how does the afl finals work
The AFL finals use a “final eight” system over four weeks, where the top eight teams on the ladder play off for the premiership, with the top four getting a valuable double chance.
Big picture
- 8 teams qualify: positions 1–8 after the home-and-away season.
- Finals run for 4 weeks: Qualifying/Elimination Finals, Semi Finals, Preliminary Finals, then the Grand Final.
- Top 4 (1st–4th) have a “double chance”: they can lose in Week 1 and still stay alive.
- Bottom 4 (5th–8th) are sudden-death from the start: lose once and you’re out.
Week 1 – Qualifying & Elimination Finals
All eight teams play in Week 1.
Matchups:
- Qualifying Finals (top‑4, double chance):
- 1st vs 4th
- 2nd vs 3rd
- Elimination Finals (bottom‑4, lose and you’re out):
- 5th vs 8th
- 6th vs 7th
What happens:
- Winners of the Qualifying Finals go straight through to Week 3 (Preliminary Finals) and get a week off.
- Losers of the Qualifying Finals drop into Week 2 and host a Semi Final (this is their “second” chance).
- Winners of the Elimination Finals move to Week 2 (away from home).
- Losers of the Elimination Finals are knocked out.
Week 2 – Semi Finals
Two games, both knockout.
- 1st Semi Final: Loser of one Qualifying Final vs Winner of one Elimination Final.
- 2nd Semi Final: Loser of the other Qualifying Final vs Winner of the other Elimination Final.
Key bits:
- The higher-ranked team hosts (generally the Qualifying Final loser).
- Lose here and you’re out; win and you go to a Preliminary Final in Week 3.
Week 3 – Preliminary Finals
This is effectively the “final four”, with the winners going to the Grand Final.
- Prelim 1: Winner of a Qualifying Final (from Week 1, who had the bye in Week 2) vs Winner of a Semi Final.
- Prelim 2: Same idea on the other side of the bracket.
Details:
- The teams that won in Week 1 (top‑4 sides) host these games and still only need two finals wins total to reach the Grand Final.
- Prelims are knockout: winners go through, losers are done.
Week 4 – AFL Grand Final
- Played at the MCG between the two Preliminary Final winners.
- One game decides the premiership; it’s not part of the double-chance system – it’s straight knockout.
- If scores are tied, extra time is played until there’s a winner (no replays under the current rules).
How ladder position changes your path
Here’s a quick view of what each ladder spot usually means.
| Finish | Week 1 game | Home advantage | Double chance? | Wins needed to reach Grand Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st–2nd | Qualifying Final vs 4th / 3rd | Host first two finals | Yes | 2 wins |
| 3rd–4th | Qualifying Final vs 2nd / 1st | Host Week 1, then fewer home rights | Yes | 2 wins |
| 5th–6th | Elimination Final vs 8th / 7th | Host Elimination Final only | No | 3 wins |
| 7th–8th | Elimination Final vs 6th / 5th | Away all finals | No | 3 wins |
Simple story version
Imagine:
- Team 1 finishes on top, wins its Qualifying Final in Week 1 → rests in Week 2 → wins its Prelim in Week 3 → into the Grand Final after just two finals wins.
- Team 6 finishes sixth, wins Elimination Final (Week 1), wins Semi (Week 2), wins Prelim (Week 3) → three sudden-death wins just to reach the Grand Final.
This is exactly what the system is designed to do: reward higher ladder finishes with an easier, shorter road and home games, while still giving lower-ranked teams a chance if they can pull off a hot run in September.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.