VFA-VFL FINALS SYSTEMS
1877-1902 - No finals system
The title was awarded to the team with the best record in the premiership matches played throughout the season. In the event that two clubs finished tied for first place (based on their win-loss record), the teams would contest a playoff match to determine the premiership. The 1896 season was the only one that required an official playoff.
1903-1932 - Final Four (Second Amended Argus system)
The VFA introduced a finals system in 1903 that was an amended version of the Argus system used by the VFL at that time. The side that finished the home-and-away season in first place was declared the Minor Premier and, if defeated, held the right to a challenge final; this ensured the top team always played-off for the title. In contrast, the VFL system allowed the right of challenge to be transferred if the Minor Premier lost in the finals and another team drew level or overtook them on wins-losses for the season. The VFA's system emerged as the more preferred and the VFL switched to it in 1907.
Week 1 - 1ST SEMI FINAL: 2nd vs 4th
Week 2 - 2ND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs 3rd (1st won: they advanced to the Final, 1st lost: they advanced to a Challenge Final against the winner of the Final).
Week 3 - FINAL: Winner of 1st SF vs Winner of 2nd SF (1st won: they won the title, 1st lost: they played a re-match the following week in the Challenge Final).
Week 4 - CHALLENGE FINAL: 1st vs Winner of the Final (only played if the 1st-placed team lost at the semi final or final stage).
NOTE - there were some minor variations in the semi final stage during this era:
1903-09 and 1913-14 - the 1st Semi Final was played between the 1st and 3rd teams
1910-12 and 1915-32 - the 1st Semi Final was played between the 2nd and 4th teams (teams 1 and 3 played in the 2nd Semi Final instead)
The semi finals were played a week apart except for seasons 1903, 1908 and 1914 when they were played on the same day.
1933-1959 - Final Four (Page-McIntyre system)
The VFL had adopted this system in 1931 and the VFA followed suit in 1933. The key point of the new system was the removal of the Minor Premier's challenge right which was replaced with a "double-chance" for the top two teams. Whilst the new system allowed the top team to survive a loss at the semi final stage, it also meant they were no longer guaranteed a place in the Grand Final - an unenviable feat achieved by 22 teams to date. The system worked as follows:
Week 1 - 1ST SEMI FINAL: 3rd vs 4th (winner advanced to the Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
Week 2 - 2ND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs 2nd (winner advanced to the Grand Final, loser advanced to the Preliminary Final)
Week 3 - PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 4 - GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
The new system overcame a number of perceived problems with its predecessor including:
- a guaranteed four finals instead of three: uncertainty over how many games would be played had seen the deciding match draw a smaller crowd than the semi finals nine times during this era.
- genuine contests at each stage; the playing of a challenge final provided the participating clubs with an obvious financial gain from an extra week of gate takings. Rightly or wrongly, there was a perception among some fans that clubs could, and would, orchestrate the results to achieve this gain [The Argus 19-9-1904]
1960 - Final Six
An aggressive expansion campaign had resulted in the VFA expanding to an unprecedented 17 teams. The Association experimented in 1960 with a Final Six that incorporated a week of quarter finals and left the top teams waiting three weeks to begin their finals campaign:
Week 1 - QUARTER FINALS: 3rd vs 6th, 4th vs 5th (winners advanced to 1st Semi Final, losers were eliminated)
Week 2 - 1ST SEMI FINAL: Winner of 1st Quarter Final vs Winner of 2nd Quarter Final (winner advanced to Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
Week 3 - 2ND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs 2nd (winner advanced to the Grand Final, loser advanced to the Preliminary Final)
Week 4 - PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 5 - GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
The system was not popular with clubs or fans and resulted in an overly long finals series. The obvious drawback was the delay for the top two teams; first-placed Sandringham waited three weeks for their semi-final, then a further two weeks for the Grand Final, resulting in just two matches over a five week period. By the time of the Grand Final the team was underdone and succumbed to Oakleigh by 60 points in the deciding match.
