The AFL introduced the wildcard round to create more meaningful football in the race to September. Instead, it’s created a new debate: has it actually reduced the importance of finishing in the top eight?
With the introduction of the new finals format in 2026, the top 10 clubs remain alive deep into the season, keeping more fan bases engaged than ever before. But as the ladder begins to take shape, some within football are questioning whether the change has also reduced the urgency of finishing higher on the ladder.
Under the new system, teams finishing first to sixth qualify directly for the finals, while clubs placed seventh to tenth battle it out in a sudden-death wildcard round for the final two places in September. The AFL believes the change will create more meaningful matches late in the season and eliminate the need for the controversial pre-finals bye.
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It’s certainly achieved one goal.
With several rounds remaining, as many as 14 clubs still have realistic hopes of reaching the postseason. In previous seasons, many of those teams would already have been planning for 2027.
But there is another side to the argument.
Traditionally, finishing inside the top eight was a reward for consistency across an entire season. Now, a team that scrapes into ninth or tenth can still qualify for the finals by winning a single wildcard match.
That has inevitably led some critics to ask whether the home-and-away season has been diluted.
The current ladder highlights just how congested the race has become.
With only a handful of wins separating clubs from sixth through to the wildcard positions, almost every result has become significant. At the same time, teams sitting comfortably inside the top six now have an added incentive to stay there, knowing they can avoid the sudden-death wildcard weekend altogether.
In reality, the wildcard format hasn’t made the regular season meaningless.
It’s simply changed what teams are playing for.
Instead of the race ending at eighth, clubs are now fighting for three distinct objectives:
- A top-four finish and the double chance.
- A top-six finish and direct qualification.
- A top-10 finish to keep finals hopes alive.
That may actually create more meaningful football than ever before.
The biggest winners could be the fans.
Clubs like Collingwood, North Melbourne, Carlton and Gold Coast remain firmly in the finals conversation despite inconsistent seasons, ensuring blockbuster matches every weekend as the ladder tightens.
Whether the wildcard round becomes a permanent success will likely depend on September.
If a team finishing ninth or tenth makes a genuine finals run, the criticism will only grow louder.
If those lower-ranked clubs are quickly eliminated, the AFL will argue the system has done exactly what it intended—rewarding excellence while giving more teams hope for longer.
For now, one thing is certain.
The race to September has never been more crowded.
Whether that’s good for the integrity of the competition or simply good for television ratings remains a debate that is only just beginning.
