Under a 20 team league, construct a 10 team final series

[ioppolo]

Depends on how you want to look at it. If there's money to be made then it will be considered as an option. $$$ almost always trumps any other factor when it comes to decisions like this in pro sports.

So ask yourself - would a top 10 AFL finals system create more revenue? We all know the answer to that question so don't be surprised when it happens.

Gonna be some ho hum matches. Let's say Sydney fall off a cliff and finish 10th, and match up against Port who finish a disappointing 7th.

I don't think either fan base will be super enthusiastic about the match up.

 

[GC2015]

Gonna be some ho hum matches. Let's say Sydney fall off a cliff and finish 10th, and match up against Port who finish a disappointing 7th.

I don't think either fan base will be super enthusiastic about the match up.

Maybe. Or maybe it ends up being an epic battle between two teams who are desperate to progress. That's the beauty of sudden death clashes - you never know what's going to happen under those bright lights when there is no next week.

 

[Obzerva]

I was going to say imagine a grand final with 1st vs 10th and how ridiculous that would be.

But based on this year, that would be Sydney vs Fremantle.
The Dockers would probably have their first flag.

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

I’m for keeping the top 8 with 20 teams, but wildcard round 7 v 10, 8 v 9.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I’m for keeping the top 8 with 20 teams, but wildcard round 7 v 10, 8 v 9.

So, a top ten where six teams get a first week bye.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I'd probably replace the pre-finals bye with a week where the top 8 get a bye and the teams that finish 9th and 10th are eliminated.

 

[OxfordCambridge]

The AFL Finals System​

Regular Season​

• Teams: 20
• Rounds: Each team plays each other once (19 rounds)
• Home/Away: Each team gets an equal number of home and away games

Finals System​

1. Top 10 Teams: The top 10 teams qualify for the finals.
2. Wild Card Round (Week 1):
   • 6th vs 10th and 7th vs 9th play knockout games.
   • Winners advance to the next round.
3. Elimination Round (Week 2):
   • 1st and 2nd place get a bye.
   • 3rd vs Lowest Seed Wild Card Winner and 4th vs Highest Seed Wild Card Winner.
   • 5th vs 8th in a knockout game.
   • Winners move on to the semi-finals.
4. Semi-Finals (Week 3):
   • 1st vs Lowest Seed Remaining and 2nd vs Highest Seed Remaining.
   • Winners advance to the Preliminary Finals.
5. Preliminary Finals (Week 4):
   • Winner of 1st/Lowest Seed vs Winner of 5th/8th.
   • Winner of 2nd/Highest Seed vs Winner of 3rd/4th.
   • Winners progress to the Grand Final.
6. Grand Final (Week 5):
   • Held at the MCG.
   • Winners of the Preliminary Finals face off for the Premiership.

 

[FreddyTwoShoes]

The AFL Finals System​

Regular Season​

• Teams: 20
• Rounds: Each team plays each other once (19 rounds)
• Home/Away: Each team gets an equal number of home and away games

Finals System​

1. Top 10 Teams: The top 10 teams qualify for the finals.
2. Wild Card Round (Week 1):
   • 6th vs 10th and 7th vs 9th play knockout games.
   • Winners advance to the next round.
3. Elimination Round (Week 2):
   • 1st and 2nd place get a bye.
   • 3rd vs Lowest Seed Wild Card Winner and 4th vs Highest Seed Wild Card Winner.
   • 5th vs 8th in a knockout game.
   • Winners move on to the semi-finals.
4. Semi-Finals (Week 3):
   • 1st vs Lowest Seed Remaining and 2nd vs Highest Seed Remaining.
   • Winners advance to the Preliminary Finals.
5. Preliminary Finals (Week 4):
   • Winner of 1st/Lowest Seed vs Winner of 5th/8th.
   • Winner of 2nd/Highest Seed vs Winner of 3rd/4th.
   • Winners progress to the Grand Final.
6. Grand Final (Week 5):
   • Held at the MCG.
   • Winners of the Preliminary Finals face off for the Premiership.

point 2 - did you mean 7 v 10 & 8 v 9? The way it's written looks like 8th go straight through to week 2.

 

[HairyO]

Or reward the good teams and have a top 6. The idea that average should play finals is ridiculous.

 

[shammersting]

I think you have to keep it at 4 weeks. 5 weeks and a semi or preliminary weeks could lose some lustre. I remember 10 / 15years ago semi final weekends weren't that big. Dogs were only getting 40k to Sydney, and Brisbane.

I'm also not opposed to no double chances. Top teams if good enough should beat the lower placed teams!

