Slightly altered finals system idea....

[saintspremiers]

I've been thinking after the Hawks who finished 5th have been shafted by the AFL by having to play Adelaide at TD (due to circumstance more than anything!) that sometimes more than just a home final for finishing 1st, 2nd, 5th or 6th should be the reward for those teams.

Now here is my idea...

Keep the 1 v 4, 2 v 3, 5 v 8, 6 v 7 and the rest of the following weeks finals (and home ground rules) as is, BUT add in a handicap system as follows for the 1st week of finals only:

(1) if the higher ranked team in each match has a higher percentage than it's opponent, subtract the two percentages and this will equal the points start given to the higher ranked team, recorded as "rushed" behinds....

(2) if the higher ranked team has a lower percentage than it's opponent, both teams start on zero points.

Here is the final 8 for 2007 with respective percentages:

1 GEE 153
2 PA 114
3 WCE 112
4 KAN 109
5 HAW 113
6 COL 101
7 SYD 120
8 ADE 110

Geelong has a 44 percentage point advantage over North, so they have a 44 point head start!

Port have a 2 percentage point advantage over WCE, so they have a 2 point head start.

Hawks have a 3 percentage point advantage or Crows = 3 point start.

Pies are 19 percentage points BELOW Sydney, so their is no head start as Collingwood are the higher ranked team.

Anyone like this concept?

It rewards teams such as Geelong for having exceptional seasons, and also gives an added incentive to polish off opponents not just record narrow wins.

[ausfatcat]

i like the idea of the saints being automatic grandfinalist each year regardless of finishing position with the other teams playing to see who plays the saints in the granny.

[Cityboy]

i like the idea of the saints being automatic grandfinalist each year regardless of finishing position with the other teams playing to see who plays the saints in the granny.

Give that Man a Ceeeee Gar!
________
Elite

[ausfatcat]

well at least that way we would probably win 1 out of ten flags at least.

[Washedup]

Geelong has a 44 percentage point advantage over North, so they have a 44 point head start!

You cant be serious. The Rooboys struggle to get people to their games as it is, let alone giving away 44 point starts to the minor premier.

[JT]

go back to bed

[Otiman]

Top 6.


Stop rewarding mediocrity.

[riccardo]

Don't make it more compicated than it is.

I'm getting a stress headache working out the NRL finals, which follow the old AFL model from the late '90's.

Hawthorn are playing Adelaide in Melbournem, which counts as "advantage" scehule conflicts and last years finals arrangement prevent more finals at the 'G, so they are at the Dome.

[Otiman]

I like the NRL system.

[markinUSA]

I was thinking about it the other day - when I was feeling heartbroken about us missing out on the finals - and I thought, gee if it was the old final four system, we would have known we were wide of the mark months ago.

The idea of finals being a top 4 competition - doesn't that seem a relic now?

[saintspremiers]

I was thinking about it the other day - when I was feeling heartbroken about us missing out on the finals - and I thought, gee if it was the old final four system, we would have known we were wide of the mark months ago.

The idea of finals being a top 4 competition - doesn't that seem a relic now?

It is a relic....but if we have to have a stupid final 8, I think it's crazy that the top team can stuff up in one game (ie Geelongs Qually on Sunday) and be incredibly harshly penalised.

IMO something more needs to be done to give the home teams an better advantage.

Perhaps something like my idea but just for the top team?

The AFL will keep the final 8 forever, it's a cash cow and that's all that matters, otherwise the Hawks would've got an MCG final over the Pies, as they finished higher on the ladder, but the AFL decided to look after the crowds as priority - and they are right that the Pies/Sydney would draw more than Hawks/Adelaide.

[saintsRrising]

The idea of finals being a top 4 competition - doesn't that seem a relic now?

Yeh..back then you could finish 8th from the bottom and just miss the finals.....