The best possible finals system

[Coolangatta]

I'm fine with this if it still has all clubs 22 home and away matches before it.

Yeah with 19 rounds I’d go everyone plays each other once in the first 18 rounds, flipping those fixtures every year, then four return matches to make 22 rounds.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

The current top 8 is definitely the best system.

But I was thinking the other day about what if the threshold to play finals was to have a win rate of over 50%. The AFL could have a different finals system ready to implement depending on how many teams make finals, because some years like 2018, 12 teams had 12 wins or more. Whereas in other years like last year only 7 teams had a positive win rate.

Also another scenario what if after 17 rounds, the bottom 6 were eliminated. And the top 12 teams would play an additional 4-5 home and away games before finals. Similar to the NBA in 2020, where after they stopped for the pandemic they didn't invite the bottom 8 teams back to participate. It means the games are more meaningful, and no games would overlap.

 

[Captain_Bender]

The best finals system would be one where Richmond are instantly rewarded the premiership without having to play finals regardless of where they finished on the ladder

 

[Freomaniac]

The best finals system would be one where Richmond are instantly rewarded the premiership without having to play finals regardless of where they finished on the ladder

But the 7th vs 10th and 8th vs 9th system would be fair for Richmond.

All those anti Richmond clowns that enjoy seeing the tigers from finishing 9th can enjoy Richmond win the play off and win 4 finals in a row to win the flag lol

 

[Scotland]

The current system is fine. Much better than the old 'highest ranked losers and lowest ranked winners' McIntyre final 8.

I like a good old fashioned knockout 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 but the AFL and clubs don't want that. A couple of times in the old system 7th beat 2nd, and Gil and friends don't want to miss out on repeat top 4 clashes.

 

[footyfan1978]

This final 8 is way more straight forward and common sense to follow.
Previous one too messy in mid to late 90's
Here I am in 1999, we end up 6th on ladder from memory, we an ok team and probably 6th is about where we should be at time.
We lose heavily to Brisbane Lions by something like 12 goals up in Brisbane. If you 6th and lose by that much, you should expect your season over but because 1 v 8 and 2 v 7 in same weekend, with 7th and 8th both losing we got a double chance from 6th spot after being thrashed. It just felt stupid. I enjoyed the next two weekends when we eliminated Eagles and Essendon and probably played our best football for season but we should have been out already.
So we head to a grand final when we should have been out a few weeks earlier.
I went to grand final but it felt like a bonus ride and not even that upset by losing as felt we just had an extra few weeks of fun when we not really the second best side in season that year.
It way better the double chance is limited to teams in top four in an 18 or 19 team comp.

The final five was best system as it meant you actually felt the grand final would be two best teams of season meet up to decide title. In fact , often they would meet up twice in finals series so it meant there was more rivalry in build up, but given final five is too few teams for 18 teams, final 8 is the most suitable for now.

 

[Freomaniac]

This final 8 is way more straight forward and common sense to follow.
Previous one too messy in mid to late 90's
Here I am in 1999, we end up 6th on ladder from memory, we an ok team and probably 6th is about where we should be at time.
We lose heavily to Brisbane Lions by something like 12 goals up in Brisbane. If you 6th and lose by that much, you should expect your season over but because 1 v 8 and 2 v 7 in same weekend, with 7th and 8th both losing we got a double chance from 6th spot after being thrashed. It just felt stupid. I enjoyed the next two weekends when we eliminated Eagles and Essendon and probably played our best football for season but we should have been out already.
So we head to a grand final when we should have been out a few weeks earlier.
I went to grand final but it felt like a bonus ride and not even that upset by losing as felt we just had an extra few weeks of fun when we not really the second best side in season that year.
It way better the double chance is limited to teams in top four in an 18 or 19 team comp.

The final five was best system as it meant you actually felt the grand final would be two best teams of season meet up to decide title. In fact , often they would meet up twice in finals series so it meant there was more rivalry in build up, but given final five is too few teams for 18 teams, final 8 is the most suitable for now.

The funny thing was the VFL only introduced that 5th finals spot In 1972. A Carlton Premiership year obviously. But there were advantages of being higher on the ladder. Top spot gave you the easiest path to a flag, win just the semi in the 2nd week and win the grand final.

2nd and 3rd gives you a double chance but you have to win 3 finals for the flag.

4th and 5th. No Double chance. You want the flag? You gotta win 4 finals.

Yet saints nabbed 4th or 5th spot and won 2 finals to make it to the preliminary final.

Saints narrowly lost to Carlton in that preliminary final.

