AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has reaffirmed his support for the pre-finals bye, asserting it creates a more competitive and balanced finals series by ensuring all eight qualifying teams are primed for a genuine shot at the premiership.
The AFL finals commence this Thursday, following the now-traditional week-long break after Round 24. Since the introduction of the pre-finals bye in 2016, the structure has been both praised and questioned. Critics argue that the gap disrupts momentum and have proposed moving the bye to the week before the Grand Final, a move temporarily trialed during the COVID-affected 2021 season. This adjustment would also allow more time for players recovering from injuries, including concussion.
However, Dillon believes the current format offers broader benefits. Speaking this week, he described the bye as instrumental in levelling the playing field between top and lower-ranked finalists.
“The pre-finals bye has been in place since 2016, and I think it’s really served the game well,” Dillon said. “It gives the eight qualifying teams the chance to reset, refresh, and prepare—creating what I call a ‘true final eight.’”
His comments come with historical backing. Prior to 2016, no team had won the premiership from outside the top four since the current finals system was introduced in 2000. But since the introduction of the bye, both the Western Bulldogs (2016) and Brisbane Lions (2023) have broken that trend—each making a run from outside the top four to reach the Grand Final, with the Bulldogs ultimately winning the flag.
This shift has reinforced arguments that the bye helps level out advantages traditionally held by top-four sides, such as home-ground finals and the double chance.
Despite growing debate, Dillon remains firmly in favour of the status quo. “I’m comfortable with where it is at the moment,” he said. “We’re set for what I think will be an incredible weekend of finals footy.”
The AFL continues to assess its fixture and scheduling, but with compelling evidence of the bye’s impact on competition balance—and the public’s growing acceptance of its place—any change appears unlikely in the near future.
With four huge finals locked in and all teams rested, the AFL is gearing up for another dramatic September. And if Dillon’s vision of a “true final eight” is correct, fans are in for a thrilling and unpredictable ride.
