Last weekend AFL fans were treated to two fantastic games which saw a nail-biter at the MCG between the old stager Geelong and the new contender North Melbourne, followed by a remarkable comeback by the Power in the West.
In stark contrast, the previous week the two games which failed to deliver any sparkle whatsoever were the elimination finals, which saw a tired Essendon bow out and Richmond humiliated.
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This highlights that the ladder doesn’t lie and while those finishing fifth and sixth have looked the part and indeed upset their more fancied rivals, those finishing seventh and eight are average sides simply making up the numbers.
With a new television deal almost upon us, the AFL need to stop rewarding mediocrity and tighten the finals fixture to ensure that those who qualify are certain to provide finals-quality football and genuinely have a chance of taking the top prize.
Since 1994 the AFL has employed a top-eight final series and for the first six years used the McIntyre format.
This system saw the top side play the eighth-placed team, second would host seventh and so on during week one of the finals. The problem with this system and the reason it only lasted six years is that it did not provide those who had finished on top with a great enough reward.
In the inaugural top-eight final series in 1994 Carlton, who finished second, suffered a shock week-one loss and were forced to be the away side in week two, ultimately being bundled out in straight sets.
On the whole though, the McIntyre system saw a number of big blow outs, with miss-matched games during week one of every finals series. It did provide excitement in 1998 however when Adelaide, with a terrific three-week run of form during September, won an unexpected flag having finished fifth and losing their first final but remaining in the premiership race. This sort of reprieve should not be allowed for a team who finish outside the top four and it took the AFL just over a year to recognise their mistake.
Unsurprisingly this was the only time since the inception of a top eight that a team had come from outside the top four to claim a premiership. There needed to be greater reward given to those teams who had finished on top of the ladder rather than simply who was in the best form come finals time, otherwise what is the point of having such a lengthy season to determine the top sides?
The AFL soon realised this and in 2000 the current eight team play-off system was designed to, quite rightly, give the top four teams an advantage and a double chance at home should they lose in week one. Teams soon discovered that to finish outside the top four would almost certainly mean you had no chance of holding aloft the premiership cup.
But does this lessen the experience for those sides and does this system reward the teams that finish third and fourth too heavily?
Suddenly if the first and fourth placed teams are from the same state it is essentially a cutthroat final at both clubs’ home ground, or for those who are based at Etihad their final at the MCG could even seem on foreign soil (it certainly would for the Kangaroos for example).
It is time to truly reward those teams that finish in the top two positions.
So what is the solution? Finishing top eight out of eighteen teams rewards mediocrity and it must be a greater challenge to simply be in the finals race. It’s time to do away with the final eight and make it a top six.
From here the finals race becomes a simple three-week series, with the top two earning a week off and hosting the winners of third versus sixth and fourth versus fifth. This will lead to two cracking elimination finals which lead directly into a preliminary final and a genuine chance at a premiership for all sides, though the advantage is still with the top two.
People say finals football is more exciting but this year proved the run into the finals for teams like Richmond and West Coast can be just as intense and the games can be brilliant to watch.
What it also showed is that all the effort used by Richmond and Essendon to get to the finals meant they were burnt out by week one and never a chance to seriously challenge.
A top six, with third to sixth playing in week one, should mean sides are evenly matched and playing a high quality brand of football, but those lower finishing sides still have a realistic chance to lift the cup.
Finals football can’t have teams making up the numbers and a return to the top six would be a chance for the AFL to revise a stale format and truly reward those who have performed all season and deserve a chance at premiership glory.
Me Too
Guest
Top 16. Straight Knockout format. No teams doubling back to replay another after a loss. No switching opponents between the top four. Sudden death- bring it to every game or go out. Top gets the advantage of never meeting a team higher than fourth before the big dance. No more tanking as finals places go down to the wire. The KO 16 format is good enough for the soccer world cup, the nfl, european cup, etc. Would rejuvenate the competition.
Me Too
Guest
Agree. Certainly no better than top eight. The final five was the only decent system you can get in finals system, where top place gets a deserved advantage over second. Of course money talks and more games means more money, so no chance of going back to it.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
I reckon a final 9 is much more likely with the Minor Premiers sitting out but, obviously, would need a serious reshuffle. A Roarer recently recommended (I believe it was stats man Ryan B), in the last few rounds, a round robin of bottom 6, middle 6 and top 6 all facing each other with a clear influence on finals. Chief Gillon M also commented as this being a possibility. I do not necessarily like the idea, but am presenting it. Should we reduce it to top 6? Like others have said, no due to Finals experience. The finals are these teams' chances to test themselves against the best under extreme pressure, which allows them to mature and grow as players faster. Also, the Tigers commonly finishing 9th would not be as nearly as funny with a final 6.
Mark
Guest
Getting finals experience is a stepping stone to finals success. So having 8 finals teams (instead of 6) gives 2 extra teams a genuine chance to complete their apprenticeship for future success. It also raises more money for the AFL. You could argue that we should have 10 teams in the finals. This would be even more money for the AFL. This would have added West Coast and Adelaide to the finals. We could also argue that we should revert to 2 divisions with relegation or perhaps 2 separate zones that meet at the end aka US basketball. And we could also argue sides should play every other team once.
Pope Paul vii
Guest
The Top 6 was rubbish. Hated it.
me, I like football
Guest
No chance at winning the grand final
Michael huston
Guest
I think 8 is good. Teams 5-8 are usually the ones on the rise with plenty of youth that are on the verge of becoming great teams. Like Port, North and at times, Essendon and Richmond. Whilst I agree they are (almost) always making up the numbers, it's good to see which of those young sides looks to have the best future, and how they match up against the current great sides. Even if North and Port lose this week, the experience of playing against the likes of Hawthorn and Sydney in a final will be tremendous and will only help their improvement. Plus, it means you have elimination finals in week one, which are just thrilling even if the game ends up a dud.
Radelaide
Guest
Geez Nick, nice way to throw the coaches under the bus, there's enough pressure now to keep their jobs by coaching finals let alone putting another 2 on the chopping block each year.
Matt
Guest
A 14 team competition with a top 6 would mean a quality season and great finals. Too many teams dilute the talent
Casper
Guest
It's bizarre that you say Essendon had no chance. They were 5 goals up and should really have won it.
me, I like football
Guest
Of course Essendon and Richmond had no chance, but you try telling those supporters that. Being in the finals gives them hope no matter how remote the chance. It also creates less pointless matches in the back end of the season. The top 8 works well and is fair and i love it.
Axle an the guru
Guest
I agree with Lee,it will go to a final 10 and lower the grade of finals even further,i would like to see it go back to the old final five but that wont happen. Final six would do me,it would give you the absolute cream in a finals playoff and in my opinion any team that finishes lower than six has not had a good enough year to have ernt a tilt at the premiership anyway.
EddyJ
Guest
Agree with the sentiment, but needs some more analysis. Quite often, the teams finishing eighth are bundled out, but not as often as one might think. Since 2000, the team finishing eighth has defeated the fifth team eight times (that's more than 50%), the team finishing seventh has only won three times. The thrashing of the team finishing eighth has only been a recent phenomenon. None of those teams have progressed through to the preliminaries, although a few have come close. The teams finishing seventh and eighth can build up finals experience and use that for future seasons, and that's a good thing.
Lee
Guest
I agree (6 is optimum), but it won't happen. We're stuck with 8 and the only foreseeable change will be for an increase to 10, not a decrease to 6. Quite simply, if we bring it back to 6, that will throw two more teams into the mix of those that mathematically can't make it. The AFL wants teams to be playing for something, as at the other end of the table, there isn't really anything that must be avoided (relegation).