The AFL’s wildcard round has ensured Carlton will play post-season action this year, but the innovation may have backfired with the top 10 teams locked in before the final round of the season.
Carlton and the Western Bulldogs played out a 82-82 draw on Sunday, with the two points enough to secure a spot in the wildcard round for the Blues, with St Kilda six points back in 11th place.
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The result means next Thursday night’s game between St Kilda and the Gold Coast is effectively a dead rubber.
When the scores were level in the final minutes of the game against the Bulldogs, the Blues opted to retain possession instead of going for the win, to prevent conceding a point and losing the game.
“I was on the bench with about five to go and then with about three minutes I looked to the bench and there was a sign up … to hold onto the game,” Carlton captain Patrick Cripps explained on Kayo Sports.
“The Bulldogs boys were like ‘what’s going on there’.
“Obviously when it’s a draw you want to keep attacking. But for our year it was the right decision and we found a way to get the draw.”
Blues midfielder George Hewett told ABC Radio: “When we were 1-8 you wouldn’t have believed this. It felt like a win. The senior boys were really good to ice the game.
“Deep down we knew the ladder positions and had a good idea.”
It’s first time since 1977 there has been two draws in the same round after Collingwood’s 92-92 draw against Hawthorn ensured the Magpies will play in the wildcard round.
Collingwood is locked into the eighth-versus-ninth match-up and is currently set to take on the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.
Carlton is set to take on the Adelaide Crows in Adelaide in the seventh-versus-tenth match-up.
Those match-ups could change if Carlton beat Fremantle at Marvel Stadium next Saturday and the Bulldogs lose to Melbourne, with a potential Carlton vs Collingwood blockbuster on the cards.
If the AFL had kept the traditional top eight finals format, Collingwood, Carlton and the Bulldogs would all approach their Round 24 games with a must-win approach.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae celebrated his side’s draw on the MCG turf, explaining he was proud of his undermanned team, which was missing several key players against Hawthorn.
The Magpies may rest several senior players including Nick Daicos for the final round of the season, given their position on the ladder will not change if they win or lose against the Brisbane Lions on Friday.
If you play them and they get injured you look silly and you sabotage a finals series on the back of a nothing game,” David King said on Kayo Sports.
“There is no way either the Daicos brothers are playing for me next week, and there’s no way Darcy Cameron is. There’s just no point.”
King was adamant Collingwood should not risk Daicos in a game they do not need to win.
“If they fine you $100,000 you say no worries. We’ll take the $100,000. We’re not risking Nick Daicos, we’re just not,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter. The result (against Brisbane) is irrelevant. You don’t have to sell that to the group. They know what you’re doing and it’s all about the week after.
“It’s not one week at a time anymore. We’re planning for two weeks time, cut throat wildcard final. All decisions are for that weekend, not next weekend.
“Nick hasn’t rested. If Nick gets injured, it is over”
Riewoldt agreed: “I’m not playing Nick Daicos either. They have the blueprint to know that we may lose the battle but we can win the war. Why not rest 10?”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae wouldn’t be drawn on whether he planned to rest several players against Brisbane.
“We’ll manage them if they need to be managed, not just for the sake of it,” he said.
“If they’re really sore and can’t perform, well they won’t play next week. But right now there’s an energy that everyone wants to play.
“Every GPS tells a different story, accumulative load and things like that. We take all of that into consideration. We’ll weigh that all up at match committee next week.”
CURRENT AFL LADDER (After Round 23)
1. Fremantle (19-3, 142.5%)
2. Sydney Swans (17-5, 134.5%)
3. Brisbane Lions (15-7, 119.5%)
4. Hawthorn (14-6-2, 117.3%)
5. Melbourne (15-7, 111.2%)
6. Geelong (14-8, 120.2%)
7. Adelaide Crows (14-8, 115.1%)
8. Collingwood (12-8-2, 106.1%)
9. Western Bulldogs (12-9-1, 94.1%)
10. Carlton (11-10-1, 99.6%)
Originally published as AFL’s wildcard round has ‘killed’ final week of season, dead rubbers to wreak havoc