1961-1988 - Final Four (Page-McIntyre system)
With the competition expanding to 18 teams in 1961 the VFA split the teams into two divisions and reverted to the Page-McIntyre Final Four previously used from 1933 to 1959.
1989-1997 - Final Five (McIntyre Final Five system)
The collapse of divisional football saw the VFA teams re-united in a single competition for the first time since 1960 but it also left an unwieldy 15 teams fighting for the flag. The Association elected to expand the finals to a Final Five - the same system which had been used by the VFL since 1972.
The main feature of this system was the introduction of an Elimination Final and Qualifying Final in the first week for teams placed 2 to 4, with the top team earning a week off. From the second week the system operated the same as the Final Four that had previously been in place. The VFA continued with this system even when the number of teams dropped to nine in 1995.
Week 1 -
ELIMINATION FINAL: 4th vs 5th (winner advanced to 1st Semi Final, loser was eliminated)
QUALIFYING FINAL: 2nd vs 3rd (winner advanced to 2nd Semi Final, loser advanced to 1st Semi Final)
Week 2 -
FIRST SEMI FINAL: Loser of Qualifying Final vs Winner of Elimination Final (winner advanced to Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
SECOND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs Winner of Qualifying Final (winner advanced to the Grand Final, loser advanced to the Preliminary Final)
Week 3 -
PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 4 -
GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
1998-1999 - Final Six (McIntyre Final Six System)
The VFA-VFL expanded to 11 teams in 1996 and the competition briefly switched to a Final Six. This system featured the introduction of an additional Elimination Final and removed the bye in the first week for the top team. From the second week it operated the same as the Page-McIntyre Final Four.
Week 1 -
FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL: 4th vs 5th (winner advanced to 1st Semi Final, loser was eliminated)
SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL: 3rd vs 4th (winner advanced to 2nd Semi Final, loser was eliminated)
QUALIFYING FINAL: 1st vs 2nd (winner advanced to 2nd Semi Final, loser advanced to 1st Semi Final)
Week 2 -
FIRST SEMI FINAL: Loser of Qualifying Final vs Winner of 1st Elimination Final (winner advanced to Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
SECOND SEMI FINAL: Winner of Qualifying Final vs Winner of 2nd Elimination Final (winner advanced to Grand Final, loser advanced to Prelim. Final)
Week 3 -
PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 4 -
GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
2000-present - Final Eight (AFL Final Eight system)
The AFL Reserves competition was disbanded after the 1999 season and most of those teams migrated to the VFA-VFL, expanding the competition from 11 to 18 clubs and leading to the introduction of a Final Eight. The system was the same as that adopted by the AFL in season 2000 following problems with the McIntyre Final Eight system the AFL had used from 1994 to 1999.
Week 1 -
FIRST QUALIFYING FINAL: 1st vs 4th (winner receives a bye and advances to 1st Preliminary Final, loser advances to 1st Semi Final)
SECOND QUALIFYING FINAL: 2nd vs 3rd (winner receives a bye and advances to 2nd Preliminary Final, loser advances to 2nd Semi Final)
FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL: 5th vs 8th (winner advances to 1st Semi Final, loser is eliminated)
SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL: 6th vs 7th (winner advances to 2nd Semi Final, loser is eliminated)
Week 2 -
FIRST SEMI FINAL: Loser of 1st Qualifying Final vs Winner of 1st Elimination Final (winner advances to 2nd Preliminary Final)
SECOND SEMI FINAL: Loser of 2nd Qualifying Final vs Winner of 2nd Elimination Final (winner advances to 1st Preliminary Final)
Week 3-
Winners of the semi finals switch to the other side of the draw to avoid a potential rematch with the team they played at the Qualifying Final stage:
FIRST PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Qualifying Final vs Winner of 2nd Semi Final
SECOND PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 2nd Qualifying Final vs Winner of 1st Semi Final
Week 4-
GRAND FINAL: Winner of 1st Preliminary Final vs Winner of 2nd Preliminary Final
The title was awarded to the team with the best record in the premiership matches played throughout the season. In the event that two clubs finished tied for first place (based on their win-loss record), the teams would contest a playoff match to determine the premiership. The 1896 season was the only one that required an official playoff.
