The pre finals bye

[Toump Ass]

Concussion protocol alone is enough of a reason for a grand final bye for me.

Injuries happen; we don’t have two week breaks for the prelims.
As a supporter of a team in the grand final, it really sucked.

 

[emuboy]

The pre finals bye is a classic example of unintended consequences.

The reasons for bringing it in were sound enough in theory. It was to stop clubs resting players in the final round, a situation becoming farcical by the mid 2010s, and to allow competing clubs an extra week to get players carrying injuries time to recover and fresh for the finals. It also was to help teams in travel conundrums. Say for example the West Coast Eagles played and defeated the Gold Coast Suns at Carrara in the final round to get 7th position, but the way the other results fell resulted in the Brisbane Lions finishing 6th, and a Lions vs. Eagles elimination final at the GABBA. What do the Eagles do? Fly all the way back to Perth and back again in a week, or have an unscheduled week-long stay in Queensland?

However, it hasn't really worked out that way, and some of the results in the finals series results since the bye was introduced have been abominable. The 2021 finals series with no bye aside from the one before the GF and this was due to COVID protocols was good to watch, with some excellent standard games and the best team for the season and on the day winning the premiership.

 

[Zevon]

Not a fan of the pre-finals or pre-GF bye. Will concede there are good arguments for a pre-GF bye though in this day and age of concussion protocols etc.

But yeah the pre-finals bye? It’s garbage. The fans clearly don’t want it but the AFL have shown time and again they don’t really give two hoots what the fans want

 

[LukeParkerno1]

If they have to have it, I'd prefer it before the finals, but I don't get why we need it in the first place. There isn't enough on to justify a pre GF bye. This isn't the NFL where they have college bowls and other games, etc to fill in the days. What do we have? The Brownlow...oh yippee.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

It will help Richmond get to a GF this year imo.

 

[Pistol Night]

It will help Richmond get to a GF this year imo.

Yeah, if all the other teams in the 8 catch monkey pox during the bye

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Without the figures to back me up on hand I can only allege that historically the bye has conspired to roughly root my team, with no foreplay offered nor no aftercare given and no next-day phone call neither.

<sigh>

Maybe this year will be different.

 

[Billy ray]

Move the Brownlow medal to the Saturday night on this bye weekend.

 

[Tackle Bag]

Have a Pre GF bye with a state of origin game on bye week that has access to all team lists bar the two GF sides.

 

[banzai]

Concussion protocol alone is enough of a reason for a grand final bye for me.

No one will get concussion in a prelim surely. They will say its a jaw injury or something if subbed out in a prelim.

 

[banzai]

The double bye for teams that win the qualifying finals has seen many teams produce shocking performances in prelims certainly early in the game. Geelong 2016, Richmond 2018, Collingwood 2019, possibly Richmond 2019 as well, Geelong just wasted many chances and left us in the game. Before the pre finals bye you were close to a certainty to win the prelim with the week off. Having said that Port last year were pathetic in the Prelim and there was no prefinals bye.

 

[Blackhawk42]

This is when a combined Vic side vs SA, WA and The Allies under 18 All Australian showcase should take place.

Put it on a Saturday night. Promote the hell out of the top 10 draft prospects.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Would prefer the week before the grand final be the bye. Let the state leagues run their grand finals in the off-week, while also giving players the best chance of playing (due to concussion protocols changing)

 

[LordLucifer]

It's time to say bye-bye to all byes across the whole season.

 

[JohnZ]

1. No Bye
2. Pre-GF Bye
3. Pre-Finals Bye

Currently the AFL has the worst option possible.

 

[Coolangatta]

It’s back before the first week of August. A pre-grand final bye is better off especially with the 12 day concussion protocol

That's the best reason, and another good reason is that if a team from outside the top four busts their arses on the road to get into the GF, a week off gives them time to freshen up for a red hot crack on GF day. I base that on thinking GWS were cooked by the time they played Richmond in 19.

 

[Coolangatta]

Have a Pre GF bye with a state of origin game on bye week that has access to all team lists bar the two GF sides.

I like that, Victoria v The All-Stars, but we need a better name for them.

Victoria v Up Yours Vics?

 

[BigVic]

Will be interesting to see how Geelong and Sydney go. Only West Coast and Collingwood and Adelaide and Richmond advanced to the Grand Final after the pre-finals bye.

 

[Coolangatta]

Will be interesting to see how Geelong and Sydney go. Only West Coast and Collingwood and Adelaide and Richmond advanced to the Grand Final after the pre-finals bye.

I’m pretty sure Melbourne would have if there was one last year. Port I dunno. Got a feeling it’s not gonna be a Geelong v Sydney GF though. They’ve both been so good for so long yet haven’t played off in the big one.

 

[BigVic]

Should be after the prelim especially with the concussion protocol.

 

[BigPond101]

Have a Pre GF bye with a state of origin game on bye week that has access to all team lists bar the two GF sides.

Thats a pretty good idea but you'd need huge incentives to make the players want to play. The last state of origin style game in 2011 or whenever it was sucked because the players didn't want to be there and barely tried. This would be even worse because your cutting into their off season time.

$50k to each player on the losing team, $100k each to the winning team to ensure they actually try once they've been selected. The AFL should make enough cash having a big game when footy fever is at it's peak to pay for it

 

[Billy ray]

Hopefully this is the last year of it

 

[NetworkNerd]

Hopefully this is the last year of it

Great for Carlton. Bad for clubs with momentum like Geelong, Sydney, Hawthorn etc

I don't mind it myself. Used to it now

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Complete waste of a week and breaks all momentum going into finals.

 

[The 747]

The season is already too long, the bye kills all momentum, The 747 hates it.