AFL Finals Taking Shape: The Race to September Heats Up
The AFL finals picture is beginning to take shape, and with the introduction of the brand-new AFL Wildcard Round, the road to the 2026 Grand Final promises to be more exciting than ever.
With the home-and-away season now entering its final stages, the Top 10 teams have emerged, but there is still plenty to play for. One final round remains to determine the crucial finishing positions. And those positions could make a huge difference when September arrives.
A New Era for the AFL Finals
The 2026 AFL season brings a major change to the traditional finals format with the introduction of the Wildcard Round.
For the first time, the teams finishing from seventh to tenth will have to fight their way into the main finals series.
The new format gives the top six teams a valuable opening-weekend bye, while the teams finishing seventh to tenth face a sudden-death battle.
The format is simple:
- 7th hosts 10th
- 8th hosts 9th
- The two winners progress to the next stage of the finals.
- The teams finishing 1st to 6th receive a bye during the Wildcard Round.
It creates an entirely new layer of excitement around the final weeks of the AFL season.
The Top 10 Are Set — But Where Will They Finish?
While the ten teams heading into the finals picture are now known, their final positions are still to be decided.
That makes the final home-and-away round particularly important.
For the teams battling around the top of the ladder, finishing in the Top Four remains a major prize. A high ladder position can provide a significant advantage throughout the finals campaign, while the race for the Top Six is now even more important because those teams avoid the pressure of the Wildcard Round altogether.
Meanwhile, teams finishing seventh to tenth will be looking ahead to what could be one of the most exciting weekends on the AFL calendar.
The AFL's own run-home analysis has highlighted how closely packed the finals race has become, with teams fighting for the double chance, a Top Six position and the final Wildcard places.
Who Will Host the Wildcard Finals?
One of the fascinating aspects of the new system is that home-ground advantage becomes part of the reward for finishing higher.
Seventh hosts tenth, while eighth hosts ninth.
That means the final ladder positions could have a huge impact on the first weekend of September football.
For supporters, it also means that finishing inside the Top 10 is only part of the equation. Every position can count.
A team finishing seventh will be hoping to host tenth rather than travel, while the team finishing eighth will want to avoid slipping to ninth or tenth.
It adds another layer of intrigue to the final round of the season.
The Road to the AFL Grand Final
Once the Wildcard Round is complete, the traditional AFL finals structure takes over.
The top six teams will finally enter the finals campaign after their opening-weekend bye, joining the two Wildcard winners in the next stage.
From there, the familiar pressure of September football takes over — with every match bringing clubs one step closer to the AFL Grand Final.
The result is a longer and potentially more dramatic pathway to the premiership, giving more teams a genuine opportunity to extend their season into September.
Grand Final Day Is Getting Closer
For AFL supporters, the countdown is officially on.
The final home-and-away round will settle the final ladder positions, followed by the inaugural AFL Wildcard Round and then the traditional finals battles that will ultimately produce the two teams that meet on Grand Final Day.
There is still plenty to be decided — and that is exactly what makes this time of the AFL season so exciting.
From the fight for the top of the ladder to the battle for a Wildcard home final, every game now carries enormous significance.
The road to Grand Final Day has begun — and 2026 is set to deliver a finals series unlike any other.
Follow the AFL Finals Countdown
Keep following GrandFinalDay.com.au for Grand Final news, finals information, event ideas, celebrations and everything you need to know as Australia counts down to Grand Final Day. For Grand Final celebration ideas and watch parties in your city see all the details under City links on the website.
The 2026 AFL finals format and ladder information referenced above are based on AFL information available as the home-and-away season approaches its conclusion.