The divisive and controversial AFL wild card round is a reality, with the league confirming it will give teams ranked ninth and 10th an opportunity to win the premiership from next season.
All clubs have been told the league will implement what is essentially an extra week of finals, starting in 2026.
The AFL confirmed it would implement the change in the coming days when it would also release the fixture for next season.
The wildcard round, an idea taken from the NBA, will pit the team that finishes seventh on the ladder in the home-and-away season against 10th.
The other wildcard game will be the eighth team against the ninth.
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“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,” AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said in a statement.
“The Wildcard Finals Round reflects our ongoing commitment to evolve our competition structure, building on recent additions like Gather Round and AFL Origin, ensuring our game continues to grow.
“This also means that all teams that finish in the top eight of ten will host a home final, giving fans a chance to see their club play at home in September.”
Both games will take place on the weekend that is currently set aside for the pre-finals bye.
The winners would be seeded seventh and eighth in the finals, with the rest of the four-week series remaining as it has since 2000.
If the wildcard round was in place this year, seventh-placed Gold Coast would have hosted Sydney (10th), and Hawthorn (eighth) would have played the Western Bulldogs (ninth).
AAP/ABC
