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After much suspense and mathematics, the first week of finals has finally been locked in! The fixtures for week one of the AFL Finals in season 2016 are as follows:
West Coast vs Western Bulldogs
Second elimination final
6:10pm local time, 8:10pm AEST
Thursday 8 September
Domain Stadium
Geelong Cats vs Hawthorn Hawks
Second qualifying final
7:50pm AEST
Friday 9 September
MCG
Sydney Swans vs GWS Giants
First qualifying final
3:20pm AEST
Saturday 10 September
ANZ Stadium
Adelaide Crows vs North Melbourne Kangaroos
First elimination final
7:10pm local time, 7:40pm AEST
Saturday 10 September
Adelaide Oval
The order of play is a little different from the norm, which usually sees the two qualifying finals played before the elimination finals.
However the installation of a bye round before finals has allowed the AFL a bit more flexibility with when matches are played, and they’ve set up the first week fixture in a way they believe will “maximise both attendance and viewers.”
The winners of the first and second qualifying finals will immediately qualify for the first and second preliminary finals respectively.
The losers of the first and second qualifying finals will play the winners of the first and second elimination finals in the first and second semi-finals respectively – with the winners of those matches then going on to meet teams from the opposite side of the draw in the preliminary finals, which will then determine which teams compete in the 2016 AFL grand final.
The first week of finals immediately appears to be a tantalising set of fixtures with rivalries old and new on the card.
The GWS Giants will play their first ever final against their crosstown rival the Sydney Swans and after the two sides have gone 1-1 in their two meetings this season, it’s bound to be a thriller.
Hawthorn and Geelong is a rivalry as good as any and to see the two teams renew old acquaintances at the MCG in September is a sight that every footy fan on earth will have to tune in for.