AFL could implement an NFL-style ‘wildcard weekend’ for finals as soon as 2018 season

[kaiserchief13]

So a team that is worse than average, 10th, will have a free hit at making finals under this system.

No wonder club chiefs want this brought in. An extra game of revenue for two teams who otherwise wouldn't be good enough to make finals.

Irrelevant. Will bring in extra knockout games = extra $$$ plus lots of viewers

 

[spyglass]

further to my post above, if people are worried about maningless games near the end of the round robin stage 2 for the top 9, then perhaps do a full finals series as per the current system at the end of those 8 games, thus creating a 17 + 8 + 4 = 29 game season instead of the current 3 preseason + 22 + 4 = 29 game season

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Current finals system works fine and is the envy of the NRL

The NRL's envy is gone. They adopted it in 2012.

 

[JVseven]

Just **** off Gil you useless crab campaigner.

 

[spyglass]

It's fair but lacks excitement perhaps. Not enough finals. Rounds 18-25 could be a bit exciting for the top 9, but the games lack the immediate consequence that finals do.
The bottom 9 is still a bit blah. Currently, fans of those teams around 9-11 at round 17 have some excitement around trying to make the finals.

maybe top 1 or 2 teams from 9-18 get a wildcard for a finals system? A combination of all proposals, but what I like about my proposed system is a proper H&A draw for teams competing against each other for the finals.

 

[BEaston]

What does it mean to be a 'wildcard' in the NFL?

And what is a wildcard game?

The NFL has two conferences, the NFC and AFC.

Each conference has sixteen teams, and four divisions; each division has four teams.

All division winners make the playoffs.

The two best teams, by record, in each conference that DO NOT win their divisions, also make the playoffs as so-called "wild card" teams.

Thus, in each conference, four division winners and two wild cards make the playoffs (six teams total in each conference).

In the first wound of the playoffs, the two division winners with the best records in each conference receive byes to the next round.

But the division winners with the third and fourth best records in each conference don't get byes; these teams play home playoffs games against the wild card teams. These are called wild card playoff games.

It is unusual for a wild card team to win the Super Bowl.

Such teams typically must win three playoff games on the road to even GET to the Super Bowl (exception: both Wild Cards advance to the conference championship game; one of them would host).

However, Green Bay won last year's Super Bowl as a Wild Card; the Steelers also pulled this off a few years ago.

https://www.quora.com/What-does-it-mean-to-be-a-wildcard-in-the-NFL

gross

 

[brownlowbruce]

I don't get the hate for trying to improve the game. The finals should adapt to the extra teams.

The more teams that have some level of hope towards the end of the season, the better. At the end of the day, one of the top 4 will usually win, so it doesn't hurt to give other teams a chance.

All for finals being the top 10!

 

[legend166]

Seriously Gilligan and his mates are hopeless.

A wildcard in a single ladder system doesn't exist. A wildcard in American sports is designed to ensure that better performed teams aren't disadvantaged by being in a strong conference/division.

7 & 8 playing 9 & 10 isn't a wildcard round, it's just a top 10 finals where the top 6 get the first week off.

And of course clubs like it, they all want to play finals.

The quality of sports administration in this country is laughable. A huge sycophantic boys club. Somehow Gilligan makes Roger Goodell look like Einstein.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Can somebody explain to me wtf a wildcard round is?

In the NFL 4 teams (2 in each conference) gain a "wildcard" entry to playoffs to ensure a team in a strong division isn't disadvantaged and misses out on playoffs despite having a superior record.

In the AFL we have a single ladder so wildcard is unnecessary. However the AFL want to ensure more poor sides stay in the hunt of finals for longer as well as adding in extra games/finals for broadcasters. Therefore you get a "wildcard weekend" where 7vs10 and 8vs9 to determine the final 2 participants in the 8 team finals series.

It's ****ing stupid and nothing but a cash grab for no discernible benefit from a competition perspective

 

[Bazza97]

I don't get the hate for trying to improve the game. The finals should adapt to the extra teams.

The more teams that have some level of hope towards the end of the season, the better. At the end of the day, one of the top 4 will usually win, so it doesn't hurt to give other teams a chance.

All for finals being the top 10!

Are you Gil McLachlan?

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Why are they calling it a wildcard round. It's really just a final 10.

Yep just an extra week of elimination finals

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Please no. It's getting harder and harder to like this game.

The game is great, the competition is farcical.

 

[qarocks]

I agree with others, Gill & co are great at the business side but has no ****ing clue about the actual game.
LEAVE IT THE **** ALONE.

It is Australian Rules not American Rules.
If they introduced a wild card, the game would be forever changed and ruined and I would pretty much give it away.

As for the 18-4 idea, again mind blowingly stupid.
Just say saints/dees finish 6th and 7th (either or)

One would have to play 4 of the top 6 teams - could easily lose all 4.
the other would play much easier game - could easily win all 4.

One could drop out of the finals, while the other could be knocking on top 4.

 

[The Goon]

Bottom of top 9 would be playing meaningful games as they would be playing another 8 games against teams in their pool. After a while they might not be able to make the top 4 so at some stage they may not be meaningful, but its that a problem? It would be the same if they were in 12th position and playing out the rest of the season, so it has to happen at some stage.

The bottom 9 are mentioned, they are in a pool of 9 playing each other for some sort of reward - lottery picks? But this way is a fair H&A draw.

Historically after 17 rounds the top 4 doesn't change that much, and if it does its teams 5-6 that creep in, so I don't see it as an improvement on the current system. Unless you reset the points I doubt teams 6-9 would be playing for anything most years, and even if you did teams 6-9 would be unlikely to impact. The doggies managed it last year but only had to play 4 exceptional games, not 8+ 2 finals.

