Should the AFL introduce a 8th vs 9th play-off before finals series?

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Definitely agree........... Every AFL match is a "50/50" chance to win, to maintain interest for as many fans as possible , the odds of making finals should be approximately the same. So at least by season end there is still at least half the clubs with a finals chance.

Still only one team wins the flag anyway........ Keep it interesting for as long as possible.
 

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This forum is full of dinosaurs who hate any kind of change, and IIRC the sentiment was similar before the play-ins were introduced in the NBA. And the play-ins have been a big success for that sport.

Finishing 9-10th would still be a huge disadvantage by virtue of playing an extra elimination game, and no bye, which is what you want for teams finishing so low - but it does keep the dream alive for those teams and all those vying for a play-in spot in the final H&A rounds. It allows for things like a team who was crushed by injuries early in the season to make a late run. As for ‘rewarding mediocrity’, these teams would have to win 5 consecutive games against progressively better teams to win the flag. It’d be almost impossible but if it happened they’d be worthy. Was mediocrity rewarded in 2016 when the dogs won from 7th? I don’t think so.
There are no real downsides to this idea.
 
Just borrowing an idea from the NBA where they have a play-in before the play-off series commence. I think it would add some extra excitement/intrigue.

Given that we have 18 teams and only a top 8, would it be a good idea for the AFL to introduce a play-off game (one off game) between 8th and 9th placed teams at the end of the H/A season?
It could be played in the bye between the last H/A round and first round of the finals. The winner would play the 5th placed side in an elimination final (like usual).

What are your thoughts?
 

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This forum is full of dinosaurs who hate any kind of change, and IIRC the sentiment was similar before the play-ins were introduced in the NBA. And the play-ins have been a big success for that sport.
Got nothing to do with being a dinosaur. People don't want half the comp or more playing finals. The 22 games are supposed to mean something.

The NBA is the last league you would use as a good example on how to setup. 82 games and then they have 66% of teams compete for the playoffs no matter how you want to spin it and call it something else.
 
Got nothing to do with being a dinosaur. People don't want half the comp or more playing finals. The 22 games are supposed to mean something.

The NBA is the last league you would use as a good example on how to setup. 82 games and then they have 66% of teams compete for the playoffs no matter how you want to spin it and call it something else.
They also have divisions and conferences, where we have a single ladder. Yes, fixtures can be a bit lopsided, but that isn't the same thing as only being measured against a subset of teams.
 
Why do we see the need to keep Americanising our game?

Next thing you'll want a best of 5 game grand final series.
A best of 3 Grand Final would be awesome

Game 1- at venue of higher seed

Game 2- at venue of lower seed

Game 3- if required, at MCG

This would be a positive step towards making the AFL the AFL instead of the VAFL that it currently is

Fans from all over Australia could see their team play a GF live

It would further build AFL in NSW and QLD

The build up and excitement of the Grand Final wouldn't be lost because of an extra game, or 2. It would be supercharged.
 

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Week 1 = 1st v 18th, 2nd v 17th, 3rd v 16th, 4th v 15th, 5th v 14th, 6th v 13th, 7th v 12th, 8th v 11th, 9th v 10th.
Then everyone gets to play at least one finals game. It's only fair, particularly for North players.
Winners progress to week 3.
Week 2 = Loser of 1st v 18th plays the loser of 9th v 10th. Loser of 2nd v 17th plays the loser of 8th v 11th. Loser of 3rd v 16th plays the loser of 7th v 12th. Loser of 4th v 15th plays the loser of 6th v 13th. Sadly for the loser of these games they are out. But at least their players got to experience another finals football game.
Week 3 = Winners of the week 1 games play the winners of the week 2 games in a lotto system/random draw. Losers of these games can challenge their opponent to a rematch if they finished higher than them on the ladder in the home and away season (like they were able to do in the Grand Final in the early days of the game).
Week 4 = Any challenge games, per above.
Week 5 = Week off so the AFLW get another weekend of 'free air time' (with most fans finding an alternative, again).
Week 6 = I've lost it.
 
Yeah I'm sure people would of been real excited for Geelong v. Port game 2 in 2007.
Clearly not, but imagine
2005,
2006,
2008, giving those great Cats a chance at redemption
2009, where Saints and Geelong were unbeatable all year and played 2 classic games for the ages- round 14 and GF
2010 (with extra time after game 1 which should've always been the rule),
2011,
2012,
2013,
2014 when Sydney won 18 of their last 20 heading into the GF then got pummelled.
2015- where West Coast lost 1 game all year in Perth
2016
2017
2018
2020
2021 where Dogs led by 19 in the 3rd before being blown away and would've loved another crack

2007 and 2019 are the only years where a best-of-3 would've been a boring drag and taken away from the spectacle.

