Why have the finals stunk so much the last few years?

[legend166]

After a snooze fest that was the first round (Geelong losing by only 10 was fairly flattering), it hit me we haven't had a great finals series for a few years.

From 2016 to now, the average losing margin has been 38 points. Games with a margin under 20 points:

2016 = 2/9
2017 = 1/9
2018 = 3/9
2019 = 1/4

So almost 80% of games have a margin over 20 points.

For comparison's sake, from 2012 to 2015, only 55% of games had a margin over 20 points.

Now, this lines up perfectly with the introduction of the pre-finals bye but it's pretty hard to say that correlation = causation.

 

[PP34]

I don’t know but it’s ******* tiring to watch.

If my own team is going to miss I at least want the finals to be close affairs.

Watched so many finals lately that seem over from the first few minutes.

 

[dmc333]

Less Ross Lyon and his acolytes bodging the game up?

 

[PerthBoy86]

Well I can't see how the bye could possibly make finals LESS equal all things being equal.

I think it's just a natural fluctuation, really. At least the 16 and 18 grannies were close affairs. None of the 90s grannies were close.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Footy is a momentum based game more than it ever has been now.

 

[JackFlash]

Answer: THE BYE!

 

[halalsnackpack]

I agree, the finals have been s**t since Freo have stopped competing in them

 

[DaveEgoat]

Laughable the OP is a Sydney supporter

No COLA = no Sydney in finals

And now the finals stink all of a sudden

 

[sprockets]

Two topics about the same thing created by two Sydney supporters. Wonder if it's got anything to do with Sydney being a shadow of its former self...

The quality of AFL finals on the decline?

I may be looking at the past with rose coloured glasses but I can't help but think about recent years with finals and just how many games have been blowouts. Was it always like this, or is there a specific reason why finals don't seem to be as close as they once were? For example in the finals...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[DaveEgoat]

Two topics about the same thing created by two Sydney supporters. Wonder if it's got anything to do with Sydney being a shadow of its former self...

The quality of AFL finals on the decline?

I may be looking at the past with rose coloured glasses but I can't help but think about recent years with finals and just how many games have been blowouts. Was it always like this, or is there a specific reason why finals don't seem to be as close as they once were? For example in the finals...

www.bigfooty.com

Had a feeling I wouldn’t be the only one who noticed that

 

[Kummerspeck]

No COLA = no Sydney in finals

17 and 18?

 

[DaveEgoat]

17 and 18?

Oh please

It was always gonna take a couple of years to wear off

But boy when it did.....

 

[Great8]

Talent pool is too diluted and too many blokes playing that aren’t up to standard. When the heat gets turned up in a final these blokes get found out with their poor decision making and skills.

 

[Coaster2012]

It's a strange one. The last 2 finals series, besides a few games, whoever gets momentum early seems to run away with it.

 

[Kummerspeck]

Oh please

It was always gonna take a couple of years to wear off

Well, I guess anything is true if you really believe it

 

[dumb]

Talent pool is too diluted and too many blokes playing that aren’t up to standard. When the heat gets turned up in a final these blokes get found out with their poor decision making and skills.

If they're in every team they should cancel each other out.

Bulldogs, Essendon - middle of the road teams that came up against a couple of teams that were in top 4 contention through the year.
Brisbane - finals inexperience?
Geelong - patchy last half of the year

 

[footyfan1978]

Maybe too many finals at NIGHT...

 

[The Chad and I]

The last great team to win it was Hawthorn.
There just hasn't been a team capable of playing to that high standard since 2015.
There have been some good contests, but at a much lower standard.

 

[mcgarnacle]

If they're in every team they should cancel each other out.

Bulldogs, Essendon - middle of the road teams that came up against a couple of teams that were in top 4 contention through the year.
Brisbane - finals inexperience?
Geelong - patchy last half of the year

Bulldogs are a good team but they lost matches against teams they shouldn’t have lost to, and had to peak in August to make finals. That means tapering and little volume in their training to make sure they were right for games. They were always going to struggle without the work. It was nothing like their 7th in 2016 when they were top 4 until the last few rds and they dropped a couple of matches due to injury.

You’ll generally find 7th and 8th are scrapping to make it and are playing their finals a month out so training is adjusted to account for this. Even Hawthorn would’ve been belted.

Then you have a team like Richmond with the best lead in to a finals any club could wish for. 7 straight games at home including five 7+ days turnarounds between matches to round out season. They’re tuned to perfection

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Two topics about the same thing created by two Sydney supporters. Wonder if it's got anything to do with Sydney being a shadow of its former self...

The quality of AFL finals on the decline?

I may be looking at the past with rose coloured glasses but I can't help but think about recent years with finals and just how many games have been blowouts. Was it always like this, or is there a specific reason why finals don't seem to be as close as they once were? For example in the finals...

www.bigfooty.com

Probably not, because we're demonstrably not a shadow of our former self.

But I'm accustomed to Sydney haters being predictably unwilling to inform themselves about our great club.

Prejudice would never get anywhere without ignorance prodding it along at every step.

 

[Lord Rod]

Pretty sure last years Grand Final was one of the best games I’ve ever watched. Ultimately that’s what everyone remembers.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Do a Final 6 over 5 weeks,
ditch the pre-finals bye

Week 1
1v2
3v4
5v6

Week 2 onwards becomes the old Final 5
Bye: 1/2 winner
QF: 1/2 loser v 3/4 winner
EF: 3/4 loser v 5/6 winner

Limiting the finals to the top 6 may increase the standard, a few repeat match ups are possible in Weeks 3 and 4 but can switch home/away side for variance... 9 finals over 5 weeks

Con is that you need to be in the top third of the comp to play finals, which is good but low sides play dead rubbers early

 

[deck]

It isn't scripted tv where we get on the edge cliff hanger at the end of every episode. If you don't like beat downs in sport then stick to soap opera.

 

[Bollox]

Worst finals series for 10 years.
So damn boring.
Unwatchable.

 

[rumply]

The obvious answer is the Bye so I'll go with that. For a first round of a finals series, it sure has been a stinker. Viewer numbers would be interesting, plenty would have been switching off & with good reason. But I'm sure HQ will confirm everything is honky dory.