2012 AFL finals series

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.

2012 premiership season
Date7–29 September 2012
Teams8
PremiersSydney (5th premiership)
Runners-upHawthorn (16th grand final)
Minor premiersHawthorn (8th minor premiership)
Attendance
Matches played9
Total attendance539,948 (59,994 per match)
Highest99,683 (Grand Final, Hawthorn vs. Sydney)

The finals 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.[1]

Qualification

2012 AFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Hawthorn 22 17 5 0 2679 1733 154.6 68 Finals series
2 Adelaide 22 17 5 0 2428 1833 132.5 68
3 Sydney (P) 22 16 6 0 2290 1629 140.6 64
4 Collingwood 22 16 6 0 2123 1823 116.5 64
5 West Coast 22 15 7 0 2244 1807 124.2 60
6 Geelong 22 15 7 0 2209 1886 117.1 60
7 Fremantle 22 14 8 0 1956 1691 115.7 56
8 North Melbourne 22 14 8 0 2359 2097 112.5 56
9 St Kilda 22 12 10 0 2347 1903 123.3 48
10 Carlton 22 11 11 0 2079 1925 108.0 44
11 Essendon 22 11 11 0 2091 2090 100.0 44
12 Richmond 22 10 11 1 2169 1943 111.6 42
13 Brisbane Lions 22 10 12 0 1904 2092 91.0 40
14 Port Adelaide 22 5 16 1 1691 2144 78.9 22
15 Western Bulldogs 22 5 17 0 1542 2301 67.0 20
16 Melbourne 22 4 18 0 1580 2341 67.5 16
17 Gold Coast 22 3 19 0 1509 2481 60.8 12
18 Greater Western Sydney 22 2 20 0 1270 2751 46.2 8
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Summary of results

Qualifying and elimination finalsSemi-finalsPreliminary finalsGrand Final
7 September, MCG
1Hawthorn20.15 (135)
4Collingwood15.7 (97)15 September, MCG
Collingwood10.13 (73)
9 September, Patersons StadiumWest Coast9.6 (60)22 September, MCG
5West Coast24.18 (162)Hawthorn13.19 (97)
8North Melbourne9.12 (66)Adelaide14.8 (92)29 September, MCG
Hawthorn11.15 (81)
8 September, MCG21 September, ANZ StadiumSydney14.7 (91)
6Geelong11.14 (80)Sydney13.18 (96)
7Fremantle14.12 (96)14 September, AAMI StadiumCollingwood10.10 (70)
Adelaide12.9 (81)
8 September, AAMI StadiumFremantle11.5 (71)
2Adelaide5.12 (42)
3Sydney11.5 (71)

Week one (qualifying & elimination finals)

First qualifying final (Hawthorn vs. Collingwood)

First qualifying final
Friday, 7 September (7:50 pm) Hawthorn def. Collingwood MCG (crowd: 84,625) Report
4.6 (30)
9.10 (64)
15.13 (103)
 20.15 (135)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
2.3 (15)
7.4 (46)
12.7 (79)
 15.7 (97)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
4: Franklin
2: Breust, Gunston, Hale, Hodge, Rioli, Savage
1: Ellis, Puopolo, Roughead, Smith
Goals 6: Cloke
4: Krakouer
2: Wellingham
1: Dawes, Shaw, Sinclair
Mitchell, Sewell, Franklin Best Cloke, Pendlebury, Beams
Whitecross (knee) Injuries

Second qualifying final (Adelaide vs. Sydney)

Second qualifying final
Saturday, 8 September (2:45 pm) Adelaide def. by Sydney AAMI Stadium (crowd: 44,849) Report
1.3 (9)
2.7 (19)
3.10 (28)
 5.12 (42)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
2.2 (14)
7.2 (44)
8.4 (52)
 11.5 (71)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
1: Callinan, Johncock, Sloane, van Berlo, Walker Goals 3: Goodes
2: Jetta, Morton
1: Kennedy, McGlynn, Parker, Reid
Thompson, Sloane, Doughty Best O'Keefe, Kennedy, Goodes
Talia (arm) Injuries
  • 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
Saturday, 8 September (7:45 pm) Geelong def. by Fremantle MCG (crowd: 44,460) Report
0.1 (1)
3.5 (23)
6.9 (45)
 11.14 (80)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
5.7 (37)
8.9 (57)
12.11 (83)
 14.12 (96)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
2: Mackie, J. Hunt
1: Selwood, Duncan, Christensen, Stokes, Taylor, Vardy, Motlop
Goals 6: Pavlich
3: Ballantyne
2: Walters
1: Crowley, de Boer, Pearce
Selwood, Bartel, Mackie Best Pavlich, Mundy. Ballantyne
  • Fremantle won their first finals game outside of Western Australia.

