2012 AFL finals series

August 2017 August 2017 AFL finals 2012 7–29 September 2012 8 (5th premiership) (8th minor premiership) 9 99,683 (Grand Final, vs. ) 2011 2013 (16th grand final) The 2012 Australian Football League finals series determined the winner of the 2012 AFL season. The series took place over four weekends in September 2012, culminating with the 116th AFL/VFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 29 September 2012. The finals system AFL final eight system The system is a final eight system. This system is currently used by the National Rugby League, and is different from the McIntyre final eight system, which was previously used by both the AFL and the NRL. The top four teams in the eight receive what is popularly known as the "double chance" when they play in week-one qualifying finals. This means that even if a top-four team loses in the first week, it still remains in the finals, playing a semi-final the next week against the winner of an elimination final. The bottom four of the eight play knock-out games, in that only the winners survive and move on to the next week. Home-state advantage goes to the team with the higher seed in the first two weeks, to the qualifying final winners in the third week. Games in Victoria are played at the MCG, regardless of the team's usual home ground, if a crowd larger than the seating capacity of Etihad Stadium (53,359) is expected. In the second week, the winners of the qualifying finals receive a bye to the third week. The losers of the qualifying final plays the elimination finals winners in a semi-final. In the third week, the winners of the semi-finals from week two play the winners of the qualifying finals in the first week. The winners of those matches move on to the Grand Final at the MCG in Melbourne.AFL Finals System Explained (AFL.com.au) Qualification Ladder Summary of results y 110 70 7 September, MCG 20.15 (135) 15.7 (97) 8 September, AAMI Stadium 5.12 (42) 11.5 (71) 9 September, Patersons Stadium WC 24.18 (162) 9.12 (66) 8 September, MCG 11.14 (80) 14.12 (96) 15 September, MCG 10.13 (73) WC 9.6 (60) 14 September, AAMI Stadium 12.9 (81) 11.5 (71) 22 September, MCG 13.19 (97) 14.8 (92) 21 September, ANZ Stadium 13.18 (96) 10.10 (70) 29 September, MCG 11.15 (81) 14.7 (91) Week one (qualifying & elimination finals) First qualifying final (Hawthorn vs. Collingwood) First qualifying final Hawthorn 4.6 (30) 9.10 (64) 15.13 (103) 20.15 (135) H Collingwood 2.3 (15) 7.4 (46) 12.7 (79) 15.7 (97) MCG Friday, 7 September (7:50 pm) 84,625 Report 4: Franklin2: Breust, Gunston, Hale, Hodge, Rioli, Savage1: Ellis, Puopolo, Roughead, Smith 6: Cloke4: Krakouer2: Wellingham1: Dawes, Shaw, Sinclair Mitchell, Sewell, Franklin Cloke, Pendlebury, Beams Whitecross (knee) Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) Second qualifying final (Adelaide vs. Sydney) Second qualifying final Adelaide 1.3 (9) 2.7 (19) 3.10 (28) 5.12 (42) A Sydney 2.2 (14) 7.2 (44) 8.4 (52) 11.5 (71) AAMI Stadium Saturday, 8 September (2:45 pm) 44,849 Report 1: Callinan, Johncock, Sloane, van Berlo, Walker 3: Goodes2: Jetta, Morton 1: Kennedy, McGlynn, Parker, Reid Thompson, Sloane, Doughty O'Keefe, Kennedy, Goodes Talia (arm) Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) Sydney improved to 2-0 in September Finals in Adelaide. In both games they never trailed. Second elimination final (Geelong vs. Fremantle) Second elimination final Geelong 0.1 (1) 3.5 (23) 6.9 (45) 11.14 (80) A Fremantle 5.7 (37) 8.9 (57) 12.11 (83) 14.12 (96) MCG Saturday, 8 September (7:45 pm) 44,460 Report 2: Mackie, J. Hunt1: Selwood, Duncan, Christensen, Stokes, Taylor, Vardy, Motlop 6: Pavlich3: