EXCLUSIVE: Does winning a wildcard game count as winning a final? The AFL captains are split on it

The AFL's captains were split when asked whether the league's new wildcard round should be counted as a final or not, though they generally all liked the addition itself.

This season, in what used to be the pre-finals bye, eighth will play ninth and seventh will play 10th for the final two spots in the traditional top eight.

However, league boss Andrew Dillon has caused a stir by publicly declaring on multiple occasions that a victory in wildcard round will count as winning a final.

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This would mean Essendon's near 8000-day streak without a finals win could hypothetically come to an end by beating the 10th-ranked team.

The Dons haven't won a final since 2004.

Wildcard Rounds are common in American sports, though they appear in vastly different constructions.

The NFL's version is more typical of the AFL's elimination finals, with the exception being that the top seeds in each conference have a bye.

Meanwhile, the NBA's play-in game features the seventh seed playing against the eighth seed, with the winner claiming the seven-seed. The loser then plays the winner of ninth versus 10th for the eight-seed.

The AFL's format doesn't really fit into either bucket, but does lean more towards the play-in concept, with the winners claiming the bottom two spots in the eight.

This is part of why there is a strong debate as to whether wildcard round wins should count as a legitimate finals win, or whether that is setting too low of a benchmark for the accolade.

In the NBA, a play-in win does not count towards a team's playoff record.

Of the seven captains who spoke to Wide World of Sports at the AFL's captains day on Monday, they found themselves split four to three in favour of it being counted as a finals win.

Brisbane captain Harris Andrews likely doesn't have to concern himself with the idea of finishing seventh coming off two straight flags and three straight grand final appearances, but he does believe it should count as a finals win.

"Yep, I am (claiming seventh beating 10th as a finals win)," Andrews told Wide World of Sport.

"We've moved the sticks in terms of top 10 being finals-bound teams, so yeah, I am claiming it."

The Lions are one of two teams this century to win a premiership from outside the top four, doing so in 2024. They have had to win four straight finals to win a flag in consecutive years as well.

Andrews believes it would be possible to go one better and win five in a row en route to a flag, including a wildcard game.

"I mean, potentially," he said.

"The last two years we've had to play all four finals, obviously losing to Geelong (in the qualifying final last year), so we had to play in the semi-finals as well.

"I think you're able to get a little bit of momentum going your way. Obviously, you're more chance of an injury popping up, but if you're good enough, you'll be good enough.

"It's all contextual. Every team is going to be in a different position come the end of the season. You might be crawling towards the end of the season with a few injuries, and the week off might help you, or you might be flying, and you don't want to stop."

While Andrews provided the perspective of the reigning premiers, new North Melbourne skipper Nick Larkey is looking in the opposite direction. His team has finished inside the bottom four every season since 2020.

The key forward sees wildcard round as a carrot for his team to chase, and agrees that it would count as a finals win.

"Absolutely, it is (a finals win) for us," Larkey laughed.

"We'll take anything we can get at this stage.

"It's a good little carrot dangled at the end of the season if we can get things right, build a little consistency and build a little belief, that would be really special.

"It would be clearly a massive deal for us. I don't know how the top teams feel about it because it's hard enough to make the eight as it is.

"But with the expansion of the game and more teams coming in, it does make sense to increase it from eight to 10.

"As I said, we're in a spot where we'd be fighting for those sorts of positions."

Richmond captain Toby Nankervis, who has three premierships to his name but is coming off a bottom-four finish, agrees with Larkey.

"Definitely claiming that as a finals win," he laughed.

GWS captain Toby Greene meanwhile was pretty strong in his stance in the opposite direction when asked if it should count as a finals victory.

"Nah. Nup. Not until you win the second one," he said.

A stance new Hawthorn skipper Jai Newcombe agrees with.

"No, I'm not (claiming that as a finals win)," the Hawks midfielder said.

"I guess technically we have to if the AFL says so."

Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee also isn't fully comfortable with wildcard wins counting towards finals records.

"I had this conversation with someone, but I don't know if the wildcard round should be counted as a finals win," Rozee said.

"I think maybe save that for the next week of finals games, but I don't know, that's just my personal opinion."

Of course, the opinion that everyone wants is that of Essendon skipper Andrew McGrath, given the Dons are the team with the streak to break.

The Bombers' finals drought, which will sit around 8000 days come September, is something that has haunted the club for many years.

McGrath, who has taken over from Zach Merrett this year, said if they win a wildcard game, they are probably counting it as a streak killer, though he wasn't certain.

"I don't know, I guess so," McGrath said.

"I think the league is going to see how it goes this year, and it may stay, it may not.

"We're open to it. We'd love to be a part of it if that's how the positions fall. We'd love to have a win in that part of the season."

Speaking to 3AW, Carlton's Patrick Cripps said a wildcard game would have a finals feel and loves the concept, but didn't give a verdict on whether it counts as a final.

"I like the concept of it for a lot of reasons. Keep the engagement late in the year for more fan bases, but also reward the top six," Cripps told 3AW.

"I like it. It also gives us a few games in that pre-finals bye.

"I think every game, if you're in the last few rounds competing for those spots, it feels like a high intensity game. They're the games you love being involved in."

Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli, meanwhile, said to 3AW: "To be honest, I don't have too strong an opinion on it, and I'd prefer not to be involved in it and be further up the ladder."

The consensus from the game's leaders is that they are in favour of the additional opportunity to break into the real finals, though some remain sceptical as to whether it should count as part of the finals series.