1903-1932 - Final Four (Second Amended Argus system)
The VFA introduced a finals system in 1903 that was an amended version of the Argus system used by the VFL at that time. The side that finished the home-and-away season in first place was declared the Minor Premier and, if defeated, held the right to a challenge final; this ensured the top team always played-off for the title. In contrast, the VFL system allowed the right of challenge to be transferred if the Minor Premier lost in the finals and another team drew level or overtook them on wins-losses for the season. The VFA's system emerged as the more preferred and the VFL switched to it in 1907.
Week 1 - 1ST SEMI FINAL: 2nd vs 4th
Week 2 - 2ND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs 3rd (1st won: they advanced to the Final, 1st lost: they advanced to a Challenge Final against the winner of the Final).
Week 3 - FINAL: Winner of 1st SF vs Winner of 2nd SF (1st won: they won the title, 1st lost: they played a re-match the following week in the Challenge Final).
Week 4 - CHALLENGE FINAL: 1st vs Winner of the Final (only played if the 1st-placed team lost at the semi final or final stage).
NOTE - there were some minor variations in the semi final stage during this era:
1903-09 and 1913-14 - the 1st Semi Final was played between the 1st and 3rd teams
1910-12 and 1915-32 - the 1st Semi Final was played between the 2nd and 4th teams (teams 1 and 3 played in the 2nd Semi Final instead)
The semi finals were played a week apart except for seasons 1903, 1908 and 1914 when they were played on the same day.
1933-1959 - Final Four (Page-McIntyre system)
The VFL had adopted this system in 1931 and the VFA followed suit in 1933. The key point of the new system was the removal of the Minor Premier's challenge right which was replaced with a "double-chance" for the top two teams. Whilst the new system allowed the top team to survive a loss at the semi final stage, it also meant they were no longer guaranteed a place in the Grand Final - an unenviable feat achieved by 22 teams to date. The system worked as follows:
Week 1 - 1ST SEMI FINAL: 3rd vs 4th (winner advanced to the Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
Week 2 - 2ND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs 2nd (winner advanced to the Grand Final, loser advanced to the Preliminary Final)
Week 3 - PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 4 - GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
The new system overcame a number of perceived problems with its predecessor including:
- a guaranteed four finals instead of three: uncertainty over how many games would be played had seen the deciding match draw a smaller crowd than the semi finals nine times during this era.
- genuine contests at each stage; the playing of a challenge final provided the participating clubs with an obvious financial gain from an extra week of gate takings. Rightly or wrongly, there was a perception among some fans that clubs could, and would, orchestrate the results to achieve this gain [The Argus 19-9-1904]
1960 - Final Six
An aggressive expansion campaign had resulted in the VFA expanding to an unprecedented 17 teams. The Association experimented in 1960 with a Final Six that incorporated a week of quarter finals and left the top teams waiting three weeks to begin their finals campaign:
Week 1 - QUARTER FINALS: 3rd vs 6th, 4th vs 5th (winners advanced to 1st Semi Final, losers were eliminated)
Week 2 - 1ST SEMI FINAL: Winner of 1st Quarter Final vs Winner of 2nd Quarter Final (winner advanced to Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
Week 3 - 2ND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs 2nd (winner advanced to the Grand Final, loser advanced to the Preliminary Final)
Week 4 - PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 5 - GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
The system was not popular with clubs or fans and resulted in an overly long finals series. The obvious drawback was the delay for the top two teams; first-placed Sandringham waited three weeks for their semi-final, then a further two weeks for the Grand Final, resulting in just two matches over a five week period. By the time of the Grand Final the team was underdone and succumbed to Oakleigh by 60 points in the deciding match.
1961-1988 - Final Four (Page-McIntyre system)
With the competition expanding to 18 teams in 1961 the VFA split the teams into two divisions and reverted to the Page-McIntyre Final Four previously used from 1933 to 1959.