Ballantyne2: Walters1: Crowley, de Boer, Pearce Selwood, Bartel, Mackie Pavlich, Mundy. Ballantyne Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) won their first finals game outside of Western Australia. First elimination final (West Coast vs. North Melbourne) First elimination final West Coast 7.4 (46) 11.8 (74) 15.11 (101) 24.18 (162) H North Melbourne 0.3 (3) 2.8 (20) 8.10 (58) 9.12 (66) Patersons Stadium Sunday, 9 September (1:15 pm) 41,790 Report 4: Embley, Darling, Kennedy3: Lynch1: Kerr, Masten, Shuey, Hurn, Cox, Naitanui, Hill, McGinnity, Mackenzie 3: Campbell, Harvey1: Cunnington, Hansen, Petrie Embley, Cox, Kerr Swallow, Ziebell, Harvey Harvey (striking) Waters (foot) Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) Week two (semi-finals) First semi-final (Collingwood vs. West Coast) First semi-final Collingwood 3.4 (22) 4.5 (29) 8.10 (58) 10.13 (73) H West Coast 5.1 (31) 6.4 (40) 7.6 (48) 9.6 (60) MCG Saturday, 15 September (7:45 pm) 65,483 Report 3:Thomas2: Swan1: Pendlebury, Goldsack, Blair, Jolly, O'Brien 2: Hill, Darling1: Kerr, Cox, McGinnity, Naitanui, Kennedy Pendlebury, Swan, Thomas Kerr, Gaff, Shuey Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) Second semi-final (Adelaide vs. Fremantle) Second semi-final Adelaide 1.3 (9) 4.7 (31) 8.9 (57) 12.9 (81) H Fremantle 4.1 (25) 7.2 (44) 8.4 (52) 11.5 (71) AAMI Stadium Friday, 14 September (8:15 pm) 31,742 Report 5: Walker3: Porplyzia1: Vince, Dangerfield, Wright, Tippett 3: Mayne, Walters1: Fyfe, Ibbotson, Ballantyne, Pavlich, Suban Walker, Porplyzia, Reilly Mundy, Mayne, Johnson Petrenko (shoulder) Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) Week three (preliminary finals) Second preliminary final (Sydney vs. Collingwood) Second preliminary final Sydney 5.5 (35) 7.9 (51) 9.14 (68) 13.18 (96) H Collingwood 2.3 (15) 3.6 (24) 5.8 (38) 10.10 (70) ANZ Stadium Friday, 21 September (7:50 pm) 57,156 Matt Stevic, Simon Meredith, Brett Rosebury Report 3: Jetta2: Kennedy, Bolton, Roberts-Thomson1: O'Keefe, Goodes, Bird, Mumford 3: Cloke1: Beams, Swan, Johnson, Fasolo, Tarrant, Dawes, Goldsack Kennedy, O'Keefe, Goodes Pendlebury, Beams, O'Brien Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) Jude Bolton () played his 300th game. defeated for the first time since round 13, 2005, breaking an eleven-game losing streak.http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/swans-do-it-by-numbers-20120921-26cvd.html Swans do it by numbers Michael Cowley SMH 28 September 2012 21 September 2012 First preliminary final (Hawthorn vs. Adelaide) First preliminary final Hawthorn 2.6 (18) 5.10 (40) 11.14 (80) 13.19 (97) H Adelaide 4.1 (25) 7.3 (45) 10.4 (64) 14.8 (92) MCG Saturday, 22 September (5:15 pm) 69,146 Chris Donlon, Mathew Nicholls, Shane McInerney Report 3: Franklin2: Rioli, Breust, Gunston1: Young, Shiels, Burgoyne, Suckling 4: Tippett, Walker1: Porplyzia, Sloane, van Berlo, Henderson, Smith, Johncock Mitchell, Rioli, Sewell Porplyzia, Dangerfield, Tippett Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast) Week four (Grand Final) 2012 AFL Grand Final Grand Final Saturday, 29 September (2:30 pm) 4.5 (29) 4.6 (30) 9.10 (64) 11.15 (81) Franklin 3, Breust 2, Gunston 2,Hale 2, Ellis, Smith Franklin, Sewell, Burgoyne,Mitchell, Breust, Hale Ellis (calf), Hodge (head) Nil A 1.4 (10) 7.4 (46) 10.5 (65) 14.7 (91) Jack 2, Kennedy 2, Malceski 2,McVeigh 2, Morton 2, Goodes,Hannebery, Reid, Roberts-Thomson Hannebery, O'Keefe, Kennedy,McVeigh, Jetta, Goodes Goodes (knee), Johnson (wrist) Nil MCG 99,683 Report Rosebury, Stevic, Meredith Norm Smith Medal Ryan O'Keefe () Seven Network Marina Prior Scheduling Issues There were a number