Watch every match of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n For the first time this year, 10 teams will qualify for the post-season with 7th facing 10th and 8th battling 9th, the two \u2018wildcard\u2019 winners then advancing into the usual top-eight bracket.<\/p>\n The league has confirmed the wildcard games officially count as Finals but according to Middlemas, from 2027 they could be sold off to the highest bidder.<\/p>\n Preliminary conversations have reportedly taken place between the AFL and the cashed-up WA government about the state buying hosting rights, regardless of who qualifies.<\/p>\n It would effectively guarantee at least one non-WA team would \u2018host\u2019 a Final at Perth\u2019s Optus Stadium, unless Fremantle and West Coast finished 7th and 8th (and would\u2019ve hosted those games anyway).<\/p>\n Finals games are not always played at a team\u2019s home ground – Grand Finals are locked in at the MCG, and other finals are played at the largest ground in the team\u2019s home state – but both of those inequalities are based on the premise of allowing as many fans into the games as possible.<\/p>\n The wildcard Finals were criticised by Geelong coach Chris Scott on Fox Footy earlier this week, who told AFL 360: \u201cI tend to think they just made it up. Just threw in a couple more finals for no good reason except cash.\u201d<\/p>\n The concept has also been criticised with the four wildcard teams needing to win five consecutive finals to claim the premiership, an implausible figure.<\/p>\n Scott\u2019s comments are said to have ruffled feathers among AFL bosses, with journalist Caroline Wilson telling The Agenda Setters<\/a>: \u201cIt was an extraordinary comment to make. I can tell you that went down like a lead balloon at headquarters. It was a pretty low dig.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd remember, this is a guy who clashed with an AFL staffer after the qualifying final last year and really quite upset her, about an incident that he wasn\u2019t happy about at a post-match press conference after their big win against Brisbane.\u201cSo, he has lost a few brownie points with the AFL, Chris Scott. I think there\u2019s been conversations today between the AFL and the Geelong CEO Steve Hocking.<\/p>\n \u201cJust bemused \u2014 why did he say that?\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Gather](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/72d09408b317417c6ae33cf3dd25cba3.jpeg\")
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