Is Making The AFL Finals Really A Success?

as seen on The Roar

The see-sawing battle between Port Adelaide, Essendon and Hawthorn for the final spot in the AFL's top eight is an intriguing one for the fans. But really is the prize at stake worth fans getting exciting for?

Port currently occupy the last finals spot on the AFL ladder with 36 points, whilst Essendon and the Hawks are behind them both with 32 points but the Bombers have the strongest percentage of the lot.

It is always a joy and a good experience to be part of the finals for clubs, but the reality is none of these clubs are realistic contenders for the AFL premiership. Plus, coming from 8th spot is nigh on impossible with the current AFL finals format.

So despite all the attention the race for the lower rungs of the top 8 always gets, is it really that interesting if those sides are just going to bow out of the finals? Shouldn’t our attention be transfixed on the important race for the premiership, or at least the race for the top 4 and second-chance finals?

But the current AFL format (with half the league reaching the finals) is created just for this purpose, to keep the fans interested up until Round 22. And the media builds up all these fixtures accordingly to ensure good crowds and TV audiences.

Indeed it seems to work, as making the finals is generally considered by many clubs and fans as an achievement and thus a good season. Just ask Power, Bombers or Hawks fans how they’ll judge their season should they miss the finals. I guarantee it would be drastically different to their judgement if they made the top eight.

But should finishing one spot above another midtable side really matter? Is an unrealistic shot at the finals really good enough?

The perfect example of a club who are switched onto this is the West Coast Eagles who after three 8th place finishes in John Worsfold’s initial years at the helm, have gone onto either challenge for the premiership or challenge for the number one draft pick down the bottom.

Worsfold regularly speaks about West Coast being on track to challenge for a premiership soon. He always uses that word, ‘premiership’, not finals. And he says it without a moment’s hesitation and such comments must perplex many pundits who see the Eagles getting thrashed on their travels every second week.

It is bizarre to think the Eagles, who won the AFL premiership only three years ago, are currently an ordinary bottom four side.

But it seems Worsfold treats the AFL season like many of his colleagues treat the NAB Cup where results don’t really matter. It seems Worsfold sees it as a chance to experiment with his side and try to make them learn a system and gel as a team.

Perhaps he likes the old saying of ‘one step backwards to take two steps forward’.

Indeed, West Coast’s basketball-style handballing game often frustrates the Subiaco Oval public, but Worsfold is adamant when his young side comes to grips with it, they’ll be more than just a top 8 contender, they’ll be a premiership contender.

And perhaps Worsfold is onto something other clubs and coaches aren’t. Shouldn’t every club be aiming to be the best, not be amongst the best?

In saying that, of the eighth spot contenders in 2009, Essendon are perhaps an example of a side developing and building something for the future and maybe a top 4 finish and a premiership challenge is in sight for them in the near future.

But will coming eighth in 2009, have much of an influence on their premiership challenge in 2011 or 2012. I think it would be naïve to think so.

So is the race for eighth spot on the AFL ladder in 2009 really worth getting exciting about?