteed to be the highest-placed winner and therefore go to the Grand Final. If 1st lose then 2nd - should they beat 5th- goes to the GF


WEEK 3
Preliminary Final: The two lowest-placed semi-Final winners play off. (2 v 3)


WEEK 4
Grand Final (1 v 2)

That final 9 system is interesting, I like how it gives an advantage to the minor premier, at the moment first place is just the same as second place.

 

[Cold Sober]

Final 8 is more than enough, anything more is a complete money grab.
We have the unfairest draw in world sport and now they want to play more games. Get a level qualifying set up before changing anything else.
Why are these idiots so hell bent on changing everything, they're turning people off watching 'This once Great Game'.

 

[Cam Payne]

whatever ensures the big 4 vfl clubs automatically qualify for finals. There's can be no equalisation until then.

 

[creynolds094]

System 3 for me.

 

[Blackhawk42]

I'm not a huge fan of system 1, despite the fact the AFL will likely go that way.

Using this season as an example, it would mean Gold Coast with 15 wins and a percentage of 124 plays an extra game than the other finalists, AND it's elimination, against a side that won 12 with a percentage of 97.
Why is that 10th place side being rewarded the same as a much better side?
People will argue home ground advantage, but imagine for a moment that St.Kilda finish 7th and Collingwood 10th. Home ground advantage immediately out the window.

 

[2 eazy]

I say 12 team finals I know its too many teams but adds more interest as ensures more teams have games that matter.
Top 12
Top 4 have bye
Week !
5v12
6 v 11
7 v 10
8 v 9
Week 2
Team 1 v lowest ranked winner
Team 2 v second lowest ranked winner
Team 3 v second highest ranked winner
Team 4 v highest ranked winner

Week 3
Prelims with yeat again higest ranked wiiner take on lowest ranked winner

Week 4 GF