Every other year it would've been a great addition, adding suspense and drama, adding revenue to the AFL coffers, and building the brand around Australia.

Consider State of Origin Rugby League. One of the greatest events on the Australian sporting calendar. I often try to watch those games despite not really being a Rugby League fan. Clearly the best-of-3 aspect is part of what makes it so epic
 
Not exactly. At end of home and away season, whoever finishes 8th and 9th play each other in a single game in the week before the actual final series starts to determine who takes the final finals position
So a game between 8th and 9th. Maybe some sort of elimination game before the other finals?
 
This forum is full of dinosaurs who hate any kind of change, and IIRC the sentiment was similar before the play-ins were introduced in the NBA. And the play-ins have been a big success for that sport.

Finishing 9-10th would still be a huge disadvantage by virtue of playing an extra elimination game, and no bye, which is what you want for teams finishing so low - but it does keep the dream alive for those teams and all those vying for a play-in spot in the final H&A rounds. It allows for things like a team who was crushed by injuries early in the season to make a late run. As for ‘rewarding mediocrity’, these teams would have to win 5 consecutive games against progressively better teams to win the flag. It’d be almost impossible but if it happened they’d be worthy. Was mediocrity rewarded in 2016 when the dogs won from 7th? I don’t think so.
There are no real downsides to this idea.
Why have finals at all?

Just award the flag to the team that finishes on top of the ladder and have 25 rounds every year.
 
No, because I prefer the pre-GF bye over the pre-finals bye due to the concussion rule. Imagine Petracca or Charlie Cameron missing the GF because of a concussion? Get. f’ed. Keep it at the top 8; maybe when there are 20 teams, change it, but I don't know how a top 10 finals system would work.
This is a good idea actually. (But only cos of the concussion protocols.)

Maybe the AFL should bite the bullet and from the PF on no concussion protocols. You get concussd in the PF you miss the rest of the game but can play next week. And if you get concussed in the GF you can play after 20 minutes. Sooner or later someone is gonna knock out a key player in the PF out of frustration or in the GF as a tactical move and it will stuff the game up.

Right now there is an incentive for a player or coach to knock someone out at the start of the GF. Which is okay of you're an old school dinosaur like me, cos contact sport is just regulated violence, but kind of goes against the direction the AFL is trying to move in.
 
Clearly not, but imagine
2005,
2006,
2008, giving those great Cats a chance at redemption
2009, where Saints and Geelong were unbeatable all year and played 2 classic games for the ages- round 14 and GF
2010 (with extra time after game 1 which should've always been the rule),
2011,
2012,
2013,
2014 when Sydney won 18 of their last 20 heading into the GF then got pummelled.
2015- where West Coast lost 1 game all year in Perth
2016
2017
2018
2020
2021 where Dogs led by 19 in the 3rd before being blown away and would've loved another crack

2007 and 2019 are the only years where a best-of-3 would've been a boring drag and taken away from the spectacle.

Every other year it would've been a great addition, adding suspense and drama, adding revenue to the AFL coffers, and building the brand around Australia.

Consider State of Origin Rugby League. One of the greatest events on the Australian sporting calendar. I often try to watch those games despite not really being a Rugby League fan. Clearly the best-of-3 aspect is part of what makes it so epic
Ever notice what kind of sports play a multi game playoff. They are sports that are played every day or every other day. Both Basketball and Baseball play a massive schedule and then have the multi game playoffs every 2nd day.

State of Origin Rugby League has a best of 3 due to only having 2 teams and the games are played weeks apart. Most the blokes would struggle to perform at that level if games were played over 3 successive weeks.
 
8 vs 9
7 vs 10

Advantages

- Keeps more fans interested for longer

- Removes the annoying, anticlimactic week off on eve of finals

- Genuine advantage for top 6 who still get the extra week off. Currently there's a massive advantage finishing top 4 instead of 5th, but comparatively minimal advantage finishing 5th instead of 8th. This system would create an advantage more aligned with ladder position earned over 22 games. (Of course, it does mean 7th has minimal advantage over 10th, but at that point you're talking 2 mid rung teams).

- If you win more games than you lose, as 9th and 10th often do, you deserve a crack at finals

Winners all round.

Can't see any downsides. The bye gives this a perfect window to happen. It's a no brainer. Or just go 8 vs 9, either would be a great addition
I'd rather a top 9 system, and one that puts the minor premier straight to a semi final appearance that qualifies them to the grand final if they win like the SANFL finals system. That might be too much for 4 weeks of finals, would need to increase the finals to 5 weeks, unless there's a "ladder" system like the 1994-1999 finals series.
 

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Should the AFL introduce a 8th vs 9th play-off before finals series?

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