Theres other times where a 4th or 5th placed side has made a grand final. Collingwood of 1980 and demons of 1988

 

[footyfan1978]

The funny thing was the VFL only introduced that 5th finals spot In 1972. A Carlton Premiership year obviously. But there were advantages of being higher on the ladder. Top spot gave you the easiest path to a flag, win just the semi in the 2nd week and win the grand final.

2nd and 3rd gives you a double chance but you have to win 3 finals for the flag.

4th and 5th. No Double chance. You want the flag? You gotta win 4 finals.

Yet saints nabbed 4th or 5th spot and won 2 finals to make it to the preliminary final.

Saints narrowly lost to Carlton in that preliminary final.

Theres other times where a 4th or 5th placed side has made a grand final. Collingwood of 1980 and demons of 1988

1983 too, Essendon.
Every time a side made grand final from elimination final path in final five system, a record losing margin was created, I think, or close to it at the time... ha ha.. It should be hard to win from elimination final path. The elimination final path was removed during 1990's in previous final 8 incarnation but it been back now with second version of final 8 system. The only team that won it from elimination final path in league history is Bulldogs. The difference from other times? They had a weeks break between home and away series and finals starting so probably had more left in tank by time they reached grand final. The other interesting thing of 2017 grand final was both teams had played the previous three weekends. Previously if you made it via elimination final path the other side in grand final had a weeks rest or more at some point during the finals series, which they had earned from their hard work earlier to be so high up on ladder.

The best part of final five was you had 1 v 2 often happen twice within three weeks so this meant their more rivalry established. Now when you arrive to grand final day, there only chance of rivalry is if the teams meet back in week one. Does not happen enough.
I was not around in 1972 but would have been amazing build up to the grand final as it was the 5th time for that season that Richmond and Carlton had meet. They had also meet twice in finals series weeks before due to first final was a draw and had to have replay the next week. By the time you get to grand final day, these two clubs have left it in no doubt they are two best sides for season. There no chance of 1 v 3 , it clearly two best sides and the emotion involved must be more seeing as they meet up so many times. I assume this why that rivalry with the two clubs was so intense by the time I started watching in the late 70's. For me personally the biggest build up to a grand final in my life was that 1982 between Carlton and
Richmond as the two clubs in previous generation had played so many times v each other in finals and here they were again in the big one and the bragging rights were as big as it gets. It what you want in a grand finale to a season.
It is a pity now we often end up with a grand final where you not 100% sure it the two best teams, maybe the two best teams meet in the preliminary final. You did not have that doubt in final five system because you could not skip another team by being on certain side of the draw. 2nd had to best 3rd to make the grand final. There was no way around it.

 

[Freomaniac]

1983 too, Essendon.
Every time a side made grand final from elimination final path in final five system, a record losing margin was created, I think, or close to it at the time... ha ha.. It should be hard to win from elimination final path. The elimination final path was removed during 1990's in previous final 8 incarnation but it been back now with second version of final 8 system. The only team that won it from elimination final path in league history is Bulldogs. The difference from other times? They had a weeks break between home and away series and finals starting so probably had more left in tank by time they reached grand final. The other interesting thing of 2017 grand final was both teams had played the previous three weekends. Previously if you made it via elimination final path the other side in grand final had a weeks rest or more at some point during the finals series, which they had earned from their hard work earlier to be so high up on ladder.

The best part of final five was you had 1 v 2 often happen twice within three weeks so this meant their more rivalry established. Now when you arrive to grand final day, there only chance of rivalry is if the teams meet back in week one. Does not happen enough.
I was not around in 1972 but would have been amazing build up to the grand final as it was the 5th time for that season that Richmond and Carlton had meet. They had also meet twice in finals series weeks before due to first final was a draw and had to have replay the next week. By the time you get to grand final day, these two clubs have left it in no doubt they are two best sides for season. There no chance of 1 v 3 , it clearly two best sides and the emotion involved must be more seeing as they meet up so many times. I assume this why that rivalry with the two clubs was so intense by the time I started watching in the late 70's. For me personally the biggest build up to a grand final in my life was that 1982 between Carlton and
Richmond as the two clubs in previous generation had played so many times v each other in finals and here they were again in the big one and the bragging rights were as big as it gets. It what you want in a grand finale to a season.
It is a pity now we often end up with a grand final where you not 100% sure it the two best teams, maybe the two best teams meet in the preliminary final. You did not have that doubt in final five system because you could not skip another team by being on certain side of the draw. 2nd had to best 3rd to make the grand final. There was no way around it.

