In his first finals blog, Tom Harley speculates what would happen in a bottom eight play-off.
IT'S ROUND 22 and those of us who live in the world of AFL are prepping ourselves for a finals series that promises to deliver. The next five weeks will tell all but let’s wind back the clock to 1956…
Why 1956, I hear you ask? Well you see, between 1956 and 1971, the VFL ran a 'consolation night series' for those teams that missed the finals. It got me thinking - who would take out the best of the rest if such a competition existed today?
Allow me to cast my eye into a crystal ball and take a look at what such a finals series might look like.
OK, so the bottom eight (err, top eight) looks like this:
- North Melbourne
- Port Adelaide
- Melbourne
- Adelaide
- Brisbane Lions
- Essendon
- Richmond
- West Coast Eagles
Let the finals begin!
Week one
It’s Friday night and the Kangaroos are hosting the Crows at the MCG in the first qualifying final. In his 302nd game, Boomer Harvey puts on a clinic and tears apart the Crows midfield - North by 21 pts.
Traditional rivals Essendon and Richmond do battle in the first elimination final on Saturday arvo at the ‘G. Matthew Knights’ Bombers and Hardwick’s Tigers (shouldn’t it be the other way round?) play out a classic. Jack Riewoldt kicks 10 and the Tiges win by a point. The Bombers’ season of despair is finally over.
The Lions host the Eagles at the Gabba on Saturday night - the longest road trip in the game - and it shows. The Eagles get spanked and the Lions advance.
Sunday at AAMI sees the Power take on the Dees in the second qualifying final. Matthew Primus’ Power turn Melbourne’s lights out. The Dees lose their 16th game in a row at AAMI but live to fight another day.
Week two
Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions at AAMI Stadium on Friday night. Cut throat. No second chance. Seething from a loss to North the week before, the Crows do a number on the Lions. Rumors of a Goodwin comeback start to gather momentum.
Back to the MCG on Saturday night for Richmond and Melbourne. Which club really does have the best youngsters? The result leaves us with little doubt. Watts bags five, Frawley holds Riewoldt to two and Scully and Trengove run amok. Dees by 18 points.
Week three
Prelim final weekend - footy for the purists. Friday night, MCG, North Melbourne takes on Melbourne in a game that would have made Ron Barassi proud! The Roos' more mature bodies push aside the young and tired Demons. The Shinboners are all set to party like its 1999!
Across the border, it’s Showdown XXX. The city of churches is heaving - nothing like a Showdown to get the fans’ emotions pulsating. The Crows get up and prepare for a rematch of the 1998 grand final against the Roos.
Week four
Grand final day (well, sort of)! Boomer’s Roos take on Goody’s Crows. Yep, he got up for the big one! Sadly for the Crows, there are no Jarman-esque heroics and North takes out the flag. Boomer Harvey takes home the Norm Smith and Brad Scott is starting to chase down his mentor, Lethal Leigh Matthews, in the premiership stakes.
Have your say
It’s all a bit of fun before we get into the serious stuff but just imagine if the AFL had a “best of the rest” consolation series. Who do you think would win? Which bottom eight club has the brightest future? Does this competition have any merit at all?!
