The AFL Finals Series

The Prize all teams play for. The AFL premiership cup.

Post AFL Premiership season, the top 8 teams enter into the AFL Finals Series which is a series of must win games which takes place in September. The winner’s move to the next stage of the finals and the losers are eliminated. On the final week of the finals, the Grand Final is played for the AFL Premiership cup and is one of the greatest sporting events on the Australian sporting calendar.

The following diagram shows how the finals series progresses.

The Road to the AFL Grand Final

The first week of the finals has 4 games with 8 teams playing. The teams in the top 4 positions of the standings/ladder play in the Qualifying finals and get a second chance if they loose whereas a win gives the top 4 team a week off before their next game. The rest of the finals are eliminations. By the last game in the finals series, the 8 teams will be reduced to 2 teams who play in the Grand Final.

The Sydney Swans are awarded the AFL premiership trophy
after their 2012 Grand Final win against the Hawks

The AFL Grand final Australian version of the Super Bowl in America, played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of almost 100,000 fans. Teams who have won the most VFL/AFL Grand Finals are Carlton Blues and Essendon Bombers. With the Fremantle Dockers, Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney Giants all yet to win a Premiership. With the Hawthorn Hawks (2008, 2013, 2014, 2015), Sydney Swans (2005, 2012), Geelong Cats (2007, 2009, 2011), Collingwood Magpies (2010) and the West Coast Eagles (2006) all winning the last 10 premierships (Since 2005).

Fans pack the streets of Melbourne to
cheer and congratulate their favourite
players/teams at the Grand Final
parade before the Grand Final

The full week is taken up for celebrations around the Melbourne city centre. A specific area near the location of the Grand Final has festivals and shows in which fans get a chance to be immersed in the lead till the big game. A major and popular event during the lead up week is the Grand Final parade. A path is barricaded through the city and both Grand Finalist teams parade through the city to the cheers of fans. Other events such as the Grand Final Breakfast and the Brownlow medal also occur during this timing.