A championship in Australian Rules Football is usually decided by a finals series, not simply by finishing first on the ladder. In the AFL, the club that wins the Grand Final is crowned premier and receives the premiership cup. The team at the top after the home-and-away season earns an important achievement, but it is not yet the season’s champion.
The exact system can vary between the AFL, state leagues, local competitions and junior football. The AFL’s top-eight finals format is the best-known example: it rewards strong regular-season form, gives the highest-ranked clubs a second chance, and ends with one deciding match. Here’s how each step works.
What does “premiership” mean?
In Australian Rules Football, a premiership is the championship awarded to the team that wins its competition’s finals series. The champions are called the premiers. You may also hear fans say their club “won the flag,” a reference to the premiership flag traditionally presented to the winning club.
The AFL’s home-and-away season determines ladder positions and which clubs qualify for finals. It does not, by itself, award the AFL premiership. A club can finish first on the ladder, lose in the finals, and miss out on the championship. Likewise, a team that finishes lower can win through the finals and become premier.
How the AFL ladder is decided
During the home-and-away season, clubs earn premiership points for their results. In the AFL, a win is worth four points, a draw is worth two points for each team, and a loss earns no points. Teams are ranked by their total premiership points.
If clubs finish level on premiership points, their percentage is normally used to separate them. It is calculated by dividing points scored by points conceded, then multiplying by 100. In Australian Rules, a goal is worth six points and a behind is worth one, so both contribute to a team’s score. Percentage can be crucial: a strong win may help a club edge above a rival with the same win-loss record.
The club that finishes first is often called the minor premier. That is a meaningful reward for consistency, but it is different from winning the major premiership. The minor premier still has to get through finals.
How the AFL top-eight finals series works
The AFL’s standard finals series includes the eight highest-ranked clubs. The first four finishers receive a valuable advantage: each has a second chance if it loses its first final. Clubs ranked fifth to eighth must win every match to stay alive.
| Finals stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Qualifying finals | First plays fourth, and second plays third. Winners advance to a preliminary final; losers get another chance in a semi-final. |
| Elimination finals | Fifth plays eighth, and sixth plays seventh. The winners advance; the losers are eliminated. |
| Semi-finals | The qualifying-final losers play the elimination-final winners. The winners move on, while the losers are out. |
| Preliminary finals | The remaining four clubs play for the two places in the Grand Final. |
| Grand Final | The last two clubs meet. The winner becomes premier. |
That second chance is why finishing in the top four matters so much. For example, if a club finishes second and loses its qualifying final, its season is not over: it gets another match in the semi-finals. A club that finishes seventh, by contrast, faces elimination if it loses its first final.
Higher-ranked teams also generally receive home-ground advantage in the early rounds, although the exact venue arrangements depend on the competition and finals schedule. The system rewards a good home-and-away season without making the ladder leader champion automatically.
The Grand Final decides the premier
The Grand Final is the final match of the AFL season. The winner is crowned premier, receives the premiership cup and celebrates with the club’s players, staff and supporters. Players from the winning side are presented with premiership medallions.
If the AFL Grand Final is tied at the end of normal time, the match is decided by extra time rather than a replay. The current process uses two periods of five minutes, plus time-on, with teams changing ends between periods. If the scores remain level, further extra-time periods are played until there is a winner. The 2010 Grand Final was famously replayed after a draw, but the AFL introduced the extra-time approach for Grand Finals from 2016.
Individual honours are separate from the team championship. For instance, the Norm Smith Medal is awarded to the best player on the ground in the Grand Final. Winning that medal is a major personal achievement, but the premiership belongs to the club that wins the match.
Do all Australian Rules competitions use this system?
No. The AFL’s top-eight format is prominent, but Australian Rules is played across many leagues with different numbers of clubs, season lengths and finals structures. A state league may use a top-five or top-six finals series, while a local competition may send fewer teams into playoffs. Some competitions also have different rules for resolving a drawn finals match.
So, when you’re following a league outside the AFL, check its competition rules for the number of finalists and the path to the Grand Final. The broad idea is the same: teams qualify through their regular-season results, then compete in finals for the premiership.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does finishing first on the AFL ladder win the championship?
No. First place makes a club the minor premier and gives it a strong position in finals, but the AFL premiership goes to the club that wins the Grand Final.
How many teams qualify for AFL finals?
In the standard AFL finals format, eight clubs qualify. The top four receive a second chance if they lose their first final; the bottom four are eliminated after a loss.
What happens if the AFL Grand Final is a draw?
The teams play extra time: two five-minute periods plus time-on, changing ends after the first period. If still tied, they continue with further extra-time periods until one team wins.
Is the Norm Smith Medal the championship award?
No. It recognises the best player on the ground in the Grand Final. The premiership is a team honour awarded to the club that wins the match.
Final Thoughts
Australian Rules Football championships are usually decided through a finals series, with the Grand Final delivering the ultimate result. In the AFL, ladder position earns qualification and can provide a second chance, but only the Grand Final winner becomes premier. That mix of season-long consistency and high-stakes finals is what makes the race for the flag compelling.
Aiden Cross is a sports writer and editor at BeliveSports, covering a broad range of sports with a focus on clear, accurate, and practical information. His work covers rules, techniques, player roles, competitions, equipment, statistics, and the details that help readers better understand how different sports are played. Aiden takes a research-driven approach to sports writing, using reliable sources and established sporting information to provide context rather than simply repeating surface-level facts. His goal is to make complex topics accessible while maintaining the accuracy and depth expected by knowledgeable sports fans. At BeliveSports, Aiden contributes to the site’s editorial standards by focusing on accuracy, clarity, useful context, and reader-first explanations.
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