AFL football boss Greg Swann has confirmed the competition is actively exploring the introduction of a wildcard round, signalling a major shake-up that could be in place as soon as next season.
Speaking to SEN for the Grand Final edition of the AFL Record, Swann said the league’s fixture review was looking at several reforms that may also spell the end of the pre-finals bye.
“My personal view is I’d like everybody to have the same bye. A bye for the whole industry after Round 15 or something. Then we come back and go again,” Swann explained.
“That might temper what happens later in the season for that pre-finals bye or whether there’s a wildcard round. We’re looking at all of it. That’s a watch this space.”
Broadcasters hold the key
The wildcard format, which would extend the finals race and offer more clubs a late-season lifeline, would require the backing of broadcast partners Seven and Foxtel, who signed a $4.5 billion deal through to 2031.
Swann acknowledged that while he dislikes the current staggered mid-season bye system, broadcaster support will be decisive: “If the broadcasters don’t want to do it, then we won’t do it.”
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The pre-finals bye, first introduced in 2016, has long divided fans and coaches, with critics arguing it blunts the momentum of top-four sides. Swann suggested that if the week’s pause is to remain, it may ultimately be better placed before the Grand Final to allow players returning from concussion to be eligible.
For now, though, it’s the wildcard weekend that has captured the imagination, and the AFL’s willingness to “look at it” means fans might not have to wait long to see the idea tested.