944:. The two games played immediately before the grand final, which would be known as semi-finals in a knock out tournament, are called "preliminary finals". The semi-finals refer to the two games preceding the preliminary finals. This unusual terminology is a consequence of retaining aspects of the terminology used under the
785:
Under this finals system, the final eight teams are broken up into two halves of four teams which are in turn split into two pairs each. The higher a team's position on the ladder, the greater benefits they receive. The top half of the ladder has two key advantages. These teams only need to win twice
793:
A team's final rank in the home-and-away season also determines their pairings for the first week. In the qualifying finals, 1st place plays 4th place and 2nd place plays 3rd place; in the
Elimination Finals, 5th place plays 8th place and 6th place plays 7th place. The better a team's rank, the more
810:
finals: the qualifying final and whatever final they play next (Preliminary Final if they win, Semi-Final if they lose). They also have the benefit of only needing to win twice to reach the grand final. If they win the qualifying final, they earn the bye to the
Preliminary Final; otherwise they get
740:
The eight finalists are split into two groups for the opening week of the Finals Series. The top four teams have the best chance of winning the premiership and play the two
Qualifying Finals. The winners get a bye through to Week Three of the tournament to play home Preliminary Finals, while the
59:
The system is designed to give the top four teams an easier road to the grand final than the second four teams. The top four teams need to win only two finals to reach the grand final, while the second four teams need to win three. The two winning teams of the top four receive a
790:; since the qualifying final is non-elimination, losers still have a second chance to reach the grand final by winning their two other Finals. Teams in the top six get the benefit of at least one home final; the top two teams play two home finals.
52:
in the 2000 season. The eight teams, which are ranked or seeded in advance of the tournament, participate in a four-week tournament, with two teams eliminated in each of the first three weeks. The
831:
their next final. Like the top two, these teams only need to win twice to reach the grand final. Winning the qualifying final earns them the bye to the
Preliminary Final; losing gives them the
741:
losers play home Semi-Finals in Week Two. The bottom four teams play the two
Elimination Finals, where the winners advance to Week Two away games and the losers' seasons are over.
920:
961:
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30:
This article is about the tournament system used in the
Australian Football League since 2000. For the Australian Football League finals series itself, see
794:
advantageous (or less disadvantageous) the matchup. After the first week, matchups are determined directly by the results of the previous week.
989:
64:
in the second week of the playoff and then play at home in the third week, and the two losing teams play at home in the second week.
924:
1674:
786:
to reach the grand final (either a
Qualifying or Semi-Final and a Preliminary Final), and they have the benefit of the
17:
982:
56:
is played in the fourth week between the two remaining teams, with the winning team awarded the premiership.
1679:
68:
975:
49:
72:
71:
that had been in use in that competition from 1994 to 1999. The system has also been adopted by the
84:
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1648:
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1633:
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900:
940:
Under the AFL finals series, the term "semi-final" has different usage to that a traditional
76:
941:
8:
880:
890:
998:
895:
31:
855:
of their finals (Elimination, Semi-, and
Preliminary Finals) to avoid elimination.
67:
The AFL introduced the system in 2000 to address several perceived issues with the
945:
885:
1668:
80:
61:
53:
967:
45:
815:
and can still reach the
Preliminary Final by winning the Semifinal.
964:
Contains a brief summary of the finals systems used in the VFL/AFL
948:
from 1931 until 1993, when only one preliminary final was played.
42:
766:
2nd
Preliminary Final: Winner of 2nd QF hosts winner of 1st SF
763:
1st Preliminary Final: Winner of 1st QF hosts winner of 2nd SF
736:
2nd elimination final: 6th ranked team hosts 7th ranked team.
733:
1st elimination final: 5th ranked team hosts 8th ranked team.
730:
2nd qualifying final: 2nd ranked team hosts 3rd ranked team.
727:
1st qualifying final: 1st ranked team hosts 4th ranked team.
753:
2nd semi-final: Loser of 2nd QF hosts winner of 2nd EF
750:
1st semi-final: Loser of 1st QF hosts winner of 1st EF
776:
Grand Final: Winner of 1st PF meets Winner of 2nd PF.
27:
Playoff system used by the Australian Football League
851:any other finals they reach. These teams must win
780:
1666:
95:
983:
936:
934:
990:
976:
997:
931:
867:throughout the finals and also must win
14:
1667:
871:of their finals to avoid elimination.
506:
184:
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247:
214:
194:
180:
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167:
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144:
818:
797:
24:
838:
827:for the qualifying final but then
83:, and were previously used by the
25:
1691:
955:
145:Qualifying and elimination finals
716:
781:Advantages for ladder positions
913:
87:in the 1995 and 1996 seasons.
79:. Similar systems are used by
41:is an eight-team championship
13:
1:
906:
757:
48:developed and adopted by the
847:their Elimination Final and
770:
7:
874:
744:
721:
69:McIntyre final eight system
10:
1696:
1675:Australian Football League
165:
163:
90:
50:Australian Football League
29:
1481:
1005:
678:
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672:
655:
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73:Victorian Football League
962:Grand Finals at the MCG
85:Australian Rugby League
901:Super League play-offs
843:Fifth and sixth place
39:AFL final eight system
999:VFL/AFL finals series
462:2nd Preliminary Final
459:2nd elimination final
314:1st Preliminary Final
295:1st elimination final
77:National Rugby League
942:knock out tournament
835:via the Semi-Final.
