Finals shake-up looms as clubs get set for wildcard round in 2026

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Clubs are expecting the AFL to introduce a wildcard round in 2026, giving teams that finish as low as 10th on the ladder after the home-and-away season a chance to qualify for finals and win the flag.

The wildcard round would mean the team that finishes seventh on the ladder in the home-and-away season would play the team that finished 10th, and the team that finished eighth would play the ninth-placed team.

It would add intrigue to where clubs finish inside the top eight too, as the top six would be rewarded with the week’s break.

The Lions played in four finals in each of their two premiership years on their way to winning the flag.

The winners would then advance to the finals under the same final eight system as has been in place since 2000.

The decision, which is still to be finalised but likely, according to three competition sources who preferred to remain anonymous, comes after a season when nine teams were virtually out of finals contention with six rounds remaining (when ninth place was three wins ahead of 10th-placed Sydney on the ladder).

Although Sydney remained fixed in 10th spot after each of their final eight matches, the diminished number of potential outcomes led to a flat end to the season. If a wildcard round had been in place, Fremantle, the Giants, Gold Coast and Hawthorn would have been in a battle for the coveted fifth and sixth spots as all four teams spent a week in that position over the concluding four rounds.

It is expected a wildcard round would be played on the weekend of the pre-finals bye, which was introduced in 2016. It would be a money-spinner for the league and good for the broadcasters.

Mac Andrew’s decisive mark against Fremantle gave them the Suns their first finals win. However, with a wildcard round they would have had to qualify to play in the elimination final.

By the end of the 2025 season, the Western Bulldogs finished ninth to miss finals, despite winning 14 matches. They were one game below eighth spot but had the third-best percentage at season’s end. Sydney finished three matches out of the final eight in 10th spot.

If the wildcard format had existed this season, seventh-placed Gold Coast would have played 10th-placed Sydney and eighth-placed Hawthorn would have played ninth-placed Western Bulldogs for a finals spot.

The opening round for 2026 has already been locked in. Sydney will play Carlton, Geelong will play Gold Coast, Hawthorn will face the Giants and the Brisbane Lions will host the Western Bulldogs. Collingwood, who made it clear they did not want to play outside Victoria in opening round in 2026, will play against St Kilda at the MCG on Sunday night before the Labour Day holiday.

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