A wildcard weekend in the AFL? Sure, why not? It’s a great idea!
After all, the season is already set up so that after playing 22 rounds, the team with the eighth-best performance is given a chance at the premiership – why not extend that to the tenth-best?
Nothing could enrich the competition more than allowing teams that aren’t even in the top half of the ladder contend for the flag.
Unless that is, it’s the idea that the wildcard round could feature the eighteen teams split into three pools, with the winner of the bottom pool given a chance at a wildcard finals entry.
That would mean you could get the thirteenth-best team playing in the finals, and I don’t think any true footy-lover could begrudge that finals spot to a team that has toiled hard all year to finish a whole five places above the wooden spooners.
The great thing about all these proposals for fixture revamps is that they achieve such a wonderful balance between absolute scrupulous fairness, and responsiveness to the huge groundswell of support for fixture alterations.
The AFL does, after all, have a responsibility to its fans, and if those fans keep marching in the streets demanding the finals system be drastically changed, what other option do they have?
(AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
My only worry is that maybe the AFL is being too conservative in its ideas for spicing up the season. Surely Gillon MacLachlan is willing to think outside the box and consider some more innovative proposals. Such as:
The Reverse Finals
Finals are too predictable when they feature the best versus the best. In this formula, the team at the bottom of the ladder at the end of the home and away season is given an automatic berth in the grand final, while the team that finishes first is expelled from the competition permanently. It gives an added frisson to traditional end-of-season tanking efforts.
The Endless Finals
It’s pretty obvious that the finals are the most exciting time of year for fans, so why restrict them to one month a year?
In this system, the home and away standings are determined by coin toss, then we play elimination finals for two months, preliminary finals for two months, and then five whole months of the grand final played every weekend.
The Susquehanna Crosshatch Sideslip
Under this system, at the end of the home and away season, all teams are sorted into nine pools based on a weighted average of their scoring percentage combined with goalkicking accuracy.
These pools then play each other, then the winners play the losers of every other pool and the losers play the winners. In the event of a tie, the tying teams have a bye which must be spent in Arizona.
After these rounds, the team on top of the standings is given a spot in the grand final if they want it, but they have to play with only seventeen players.
Or they can choose “what’s in the box”, which could be a preliminary final against the wooden spooners, or a drugs scandal.
Teams 2-7 play off to decide who has the best seats in the grand final replay, which occurs one week after the grand final, whatever the result.
Teams 8-11 are designated “jokers”, and may run on to the field at any time during the grand final as a general disruption.
Teams 12-18 must swap their biggest and smallest players for each other and then play an entire full-length season amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, the minor premier and the team that finished fourth play the grand final except in a leap year, which means it’s team 2 versus team 6.
Any set shot that hits the post in a grand final wins a car. The premier is whichever team raises the most money for charity.
The Violent Finals
The finals are played as usual, but there are no restrictions on foul play and you get three points for drawing blood.
Super-Season
In order that the inequities of the home and away season are removed, every team now plays every other team three times, making the home and away season fifty-one weeks long. The players still standing then form two teams and have a kick around at a local park on the other weekend.
Super-Season Mk II
In order that the inequities of the home and away season are intensified, Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond rotate through each other every week, West Coast and Fremantle play every game in Launceston, Brisbane isn’t told where it’s playing till 11am on the morning of the game, and Hawthorn gets to take any Bulldogs player it feels like for free.
At the end of the season is the grand final pre-game entertainment, after which everyone goes home.
The Finals-Tacular Entertainment Extravangazathon
Under this system, the finals format stays the same, but every finals match is three times as long, to triple the entertainment for fans. The grand final takes place over three days, with the middle day consisting of the national draft being conducted in the middle of the MCG.
Now that would be finals footy!