10 team

Week 1:
7 v 10
8 v 9

Then 6 remaining teams join week 2 for elimation. Play by seeding or just have 1 v 8/9, 2 v 7/10 etc.

Or if you want 11 teams

Week 1:
6 v 11
7 v 10
8 v 9


Then top 5 teams join Week 2 for elimination.

 

[Run n Spread]

5 pairs of 2 can't get the maths to add up.
Only thing I can see working is the VFL system wild card copied.
Or everyone plays once 19 rounds 9 h and a plus gather round and an 8 week mini season. But can't work out a fair system

 

[Obzerva]

I’m for keeping the top 8 with 20 teams, but wildcard round 7 v 10, 8 v 9.

Isn't this just an extra week of finals under a different name?
eg pre-elimination finals

 

[HairyO]

Isn't this just an extra week of finals under a different name?
eg pre-elimination finals

The R0 of finals - i.e. just a dumb idea. Stop rewarding mediocrity.

 

[RonnieRaven]

23rds
Play everyone once + the other 3 teams in your group from the year before (1-4,5-8,9-12,13-16,17-20) + rivalry rd.
a mid year bye for everyone at once.
Finals
Week 1
7v10 8v9 (bye for top 6)
The week after start current finals system starts

 

[PCORF]

1-6 is guaranteed finals, while 7-10 plays in the play in.

Finals bye week has the play in, the first game on Friday night and second game Saturday Night.
7 vs 9
8 vs 10

QF 1 vs 4
QF 2 vs 3
EF 5 vs 8
EF 6 vs 7

EXAMPLE LADDER

Finals
1. Swans
2. Port
3. Geelong
4. GWS
5. Lions
6. Bulldogs
Play In (highest placed winner finishes 7th)
7. Hawthorn
8. Carlton W (Blues finish 7th)
9. Collingwood W (Pies finish 8th)
10. Fremantle

Play in 1: Hawthorn 7 vs Collingwood 9th (WIN) at MCG
Play in 2: Carlton 8th (WIN) vs Fremantle 10th at MCG/Docklands

QF Port vs Geelong at AO
EF Bulldogs vs Carlton at MCG
QF Swans vs GWS at SCG
EF Brisbane vs Collingwood at G

 

[Bronson_123]

2 x 10 team conferences.

Each conference plays their own conference twice and half the teams in the other conference once.

Then in finals you could either

• cross over conferences, ie. 1 conference A v team 2 conference B
• Or
• play it out as a top 8 like now, have a conference champion in each.

You could actually have one conference as victoria, the other as national. Would be cool.

Each way has a wildcard weekend though as you need the top 5 in each conference making it.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

2 x 10 team conferences.

Each conference plays their own conference twice and half the teams in the other conference once.

Then in finals you could either

• cross over conferences, ie. 1 conference A v team 2 conference B
• Or
• play it out as a top 8 like now, have a conference champion in each.

You could actually have one conference as victoria, the other as national. Would be cool.

Each way has a wildcard weekend though as you need the top 5 in each conference making it.

Permanent conferences suck balls. A random draw to create groups each year, except maybe keeping non-Vic pairs from the same state together, might work.
But otherwise you're essentially creating a permanent underclass even worse tan present fixturing, as the AFL would stack the big4 Vic clubs with the big WA and SA clubs to maximise big club revenues.

 

[jdstorm]

Top 10 sucks because multiples of 2 are required.

You’re better off going top 12.

Top 4 get a
Week 1 bye

So week 1

5vs 12, 6vs 11, 7vs 10 8 vs 9

Week 2

Game 1 = 1 vs Winner (8vs9)
Game 2 = 2 vs winner 7vs 10
Game 3 = 3 vs winner of 6vs 11
Game 4 = 4 vs winner of 5 vs 12

Week 3
Winner game 1 vs winner game 4
Winner game 2 vs Winner game 3

Week 4
Grand final

Edit:

I think there’s a real interesting discussion to have about “fair” outcomes vs interesting

Should teams that are good over the regular season get a significant advantage via format structure or is being the better team enough.

Right now the draw isn’t fair and is manufactured in a way to benefit worse teams getting an easier draw.


Personally I think the best teams playing each other twice in the finals (double chance) is boring and lacks drama.

When it comes to regular season just do what world cups do and have a random draw.

14 rounds.
Each team plays every other team once (19) then have a random draw at the start of the season where teams are placed into groups of 5 and the teams within a group play each other twice

It’s not fair but neither is the current draw and it adds drama/interest