Also, with the bottom teams playing against each other you have to come up with an idea of what the reward would be and how it would play out - otherwise your missing half of your idea.

 

[SilentHunter_]

**** this current administration bunch of pathetic jokers. Piss off and leave the game as is.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I don't get the hate for trying to improve the game. The finals should adapt to the extra teams.

The more teams that have some level of hope towards the end of the season, the better. At the end of the day, one of the top 4 will usually win, so it doesn't hurt to give other teams a chance.

All for finals being the top 10!

8/16 teams making finals was bad as 50% of the comp were playing finals. 8/18 is better but now they want to make it 10/18 (>50%!) It's ridiculous

 

[spyglass]

Historically after 17 rounds the top 4 doesn't change that much, and if it does its teams 5-6 that creep in, so I don't see it as an improvement on the current system. Unless you reset the points I doubt teams 6-9 would be playing for anything most years, and even if you did teams 6-9 would be unlikely to impact. The doggies managed it last year but only had to play 4 exceptional games, not 8+ 2 finals.

Also, with the bottom teams playing against each other you have to come up with an idea of what the reward would be and how it would play out - otherwise your missing half of your idea.

revised version to bring in the top team from the bottom 9


1 – for the first 17 games - each team places each other once (the home team alternates each season)


2 – after 17 games there is a split into top 9 and bottom 9. Competition points and percentage remain for results against teams played in your pool during the first 17 games but are lost for teams that are not in your pool.


3 – have a bye week after the first 17 rounds so teams can prepare for the next stage (and the AFL can have more time to get the timing of the draw for the next 8 weeks right)


3 – in these 2 pools each team plays each other once, with the home team alternating with whoever had the home game in the first 17 rounds when they played. These results are then added to the scores/points gained the first time the teams played each other. That way an accurate home and away points system is used for both times the teams have played each other.


4 – at the end of these games in the Top 9 the first 6 teams have a week off and 7 plays the top team from the 2nd pool and 8 plays 9 in elimination games for the final 2 places for the final 8, which then runs as per the current final 8.


5 – the bottom 9 pool does not have a finals series but the final positions are used as part of a draft lottery under whatever format the AFL wants (as are the final results in the top 9 pool) and the top team plays the 7th team from the top pool in an elimination game to make the final 8


6 – The minimum number of games that a team plays is 25 and the maximum is 30 (which is an increase of 1 from the current 3 pre season + 22 rounds + 4 finals) so get rid of the pre-season games (and a team finishing in the top 6 will only play a maximum of 17 + 8 + 4 = 29 games). The extra games played offset potential lost revenue from Derbies, extra games against traditional rivals etc (which may still occur if the teams are placed in the same pool of 9 teams)


7 – the result is a fair system where each team plays both home and away against the teams that they are competing with for Top 9/Bottom 9

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Can we please just leave things as they are for a little while. League clearly has too much time on their hands trying to find stupid new initiatives. Agree with others if you finish 9-10 you don't deserve to be in the finals, seems like a participation award.

Still don't understand why they are so keen on this 17-5 bs. All I keep hearing is how its going to kill off dead rubbers. Like anyone is going to watch 5 rounds of 13th vs 18th will be a snorefest.

If anything they should be cutting down on games. 17 rounds, everyone plays eachother once and its the fairest solution. Will never happen as it'll cost too much money but adding more games isn't the answer.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

The comp is just starting to settle after the intro of the northern expansion sides and the compromised drafts, can't they just let the game breathe for a few years? The supporters are getting pissed off with the constant changes to the rules and structure of the comp. McLachlan has to go he is a dead set arrogant w***er, far far worse than Demetriou.

 

[Russian Demon]

This whole system works under the assumption you need 24 games in the regular season. Why?

17 game season (like the NFL), then the usual 4 weeks of finals. Couple of byes, chuck in a state of origin to be played with players from the non-finals clubs.

If the AFL can play these stupid rule change games, they can tell the broadcasters that this is what the product is. Its the only way to make a fair fixture, and it gives more meaning to every game. Good clubs won't be dropping sure wins when there are only 17 games in a season to get you into the top 8.

 

[Bazza97]

8/16 teams making finals was bad as 50% of the comp were playing finals. 8/18 is better but now they want to make it 10/18 (>50%!) It's ridiculous

It irks me that the AFL wants to give the opportunity for more than half the teams the chance to play finals, that shouldn't happen. If you're not good enough to be one of the top 8 teams for the season, you shouldn't play finals, simple as that. Giving more teams a chance to play finals doesn't sit well with me as I believe it somewhat takes away the exclusiveness of having the best 8 teams playing finals and therefore I think it lowers the benchmark for the comp also.

 

[Allan Shorty]

Wildcard is absolutely happening.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

An 18 team finals series? Clubs like the idea

It's amazing how bad the number of sports in this country are being administered. Surely it can't be that long before 'Nuts & Gum' hit our shelves

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Here is the reality, you will all keep going and watching it and the AFL know you will, they have been stuffing with the game for the best part of 20 years and week after week the public complain and say they are not happy but then go and watch it on the weekend.
Vote with your feet if your not happy, don't go to games and don't watch it, that is the only message they will listen to.
Complaining on big footy or talk back radio etc does absolutely nothing.

 

[Rob]

The more I think about this the more idiotic it is.

And I blame the Dogs. Winning the flag from 7th means the campaigners in the AFL will now point to that to market these dumbarse 'wildcard' games. 'Come along, if your team wins then you can win the flag!'

Reality is that there's more chance of Ben Cousins making a successful AFL comeback than one of these teams going all the way.