Double bye

[chook23]

Both sides that won the qualifying final lost their prelim......

Is this the first time final 8 (top 4)

IMO the bye after the last round is wrong.

winner of top four games .....this year.... duded by the over reaction to last year.

[saintspremiers]

Of course it is. But as long as we have fucktards running the AFL this will continue.

At least their lovechild team failed to make the granny. Well one did and one didn't.

Enjoy your blue balls Gil!

[Wayne42]

It's not the first bye that killed them, all the teams had that one, it's the second bye that killed Geelong and the Giants momentum, you know, the one teams have always had, only this time it was different.

[magnifisaint]

I bet you they get rid of it next year. Guaranteed!

[stonecold]

Good teams don't use PissPoor excuses!!!!!

[magnifisaint]

Good teams don't use PissPoor excuses!!!!!

It takes away the advantage of winning in the 1st week.

[older saint]

No teams will use the excuse but reality is both started terribly. You play all year to get a ladder position. If you earn the right to rest players well done.
The integrity of the finals has been compromised by this decision with Geelong playing 1 game is 24 days and GWS 1 games in 28.

typical AFL knee jerk reactions to decisions - teams rest don't like the look, change it. All about the Look - stuff the look maintain the integrity of the best side wins.
That said i think going in Sydney was the best side of the 8

[chook23]

A poll last month showed all 18 coaches were against the concept.

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has said the league will wait until after the finals to weigh up whether the bye should continue.

[Moods]

I cannot believe that ppl are still banging on about this supposed bye. Fair dinkum, Sydney finished on top and were always going to beat the Cats. They are a far better team. Ppl who backed the Cats I found bewildering. The Bye had nothing to do with their dismal start. They were simply outclassed.

For thos who grew up in the 70's and 80's, we had a top 5. Guess what happened back then? That's right, the top team had a bye first week in the finals. THen they played the 2nd semi and if they won that? Yep - straight through to the GF. How did so many teams that finished on top manage to win the flag you wonder after winning the 2nd semi? Maybe because they were the best team in it. Even after playing 2 games in 28 days. Seems miraculous

[SaintPav]

I cannot believe that ppl are still banging on about this supposed bye. Fair dinkum, Sydney finished on top and were always going to beat the Cats. They are a far better team. Ppl who backed the Cats I found bewildering. The Bye had nothing to do with their dismal start. They were simply outclassed.

For thos who grew up in the 70's and 80's, we had a top 5. Guess what happened back then? That's right, the top team had a bye first week in the finals. THen they played the 2nd semi and if they won that? Yep - straight through to the GF. How did so many teams that finished on top manage to win the flag you wonder after winning the 2nd semi? Maybe because they were the best team in it. Even after playing 2 games in 28 days. Seems miraculous

Yeah but they didn't have the Internet back then

[Scollop]

The bye did give the Doggies a chance but definitely the 2 best teams are playing off.

Cats don't deserve to be there and neither do GWS. Cats were inconsistent and had a good draw because they didn't make the 8 last year. GWS young coaches and young players need to earn their stripes and I think their draw was alos favourable.

Crows might or might not be improvers but Hawks, Eagles and Roos are sliders next year imo.

[St Plugger]

I cannot believe that ppl are still banging on about this supposed bye. Fair dinkum, Sydney finished on top and were always going to beat the Cats. They are a far better team. Ppl who backed the Cats I found bewildering. The Bye had nothing to do with their dismal start. They were simply outclassed.

For thos who grew up in the 70's and 80's, we had a top 5. Guess what happened back then? That's right, the top team had a bye first week in the finals. THen they played the 2nd semi and if they won that? Yep - straight through to the GF. How did so many teams that finished on top manage to win the flag you wonder after winning the 2nd semi? Maybe because they were the best team in it. Even after playing 2 games in 28 days. Seems miraculous

Of all the various types of finals systems, I actually think the Final 5 was the best and fairest system. The Minor Premiers were rewarded for gaining the top position with the bye. The Elimination Final and Qualifying Finals quickly sorted the rest. The one Prelim was always a top tussle, frequently a better game than the GF.
Given that USUALLY the bottom 4 teams in the 8 are really only making up the Nos, apart from the TV and attendance monies lost, we'd se a better set of finals right from game 1.

[desertsaint]

I cannot believe that ppl are still banging on about this supposed bye. Fair dinkum, Sydney finished on top and were always going to beat the Cats. They are a far better team. Ppl who backed the Cats I found bewildering. The Bye had nothing to do with their dismal start. They were simply outclassed.

For thos who grew up in the 70's and 80's, we had a top 5. Guess what happened back then? That's right, the top team had a bye first week in the finals. THen they played the 2nd semi and if they won that? Yep - straight through to the GF. How did so many teams that finished on top manage to win the flag you wonder after winning the 2nd semi? Maybe because they were the best team in it. Even after playing 2 games in 28 days. Seems miraculous

on the flipside - only the top team had the first week bye. now we see all teams get a rest and then reload, whilst the qualifying winners stop, go, stop. so not really comparable at all.

[Moods]

I cannot believe that ppl are still banging on about this supposed bye. Fair dinkum, Sydney finished on top and were always going to beat the Cats. They are a far better team. Ppl who backed the Cats I found bewildering. The Bye had nothing to do with their dismal start. They were simply outclassed.

For thos who grew up in the 70's and 80's, we had a top 5. Guess what happened back then? That's right, the top team had a bye first week in the finals. THen they played the 2nd semi and if they won that? Yep - straight through to the GF. How did so many teams that finished on top manage to win the flag you wonder after winning the 2nd semi? Maybe because they were the best team in it. Even after playing 2 games in 28 days. Seems miraculous

on the flipside - only the top team had the first week bye. now we see all teams get a rest and then reload, whilst the qualifying winners stop, go, stop. so not really comparable at all.

You could argue that it was HARDER back in the 80's because only one team lost momentum.

Personally I reckon the bye before the finals has been a stroke of genius by the AFL - and I don't say that very often these days.
The crowds have been enormous, the games have been superb as a rule, and in my opinion the 2 best teams have ended up making it. There's no excuses for the GWS and Cats. Both clubs said they wouldn't or couldn't have asked for a better preparation.

[kosifantutti]

This was also the closest group at the top of the ladder for years. Seven teams within 2 games of each other at the top.

And don't forget, this week of football is brought to you by The Bye.