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how do afl finals work

The AFL finals use a “final eight” playoff format over four weeks in September, with the top eight teams on the ladder competing for the premiership.

Big picture: how the AFL finals work

  • After the home-and-away season, the top eight teams on the ladder qualify for the finals.
  • The finals run for four weeks , ending with the Grand Final.
  • The system is designed to reward higher-ranked teams (especially the top four) while still giving every finalist a path to the flag.

In simple terms: top four get a double chance , 5th–8th are in sudden- death from week one.

Week-by-week breakdown

Week 1 – Qualifying & Elimination Finals

Eight teams, four games: everyone plays.

  1. Qualifying Finals (Top 4) – not sudden-death
    • 1st vs 4th
    • 2nd vs 3rd
    • Winners go straight through to Week 3 (Preliminary Finals) and get a week off.
 * Losers get a **second chance** and host in Week 2.
  1. Elimination Finals (5th–8th) – sudden-death
    • 5th vs 8th
    • 6th vs 7th
    • Winners progress to Week 2 (away from home).
 * Losers are out.

So after Week 1, two teams are eliminated (the Elimination Final losers).

Week 2 – Semi Finals

Now only six teams remain.

  • Semi Final 1 : Loser of a Qualifying Final vs Winner of an Elimination Final.
  • Semi Final 2 : Loser of the other Qualifying Final vs Winner of the other Elimination Final.
  • The Qualifying Final losers host these games (their “double chance” in action).
  • Both Semis are sudden-death: winners advance, losers are out.

Week 3 – Preliminary Finals

Four teams left: two Qualifying Final winners (who had the bye) and the two Semi Final winners.

  • Prelim 1 : Qualifying Final winner vs Semi Final winner.
  • Prelim 2 : Other Qualifying Final winner vs other Semi Final winner.
  • These are also knockout: win and you’re into the Grand Final, lose and you’re done.

The main edge here is that Qualifying Final winners have had a week’s rest and only need to win two games in total to reach the Grand Final.

Week 4 – Grand Final

  • The two Preliminary Final winners meet in the Grand Final , usually at the MCG.
  • The winner is crowned AFL premiers for the season.

Ladder position advantages (why top 4 matters)

The higher you finish, the easier (on paper) your path.

  • 1st & 2nd
    • Play at home in Week 1.
* Get a double chance.

* Only need **two wins** to make the Grand Final (Qualifying Final + Preliminary Final).
  • 3rd & 4th
    • Travel in Week 1 but still get a double chance.
* Also need just **two wins** to reach the Grand Final.
  • 5th & 6th
    • Host an Elimination Final, then travel if they keep winning.
* Must win **three straight** knockout games (Elimination, Semi, Prelim) to reach the Grand Final.
  • 7th & 8th
    • Always away from home.
* Also must win **three straight** sudden-death games to reach the Grand Final.

Draws and extra time

  • If a finals match is drawn , it’s no longer replayed: it goes to extra time , and then a “golden score” if needed (first score wins).
  • Historically, Grand Final draws meant a full replay the next week, but that changed, and now they follow the extra-time approach as well.

At-a-glance finals path (top 8)

Here’s a compact view of how many wins each ladder spot needs before the Grand Final.

[5][7] [7] [7] [7] [5][7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [3][7] [7] [7] [3][7] [7] [7] [3][7] [7] [7] [3][7]
Ladder finish Home advantage Double chance? Wins needed to reach Grand Final Sudden- death from…
1st Hosts first two finals if needed Yes 2 wins Week 3 (Prelim)
2nd Hosts first two finals if needed Yes 2 wins Week 3 (Prelim)
3rd Away in Week 1, home next final Yes 2 wins Week 3 (Prelim)
4th Away in Week 1, home next final Yes 2 wins Week 3 (Prelim)
5th Home Elimination Final, then away No 3 wins Week 1
6th Home Elimination Final, then away No 3 wins Week 1
7th Away every week No 3 wins Week 1
8th Away every week No 3 wins Week 1

Quick story-style example

Imagine the ladder finishes like this: Collingwood 1st, Brisbane 2nd, Sydney 3rd, Carlton 4th, then Bulldogs, Saints, GWS, and Fremantle filling 5th–8th. (Hypothetical, just to illustrate.)

  • Collingwood (1st) plays Carlton (4th) in a Qualifying Final; Brisbane (2nd) plays Sydney (3rd).
  • Bulldogs (5th) host Fremantle (8th), Saints (6th) host GWS (7th) in Elimination Finals.
  • If Collingwood and Brisbane win, they sit out Week 2 and host Preliminary Finals in Week 3. Carlton and Sydney then host Semi Finals against the two Elimination Final winners, fighting to stay alive.
  • The two Prelim winners meet in the Grand Final for the premiership.

This is how the “double chance” and the sudden-death lower half weave together into one finals series.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.