Overview
- Two elimination games will be played on the former pre-finals bye weekend, with seventh facing 10th and eighth meeting ninth.
- The highest-ranked winner will be seeded seventh and the other eighth for the first full week of finals, while the top six teams receive a week off.
- The AFL says the games will count as official finals and contribute to voting for the Gary Ayres Award for the best player in the finals series.
- CEO Andrew Dillon framed the change as creating more "games of consequence" and said clubs backed the move, adding that all teams finishing first to eighth will host a home final at some stage.
- Fan response has been sharply negative, with the AFL Fans Association citing about 77–80% opposition and former players criticizing the shift, as broadcasters and some analysts highlight commercial and attendance upside; fixtures are expected to run Friday and Saturday.