Advertisement

'More harm than good': Why the AFL must address its controversial bye structure

The AFL needs to overhaul its bye structure.

ben talintyre
Sports Reporter
·5-min read

OPINION

Since the AFL introduced the pre-finals bye week in 2016, every year the AFL world complains about it but nothing changes. The inaugural pre-finals bye made an instant impact, with the seventh-placed Western Bulldogs seeing a host of their stars come back into the side from injury - who otherwise wouldn't have been able to feature if not for the week off before the first week of finals.

The Bulldogs then went on to win four consecutive games and take out the flag. It immediately raised questions on whether the pre-finals bye can break the momentum of top sides and if it provides an unfair advantage to those who barely scraped into the top eight.

Pictured left Harry McKay and right Swans fans
The AFL's pre-finals bye week is disliked by the majority of the AFL world. Image: Getty

That year sparked my belief that the pre-finals bye does more harm than good, a belief I still hold to this day. However, now I believe there is value in having a week off but not in its current place, instead, it should be moved to the week before the grand final.

This year for teams such as the Swans, the pre-finals week off gives another seven days for Tom Papley to get back to full fitness. But even if he wasn't right to play last week and they managed to win their match against the Giants without him, he and the rest of the side would then have a week off ahead of their home preliminary final anyway. And that is partially why I believe instead of a pre-finals bye week, the AFL should implement a pre-grand final bye week.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 28: Steven May of the Demons sits on the bench after being subbed out of the game after failing a concussion test during the 2022 AFL Round 11 match between the Narrm Demons and the Fremantle Dockers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 28, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
A bye week the week before the AFL grand final would remove the impact of the mandatory 12-day concussion stand down policy. Image: Getty

Moving the bye week back would also stop the momentum halt that many AFL teams feel heading into the first week of finals. The pre-finals bye also takes away a lot of the advantage of finishing top-four, as a week of rest is given to all of the top eight sides.

Before its introduction players and teams had to earn their bye week ahead of a home prelim but now finishing top four is no longer as big of an advantage. Prior to the pre-finals bye in 2016, 17 of the previous 18 preliminary finals from 2007-15 were won by a team that had won its qualifying final, had a week off, and then took on an opponent who had to get through another tough and brutal finals contest. But in seven seasons of the pre-finals bye (2016-20 and 22-23), the record of qualifying final winners in the preliminary final is just 8-6.

This trend is due to the fact that teams who win the qualifying final go into the preliminary final with just a single game in basically four weeks by the time they take the pitch. And then they are made to play a side who had a break just a couple of weeks earlier, instead of a team buggered and not having been able to put their feet up for a week since the mid-season bye.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 07: Sydney players look on after the loss during the round 17 AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium, on July 07, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
The pre-finals bye has historically been a negative for teams that finish in the top-four. Image: Getty

A pre-grand final bye would also allow for the AFL to capitalise on the final two weeks of the NRL season lining up with the first two weeks of the AFL finals. In many instances in the final rounds of the NRL, several teams have nothing to play for.

Take the case of the Storm this year who have already secured the minor premiership, and chose to mass rest players last week. While other matches between teams who can't make the finals are dead-rubber games and hardly enthralling watches as a viewer.

This is where the AFL can capitalise. If you are a fan of both codes but have a slight leaning towards the NRL, a lot of fans would likely rather watch Sydney vs GWS in a qualifying final on a Friday night than the battle for the wooden spoon between the depleted Tigers and Eels.

As it stands in the pre-finals bye week, AFL fans jump on watching other sports at a time when the hype for AFL finals is at its highest. This is perfectly showcased by the NRL crowds last weekend.

While the AFL went into recess, the NRL saw its highest-ever attended round. Much like the bizarre decision to give up Thursday night footy, the AFL's bye round simply just helps the NRL.

While many argue the pre-finals bye should just be scrapped, I believe with the mounting concern around player welfare and concussions, moving the bye week to the week before the grand final is the way to go. While it hasn't happened yet, a player being ruled out of the grand final due to the AFL's mandatory 12-day break for players under the concussion protocols is just a matter of time. And that stand-down policy could ultimately change the outcome of the final.

Imagine the scenes if Papley, Toby Greene or Patrick Dangerfield were made to spectate the grand final because their head smacked the ground the week prior. Moving the bye to the week ahead of the grand final not only stops the wind being taken out of the AFL's sails but it saves the league from mania if a star player is stood down as a result of a head knock.