1989-1997 - Final Five (McIntyre Final Five system)
The collapse of divisional football saw the VFA teams re-united in a single competition for the first time since 1960 but it also left an unwieldy 15 teams fighting for the flag. The Association elected to expand the finals to a Final Five - the same system which had been used by the VFL since 1972.
The main feature of this system was the introduction of an Elimination Final and Qualifying Final in the first week for teams placed 2 to 4, with the top team earning a week off. From the second week the system operated the same as the Final Four that had previously been in place. The VFA continued with this system even when the number of teams dropped to nine in 1995.
Week 1 -
ELIMINATION FINAL: 4th vs 5th (winner advanced to 1st Semi Final, loser was eliminated)
QUALIFYING FINAL: 2nd vs 3rd (winner advanced to 2nd Semi Final, loser advanced to 1st Semi Final)
Week 2 -
FIRST SEMI FINAL: Loser of Qualifying Final vs Winner of Elimination Final (winner advanced to Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
SECOND SEMI FINAL: 1st vs Winner of Qualifying Final (winner advanced to the Grand Final, loser advanced to the Preliminary Final)
Week 3 -
PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 4 -
GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
1998-1999 - Final Six (McIntyre Final Six System)
The VFA-VFL expanded to 11 teams in 1996 and the competition briefly switched to a Final Six. This system featured the introduction of an additional Elimination Final and removed the bye in the first week for the top team. From the second week it operated the same as the Page-McIntyre Final Four.
Week 1 -
FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL: 4th vs 5th (winner advanced to 1st Semi Final, loser was eliminated)
SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL: 3rd vs 4th (winner advanced to 2nd Semi Final, loser was eliminated)
QUALIFYING FINAL: 1st vs 2nd (winner advanced to 2nd Semi Final, loser advanced to 1st Semi Final)
Week 2 -
FIRST SEMI FINAL: Loser of Qualifying Final vs Winner of 1st Elimination Final (winner advanced to Preliminary Final, loser was eliminated)
SECOND SEMI FINAL: Winner of Qualifying Final vs Winner of 2nd Elimination Final (winner advanced to Grand Final, loser advanced to Prelim. Final)
Week 3 -
PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Semi Final vs Loser of 2nd Semi Final
Week 4 -
GRAND FINAL: Winner of 2nd Semi Final vs Winner of Preliminary Final
2000-present - Final Eight (AFL Final Eight system)
The AFL Reserves competition was disbanded after the 1999 season and most of those teams migrated to the VFA-VFL, expanding the competition from 11 to 18 clubs and leading to the introduction of a Final Eight. The system was the same as that adopted by the AFL in season 2000 following problems with the McIntyre Final Eight system the AFL had used from 1994 to 1999.
Week 1 -
FIRST QUALIFYING FINAL: 1st vs 4th (winner receives a bye and advances to 1st Preliminary Final, loser advances to 1st Semi Final)
SECOND QUALIFYING FINAL: 2nd vs 3rd (winner receives a bye and advances to 2nd Preliminary Final, loser advances to 2nd Semi Final)
FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL: 5th vs 8th (winner advances to 1st Semi Final, loser is eliminated)
SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL: 6th vs 7th (winner advances to 2nd Semi Final, loser is eliminated)
Week 2 -
FIRST SEMI FINAL: Loser of 1st Qualifying Final vs Winner of 1st Elimination Final (winner advances to 2nd Preliminary Final)
SECOND SEMI FINAL: Loser of 2nd Qualifying Final vs Winner of 2nd Elimination Final (winner advances to 1st Preliminary Final)
Week 3-
Winners of the semi finals switch to the other side of the draw to avoid a potential rematch with the team they played at the Qualifying Final stage:
FIRST PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 1st Qualifying Final vs Winner of 2nd Semi Final
SECOND PRELIMINARY FINAL: Winner of 2nd Qualifying Final vs Winner of 1st Semi Final
Week 4-
GRAND FINAL: Winner of 1st Preliminary Final vs Winner of 2nd Preliminary Final
Written and researched by David Eastman
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First published 4/5/2014
Last updated 5/11/2018 |