First elimination final (West Coast vs. North Melbourne)

First elimination final
Sunday, 9 September (1:15 pm) West Coast def. North Melbourne Patersons Stadium (crowd: 41,790) Report
7.4 (46)
11.8 (74)
15.11 (101)
 24.18 (162)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
0.3 (3)
2.8 (20)
8.10 (58)
 9.12 (66)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
4: Embley, Darling, Kennedy
3: Lynch
1: Kerr, Masten, Shuey, Hurn, Cox, Naitanui, Hill, McGinnity, Mackenzie
Goals 3: Campbell, Harvey
1: Cunnington, Hansen, Petrie
Embley, Cox, Kerr Best Swallow, Ziebell, Harvey
Waters (foot) Injuries
Reports Harvey (striking)

Week two (semi-finals)

First semi-final (Collingwood vs. West Coast)

First semi-final
Saturday, 15 September (7:45 pm) Collingwood def. West Coast MCG (crowd: 65,483) Report
3.4 (22)
4.5 (29)
8.10 (58)
 10.13 (73)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
5.1 (31)
6.4 (40)
7.6 (48)
 9.6 (60)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
3:Thomas
2: Swan
1: Pendlebury, Goldsack, Blair, Jolly, O'Brien
Goals 2: Hill, Darling
1: Kerr, Cox, McGinnity, Naitanui, Kennedy
Pendlebury, Swan, Thomas Best Kerr, Gaff, Shuey

Second semi-final (Adelaide vs. Fremantle)

Second semi-final
Friday, 14 September (8:15 pm) Adelaide def. Fremantle AAMI Stadium (crowd: 31,742) Report
1.3 (9)
4.7 (31)
8.9 (57)
 12.9 (81)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
4.1 (25)
7.2 (44)
8.4 (52)
 11.5 (71)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
5: Walker
3: Porplyzia
1: Vince, Dangerfield, Wright, Tippett
Goals 3: Mayne, Walters
1: Fyfe, Ibbotson, Ballantyne, Pavlich, Suban
Walker, Porplyzia, Reilly Best Mundy, Mayne, Johnson
Petrenko (shoulder) Injuries

Week three (preliminary finals)

Second preliminary final (Sydney vs. Collingwood)

Second preliminary final
Friday, 21 September (7:50 pm) Sydney def. Collingwood ANZ Stadium (crowd: 57,156) Report
5.5 (35)
7.9 (51)
9.14 (68)
 13.18 (96)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
2.3 (15)
3.6 (24)
5.8 (38)
 10.10 (70)
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Simon Meredith, Brett Rosebury
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
3: Jetta
2: Kennedy, Bolton, Roberts-Thomson
1: O'Keefe, Goodes, Bird, Mumford
Goals 3: Cloke
1: Beams, Swan, Johnson, Fasolo, Tarrant, Dawes, Goldsack
Kennedy, O'Keefe, Goodes Best Pendlebury, Beams, O'Brien

First preliminary final (Hawthorn vs. Adelaide)

First preliminary final
Saturday, 22 September (5:15 pm) Hawthorn def. Adelaide MCG (crowd: 69,146) Report
2.6 (18)
5.10 (40)
11.14 (80)
 13.19 (97)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
4.1 (25)
7.3 (45)
10.4 (64)
 14.8 (92)
Umpires: Chris Donlon, Mathew Nicholls, Shane McInerney
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
3: Franklin
2: Rioli, Breust, Gunston
1: Young, Shiels, Burgoyne, Suckling
Goals 4: Tippett, Walker
1: Porplyzia, Sloane, van Berlo, Henderson, Smith, Johncock
Mitchell, Rioli, Sewell Best Porplyzia, Dangerfield, Tippett

Week four (Grand Final)

Grand Final
Saturday, 29 September (2:30 pm) Hawthorn def. by Sydney MCG (crowd: 99,683) Report
4.5 (29)
4.6 (30)
9.10 (64)
 11.15 (81)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
1.4 (10)
7.4 (46)
10.5 (65)
 14.7 (91)
Umpires: Rosebury, Stevic, Meredith
Norm Smith Medal: Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney)
Television broadcast: Seven Network
National anthem: Marina Prior
Franklin 3, Breust 2, Gunston 2,
Hale 2, Ellis, Smith
Goals Jack 2, Kennedy 2, Malceski 2,
McVeigh 2, Morton 2, Goodes,
Hannebery, Reid, Roberts-Thomson
Franklin, Sewell, Burgoyne,
Mitchell, Breust, Hale
Best Hannebery, O'Keefe, Kennedy,
McVeigh, Jetta, Goodes
Ellis (calf), Hodge (head) Injuries Goodes (knee), Johnson (wrist)
Nil Reports Nil

Scheduling Issues

There was 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.[3]
  • In week 2, the late match starting time between Adelaide and Fremantle 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.[4] 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.[5]
  • 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.[6] 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 starting time of the first preliminary final. Hawthorn 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.[7] The AFL ultimately scheduled a twilight 5:15 pm AEST game as a compromise between the two drivers.[8]

Notes and references

  1. AFL Finals System Explained (AFL.com.au)
  2. Cowley, Michael (21 September 2012). "Swans do it by numbers". SMH. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  3. "AFL in finals fix". AFL BigPond Network. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original on 28 August 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  4. "Ticket prices not to blame for poor crowd: AFL". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  5. "Ticket prices not the problem: AFL". AFL BigPond Network. 15 September 2012. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  6. "Sydney locks in a home preliminary final at ANZ Stadium". Herald Sun. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  7. "Hawthorn urges AFL to do the right thing on preliminary final and give it a daytime contest". Herald Sun. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  8. Ralph, Jon (11 September 2012). "AFL announces Hawthorn will play twilight preliminary final". Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
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