of scheduling issues during the 2012 AFL finals series: In Week 1, West Coast was forced to play on either the Friday night or Sunday due to Patersons Stadium being unavailable on the Saturday due to a rugby union international between the Wallabies and the Springboks.AFL in finals fix http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=145884 https://web.archive.org/web/20120828175938/http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=145884 28 August 2012 AFL BigPond Network 27 August 2012 16 September 2012 live In week 2, the late match starting time between and of 8:15 pm ACST contributed to the lowest crowd for an Adelaide final. 31,742 fans attended the match at AAMI Stadium, almost 20,000 short of capacity.Ticket prices not to blame for poor crowd: AFL http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/ticket-prices-not-to-blame-for-poor-crowd-afl-20120915-25yr5.html Sydney Morning Herald 15 September 2012 16 September 2012 The AFL dismissed suggestions that ticket prices were to blame, but said the unusual starting time and possibly the pessimistic expectations of local supporters following their defeat to Sydney the previous week may have led to the poor turnout.Ticket prices not the problem: AFL http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/147770/default.aspx https://web.archive.org/web/20120916035747/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/147770/default.aspx 16 September 2012 AFL BigPond Network 15 September 2012 16 September 2012 live In week 3, a potential fixturing clash between the AFL and NRL at ANZ Stadium in Sydney led to the AFL scheduling the second preliminary on the Friday night.Sydney locks in a home preliminary final at ANZ Stadium http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/sydney-locks-in-a-home-preliminary-final-at-anz-stadium/story-e6frf9jf-1226468145696 Herald Sun 8 September 2012 16 September 2012 The SCG would usually be used for finals in the event of a fixture clash at ANZ Stadium, but it was unavailable due to a redevelopment. Normally, it is AFL policy to schedule the highest ranked qualifying winner on the Friday night to give that team the longest time to prepare for the grand final the following week. There was a disagreement about the starting time of the first preliminary final. pushed for a day game to minimise the time difference between its game and the second preliminary final the night before; the AFL and broadcasters preferred a night time-slot to maximise television audiences.Hawthorn urges AFL to do the right thing on preliminary final and give it a daytime contest http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/hawthorn-urges-afl-to-do-the-right-thing-on-preliminary-final-and-give-it-a-daytime-contest/story-e6frepf6-1226468549263 Herald Sun 10 September 2012 16 September 2012 The AFL ultimately scheduled a twilight 5:15 pm AEST game as a compromise between the two drivers.http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-announces-hawthorn-will-play-twilight-preliminary-final/story-fnelctok-1226471372776 https://web.archive.org/web/20120912100850/http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-announces-hawthorn-will-play-twilight-preliminary-final/story-fnelctok-1226471372776 dead 12 September 2012 AFL announces Hawthorn will play twilight preliminary final Jon Ralph Herald Sun 11 September 2012 21 January 2013 Notes and references External links AFL official website RealFooty by The Age (Melbourne) Online https://web.archive.org/web/20080725045941/http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/ 25 July 2008 SportsAustralia (news and views) Finals Series, 2012