Steve009
Roar Rookie
2 conferences: a conference comprising of all the Victorian teams, we could call it the VFL, the other conference would comprise of the non Victorian clubs called the AFL. Each conference would play separate of each other for their regular seasons, with each team playing a home and away game against the other teams in their conference. This would increase Blockbusters and remove the nuisance of travel all together for Victorian teams. Seperate top 4 finals for each conference with the winner of each conference coming together to play in the world championship game to be held at the neutral new home of football, Shanghai. Victorian's with grand final tickets would be awarded free flights and accommodation. If however the Victorian team does lose in the world championship game, the game would then be replayed at the MCG a week later.
Bee bee
Guest
I think you under estimate the tank. In this scenario. Teams 10, 11, 12 suddenly start tanking to drop into the bottom 6. It's hard to think of a scenario that does not lend itself to abuse when you reward poor performance.
John
Guest
How about every 5 mins supporters vote online to remove a player of the field from each team. Then it comes down to the last player from each club who battle it out to the death and whoever is left standing their club are now the premier's!!! Now that's a final series!!!! I think the current system where we know all players will walk from the field is too predictable and imagine the ratings to see who would win in this scenario!!!!!
GJ
Guest
I guess it depends on the date you make the assumption ..
GJ
Guest
How many?
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Some seriously good ideas here.
Ben
Guest
I believe the AFL are also looking at a system where the 2 grand final teams can choose 2 players from any eliminated team to draft into their team, except if there is no-one they want they can take them from the opposing team.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Yep, Im guessing you couldnt slide lower than sixth in the top group, a it should be a contest for the double chance but then if you lose a couple why not rest your players. its crazy whichever way you dress it up.
Philby
Guest
On your other point Milo, '...if you finish 6th....' - well, that's a can of worms as well. That's because if you are 6th by the end of round 17, your draw then becomes that you play all 5 teams above you from rounds 18 - 23. If you lose the first two, as you say, well, you'd likely be in danger of dropping to 7th or 8th or worse. In other words, your reward for good play to get to 6th would be to be given the toughest draw possible, while teams from 7-12 get to play each other and so have a much better chance of getting wins and climbing up the ladder. It's patently unfair and would reward lower teams for poor results over teams that have achieved good results. Hopeless.
Philby
Guest
Rather than relegation, I think it would be interesting for the bottom six sides to compete for the number 1 draft pick. After all, the number 1 draft pick is a real prize. So why should the crappiest team, that is not playing its best players (i.e. including veterans) by 'getting games into the kids' be rewarded for 'soft tanking'?
Philby
Guest
Milo, I wish you were correct, but the idea I've seen floating around is for the bottom six to play each other in the final 5 rounds, and the team that finishes 13th goes into a Wildcard playoff for 8th spot against the 8th-placed team. It's a bit like landing on a ladder in snake's and ladders. Madness!
I ate pies
Guest
Most years 8-10 teams have no chance anyway. That won't change.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Finals? What's that again
Bee bee
Guest
They only need five more expansion teams to make a 22 round comp reality. I propose Team NT dynamite. Hobart Hawklets. Cairns Clams. Broome Sweepers and Canberra Senators. Make it happen Gillon.
Bee bee
Guest
I think Nick Xenaphons brain just exploded.
Bee bee
Guest
Until your team drops out of contention and then the season becomes drudgery for weeks and weeks. Kind of like what it feels like to be a Lions fan now.
Bee bee
Guest
No. Still no chance.
Hammerhead
Guest
If the top 8 is decided with seven or eight rounds to go the fans will lose interest. If the AFL is going with that system then you might need EPL style promotion and relegation to keep people watching the AFL in the last 7-8 rounds before the finals series.
Alchemist
Guest
I think you missed the point, Pauly.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Philby i think the proposal about the three groups IS that the bottom six play for the #1 draft pick. Well the one i saw anyways. The other point is say if you finish sixth and lose your first two, why wouldn't you just play for the first week of 'finals' by resting/rotating your top players from then on. The best solution wont happen cos it means less $$. That is, play 17 rounds (alternating home games each year) and leave the finals as is.