I had to look up Essendons ladder position in 1983. Yep they were 4th that season. I actually thought Essendon got top 3.

I was surprised North were top that year In 1983.

Yeah I assumed you enjoyed the rivalry with Richmond in the 1970s and 1980s.

As good as the 1970s were to some sides, it was horrible for others. Richmond, Carlton, North and Hawthorn all won flags in that 1970s period. All of them got at least 2 flags each.

Collingwood made multiple grand finals in that decade but fell short.

 

[footyfan1978]

I had to look up Essendons ladder position in 1983. Yep they were 4th that season. I actually thought Essendon got top 3.

I was surprised North were top that year In 1983.

Yeah I assumed you enjoyed the rivalry with Richmond in the 1970s and 1980s.

As good as the 1970s were to some sides, it was horrible for others. Richmond, Carlton, North and Hawthorn all won flags in that 1970s period. All of them got at least 2 flags each.

Collingwood made multiple grand finals in that decade but fell short.

I was not around for the 70s rivalry with Richmond. I was for early 80's and it sure was fun as school mates were mix of Carlton and Richmond supporters.
So you can imagine you a kid in 1982 and you go for Blues and your best mates for Tigers. Carlton had beaten Collingwood in 1979 and Richmond beat them in 1980. They only meant to be our bunnies to beat in grand finals. I was annoyed Richmond got their turn too, so 1982 was to settle the score there. We had both beaten each other in 1982 and they had beaten us two weeks earlier when we had Wayne Johnston suspended (The Dominator) and a few others missing. Dominator had to sit out two weeks so the only way he could come back was to lose in week two and win in week three. Thank **** it worked out that way. Dominator was like a caged lion unleashed by the time the ball bounced in that grand final. The score was settled, was a good grand final with a few blews, we won back to back and outright lead on premierships in the league. It the grand final win I enjoyed the most of the five I've seen in life. Funny thing was, my best mate whom Richmond fan, lived in same town but a couple years later he played in side in town down the road in under age footy so we would be playing against each other ha ha. That town had Tigers colours and ours Navy Blue. Fun times with rivalry locally and in the big league.

 

[doppleganger]

Revamp the final 5, but have two "final 5s" in a top 10.

Group 1 - 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th and 10th
Group 2 - 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 8th and 9th

Do away with overall byes, the top performed teams get a reward of a weeks rest in the schedule....but there is always footy.

Wk1
1st and 2nd get week off
4 games
G1 QF 4th v 5th - win into SF2, loser SF1
G1 EF 7th v 10th - win into SF1, loser gone
G2 QF 3rd v 6th - win into SF2, loser SF1
G2 EF 8th v 9th - win into SF1, loser gone

EF self explantory, it is win or go home
QF, just like final 5 playing for the easy path and battle against 1st/2nd to play for chance at direct path to final

Wk2
4 games
G1 - SF1 is winner of EF v loser of QF
G1 - SF2 Is 1st v winner of QF
G2 - SF1 is winner of EF v loser of QF
G2 - SF2 Is 2nd v winner of QF

just like final 5
winner of SF2 straight to GF loser to PF, winner SF1 into PF, loser of SF1 gone

Wk3
2 games
G1 - PF loser of SF2 v winner of SF1
G2 - PF loser of SF2 v winner of SF1

Wk4
2 games
G1 Final = winner SF2 v winner PF
G2 Final = winner SF2 v winner PF

Wk5
1 game
GRAND FINAL
G1 winner v G2 winner

Summary

13 finals over 5 weeks after H&A compared to 9 finals over 4 weeks plus a bye (so same elapsed time) as now.

Better split of advantages (just like the old final 5) compared to now where often 1st basically same ranking as 4th

Finish 1 or 2, you can be premiers with 3 wins, also get a double chance in your first game - just like current final 8. But 1 and 2 get a significant advantage over 3 and 4 unlike current final 8, as get a week rest before potential match up in SF2

Finish 3 or 4, you need to win 4 games to be premier, one more than now. But both teams get double chance, need to lose twice before eliminated from finals...both teams dont retain guanteed dbl chance in current final 8.

Finish 5 or 6, you need to win 4 games to be premier, the same as now. But both teams get a double chance, currently neither get double chance.

Finish 7 or 8, you need to win 5 games to be premier, one more than now. Neither team gets a dbl chance, same as now.

Finish 9 or 10, you need to win 5 games to be premier, currently dont get a chance at finals.

 

[Cuzz09]

That sounds awesome.

On SM-G925I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Sky]

I like that it was a Port Adelaide fan that created this thread a year after whats up there with the greatest days in Australian sporting history