what happens if a draw in afl grand final

If the AFL Grand Final is a draw at the end of normal time, the match now goes to extra time on the same day until a winner is found.

How it works now

For modern AFL Grand Finals (since the rule change in 2016), a replay is no longer used. Instead, a structured extra‑time process kicks in to decide the premier on the day.

Step‑by‑step process

• Goal umpires first confer to confirm that the scores are identical at full time.

• There is then a short break (about six minutes, updated to six minutes 30 seconds for recent finals documentation).

• Teams change ends before play restarts.

Extra time details

Extra time is played in small bursts, with time‑on included, and repeated until someone wins.

• Two periods of three minutes (plus time‑on) are played, with a change of ends in between.

• At the end of the second three‑minute period, the team with the higher score is declared the winner.

• If scores are still tied, teams again change ends and another pair of three‑minute periods is played; this cycle repeats until a result is achieved.

Interchange and rotations

The AFL also specifies how interchanges work during extra time so tactics stay balanced.

• Each club receives 10 interchanges for every pair of three‑minute periods in extra time (excluding the medical substitute).

• Any unused interchanges from a pair of periods do not carry over to the next extra‑time block.

Old rule: replays

Before 2016, a drawn Grand Final was replayed the following weekend, which famously happened in 1948, 1977 and 2010. The shift to same‑day extra time was made so the premiership is always decided in one blockbuster event.

TL;DR: If the AFL Grand Final is a draw, there’s a short break, then repeated two × three‑minute extra‑time periods (with time‑on and special interchange limits) until one team finally finishes ahead.

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