AFL Finals System
The current AFL finals system was devised by the Australian Football League in 2000 as its end-of-season championship playoff. The system is a revision of the McIntyre Final Eight System, devised by Kenneth McIntyre, in which the top eight finishers in the competition playoff to determine which two teams will play in the Grand Final.
AFL Grand Final parade in 2006How The Finals System Works
Week one
In the first week of finals, the top four teams play the two Qualifying Finals, with the winners of these games getting a bye through to Week Three of the tournament, while the losers get home games in Week Two. The bottom four teams play the two Elimination Finals, where the winners advance to Week Two away games and the losers are out of the finals race:
- 1st Qualifying Final: 1st seed hosts 4th seed
- 2nd Qualifying Final: 2nd seed hosts 3rd seed
- 1st Elimination Final: 5th seed hosts 8th seed
- 2nd Elimination Final: 6th seed hosts 7th seed
Week Two
- 1st Semifinal: Loser of 1st QF hosts winner of 1st EF
- 2nd Semifinal: Loser of 2nd QF hosts winner of 2nd EF
Week Three
- 1st Preliminary Final: Winner of 1st QF hosts winner of 2nd SF
- 2nd Preliminary Final: Winner of 2nd QF hosts winner of 1st SF
Week Four
- Grand Final: Winners of the two preliminary finals meet at the MCG for the Grand Final.
- Until recently, If there is a draw, the teams played again the following week. In 2016, a new 'golden point' system was introduced. In the event of scores being tied after two additional five-minute halves, the game would continue until the next score. This applies to all finals games.
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