AFL chief Andrew Dillon defends wildcard round

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has defended the introduction of the new wildcard round, insisting it does not reward mediocrity.

Teams that finish as low as 10th on the ladder will now play finals, with the two added games to be held over what was the pre-finals bye weekend.

The team that finishes seventh on the ladder after the home-and-away campaign will play the team that finished 10th, while the team that finished eighth will play the ninth-placed team.

Over the past 10 seasons, the team that finished 10th has had a winning rate of 50 per cent or worse six times, including the 11-12 Adelaide Crows of 2023.

Dillon said the 18 clubs were unanimous in their support for the initiative, and it would give fans more “hope” that their team would feature in the finals.

“What we feel is by expanding the finals series we will have more games of consequence during the home-and-away [season], which we know fans love, we know our fans will go to those games, we know that they will watch them in numbers,” Dillon said.

Dillon defended the fact that 55 per cent of teams would play in the finals.

“I think if you look at the ladder over the last few years, and you see the teams that are finishing in ninth and 10th, and this year is a great example, the Bulldogs won well more than 50 per cent of the games, had a percentage of over 130, you had the Swans that won over 50 per cent of the games,” he said.

“I don’t think it rewards mediocrity. I think it provides opportunity and more games of consequence. Our fans love finals, and they love games of consequence.”

Dillon said teams with a losing record had also played finals under the current system.

He admitted that winning a premiership would be even more difficult for the teams that end up in the wildcard round, for they would not enjoy a pre-finals bye.

“It certainly will make it harder but what it does do then is make the gap between sixth and seventh, that will be something the clubs will be striving for,” Dillon said.

“What we do then, we see during the finals, a big difference between first and second because you get the home final, third and fourth because you get the double chance, and fifth and sixth, because you get that week off, and then seventh and eighth, you’ll get to host a home wildcard final.”

AFL great Nick Riewoldt took aim at the new round on radio, declaring it “feels like a make-good [because] we had some shocking TV games this year”.

“A lot of Carlton and a lot of Essendon [matches on TV] on the way home. What we have done now is we have guaranteed that we will never see another team finishing seventh win the premiership again like the Western Bulldogs in 2016,” Riewoldt told Triple M.

The AFL Fans Association called on the league to review the decision, saying that 77 per cent of fans surveyed in 2025 did not support the wildcard round. The association highlighted concerns around competitive fairness, fixture integrity and fan experience.

Dillon said there were no plans for a pre-grand final bye, suggesting that with 30 weeks of football with byes through the year, the season was long enough.

He brushed aside suggestions the fresh move was, in part, a response to the NRL’s creative flair under chairman Peter V’Landys, which includes rugby league’s season opener in Las Vegas.

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Dillon would not disclose whether host broadcasters Seven and Foxtel would have to pay more for the current rights deal (which runs from 2025-2031) now there would be two extra finals. But the new concept will be a big winner in terms of attendances and viewership, immediately filling the AFL’s coffers, but also with a view to its next broadcast rights deal.

“You could have two games at the MCG over 80,000 plus, you could have a game at People’s First Stadium [Gold Coast] or Engie Stadium [GWS] which would be sellouts but hosted with crowds of 20,000, so the variable is big depending who ends up in seventh or eighth,” Dillon said.

The wildcard round will be included as an official final for players, with voting contributing towards the Gary Ayres medallist as best finals player.

Dillon also addressed:

The potential of an AFLW wildcard round

“We will get through this AFLW season and review that and look at what’s the best way to make sure we have the right competition for AFLW, not ruling it out, but not ruling it in,” Dillon said.

He said he wasn’t concerned that Hawthorn went goalless in their final against North Melbourne on Friday.

“I don’t think concern is the word. What it does show is what an incredible team North Melbourne are. I was at the game on Friday night. There was no lack of endeavour from Hawthorn. There were times where they were really close [to kicking a goal]. North Melbourne are an amazing side, they haven’t lost for two seasons now and they are going to be hard to beat,” Dillon said.

Tarryn Thomas eyeing a return in the Northern Territory Football League

“Ultimately that will be a decision now for clubs in the NTFL. Tarryn has been cleared to play at the state league level,” Dillon said.

Thomas was sacked by North Melbourne and suspended for 18 matches after the AFL found him guilty in February 2024 of inappropriate behaviour towards a female.

He was declared eligible at the start of this year to play state league football with a non-aligned AFL club, but not be on an AFL list.

A finals scheduling clash with the NFL

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The Los Angeles Rams will host a home game at the MCG next year.

“We are waiting for that. I think the schedule for the NFL will come out in January, February. We know that will coincide with what is week three of our finals where we will have two finals. We will have the flexibility of the schedule,” Dillon said.

May and Prestia

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