The Australian Football League is set to dramatically reshape its finals series, confirming the introduction of a wildcard round starting in 2025 that will give teams finishing ninth and tenth a chance to compete for the premiership.
How the New AFL Finals Structure Will Work
In a move inspired by the NBA, the AFL will implement what amounts to an extra week of finals football. The new system, which all clubs have been notified about, will see the team that finishes seventh on the ladder after the home-and-away season face the tenth-placed team.
The other wildcard matchup will pit the eighth-placed team against the ninth-placed side. Both wildcard games will occur on the weekend currently reserved for the pre-finals bye.
The winners of these elimination matches will then be seeded seventh and eighth in the traditional finals series, with the remainder of the four-week finals format staying unchanged since the year 2000.
Fan Experience and Competitive Balance
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has championed the move as a significant win for supporters. "We're thrilled to deliver fans an extra weekend of finals footy, while giving more clubs and players the opportunity to play finals footy and win a premiership," Dillon stated.
He emphasized that the Wildcard Finals Round reflects the league's commitment to evolving the competition, building on recent additions like Gather Round and the return of AFL Origin matches.
Dillon also highlighted that all teams finishing in the top eight of ten will now host a home final, giving more fans the chance to see their club play at home during the September finals series.
Context and Concerns for the 2026 Season
If the wildcard round had been in place for the 2024 season, the matchups would have seen seventh-placed Gold Coast hosting Sydney (10th), while Hawthorn (8th) would have faced the Western Bulldogs (9th).
However, the expansion has raised questions about whether teams finishing as low as ninth and tenth deserve to be considered genuine finals contenders. While the Bulldogs were only four points outside the finals in 2024, Sydney finished three games off the pace.
The wildcard weekend adds to what promises to be a transformed AFL season in 2026, with several rule changes including the last touch rule expected to alter how the game is played.
Next year will also mark the return of the historic State of Origin format, with Western Australia scheduled to take on Victoria at Perth's Optus Stadium in February. Several of the game's biggest stars have already expressed interest in representing their states.