613:2nd qualifying final
195:1st qualifying final
881:Argus finals system
863:The last two teams
823:The next two seeds
1680:Tournament systems
891:Top five play-offs
859:Seventh and eighth
802:The top two seeds
161:Preliminary finals
1662:
1661:
896:Top six play-offs
713:
712:
32:AFL finals series
18:AFL finals system
16:(Redirected from
1687:
992:
985:
978:
969:
968:
949:
946:McIntyre systems
938:
929:
928:
927:on 4 March 2016.
923:. Archived from
917:
819:Third and fourth
798:First and second
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886:McIntyre system
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839:Fifth and sixth
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956:External links
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921:"News Article"
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544:2nd semi-Final
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836:
834:
833:double-chance
830:
826:
816:
814:
813:double-chance
809:
805:
795:
791:
789:
788:double-chance
775:
774:
765:
762:
761:
752:
749:
748:
742:
735:
732:
729:
726:
725:
717:Finals format
709:
707:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
694:
691:
689:
687:
683:
681:
670:
669:
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664:
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661:
647:
646:
633:
632:
629:
627:
625:
617:
615:
610:
609:
606:
604:
602:
600:
598:
596:
595:
587:Winner of EF2
582:
581:
564:
563:
560:
558:
553:Winner of QF2
550:
548:
546:
541:
539:
528:
527:
524:
522:
520:
518:
516:
514:
512:
510:
509:
501:Winner of SF1
489:
488:
475:
474:
469:Winner of PF2
466:
464:
456:
455:
452:
450:
442:
441:
436:Winner of PF1
429:
428:
409:
408:
402:
400:
395:Winner of SF2
392:
390:
388:
386:
384:
373:
372:
369:
367:
365:
363:
361:
357:
355:
353:
352:
346:Winner of QF1
332:
331:
318:
317:
311:
309:
307:
302:Winner of EF1
299:
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292:
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288:
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257:
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19:
925:the original
915:
868:
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844:
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832:
828:
824:
822:
812:
807:
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792:
787:
784:
739:
620:Loser of QF2
271:Loser of QF1
81:Super League
66:
58:
38:
36:
405:Grand Final
168:Grand final
152:Semi-finals
54:grand final
1669:Categories
907:References
758:Week three
46:tournament
869:all three
853:all three
808:first two
771:Week four
875:See also
745:Week two
722:Week one
91:Summary
43:playoff
806:their
865:visit
849:visit
825:visit
1654:2023
1649:2022
1644:2021
1639:2020
1634:2019
1629:2018
1624:2017
1619:2016
1614:2015
1609:2014
1604:2013
1599:2012
1594:2011
1589:2010
1584:2009
1579:2008
1574:2007
1569:2006
1564:2005
1559:2004
1554:2003
1549:2002
1544:2001
1539:2000
1534:1999
1529:1998
1524:1997
1519:1996
1514:1995
1509:1994
1504:1993
1499:1992
1494:1991
1489:1990
1473:1989
1468:1988
1463:1987
1458:1986
1453:1985
1448:1984
1443:1983
1438:1982
1433:1981
1428:1980
1423:1979
1418:1978
1413:1977
1408:1976
1403:1975
1398:1974
1393:1973
1388:1972
1383:1971
1378:1970
1373:1969
1368:1968
1363:1967
1358:1966
1353:1965
1348:1964
1343:1963
1338:1962
1333:1961
1328:1960
1323:1959
1318:1958
1313:1957
1308:1956
1303:1955
1298:1954
1293:1953
1288:1952
1283:1951
1278:1950
1273:1949
1268:1948
1263:1947
1258:1946
1253:1945
1248:1944
1243:1943
1238:1942
1233:1941
1228:1940
1223:1939
1218:1938
1213:1937
1208:1936
1203:1935
1198:1934
1193:1933
1188:1932
1183:1931
1178:1930
1173:1929
1168:1928
1163:1927
1158:1926
1153:1925
1148:1924
1143:1923
1138:1922
1133:1921
1128:1920
1123:1919
1118:1918
1113:1917
1108:1916
1103:1915
1098:1914
1093:1913
1088:1912
1083:1911
1078:1910
1073:1909
1068:1908
1063:1907
1058:1906
1053:1905
1048:1904
1043:1903
1038:1902
1033:1901
1028:1900
1023:1899
1018:1898
1013:1897
845:host
829:host
811:the
804:host
679:Away
656:Home
623:Home
590:Away
556:Home
537:Away
504:Away
498:Home
398:Away
382:Away
349:Home
341:Home
305:Away
274:Home
241:Away
212:Home
75:and
37:The
1482:AFL
1006:VFL
676:3rd
653:2nd
534:7th
495:6th
379:8th
338:5th
238:4th
209:1st
62:bye
1671::
933:^
991:e
984:t
977:v
673:3
650:2
531:7
492:6
376:8
335:5
235:4
206:1
34:.
20:)
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