2023 AFL finals series

The 2023 Australian Football League finals series was the 127th annual edition of the VFL/AFL finals series, the Australian rules football playoff tournament staged to determine the winner of the 2023 AFL premiership season. The series was played over four weeks in September, and culminated in the 2023 AFL Grand Final, which saw Collingwood win its record-tying 16th premiership by 4 points over the Brisbane Lions.

2023 premiership season
Date7 September – 30 September
Teams8
PremiersCollingwood
Attendance
Matches played9
Total attendance664,780 (73,864 per match)
Highest100,024 (Grand Final, Collingwood v Brisbane Lions)

The top eight teams from the 2023 AFL Premiership season qualify for the finals series. AFL finals series have been played under the current format since 2000.

Qualification

In Round 23 of the 2023 AFL season, Melbourne's win over Hawthorn confirmed Collingwood, Brisbane Lions, Port Adelaide and Melbourne as the top 4, while Carlton sealed a finals appearance with a win over Gold Coast. The Western Bulldogs' shock loss to last-placed West Coast confirmed finals for St Kilda and Sydney, while in Round 24 Greater Western Sydney defeated Carlton to seal the last finals spot at the Bulldogs' expense.

Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 Collingwood (P) 23 18 5 0 2142 1687 127.0 72 Finals series
2 Brisbane Lions 23 17 6 0 2180 1771 123.1 68
3 Port Adelaide 23 17 6 0 2149 1906 112.7 68
4 Melbourne 23 16 7 0 2079 1660 125.2 64
5 Carlton 23 13 9 1 1922 1697 113.3 54
6 St Kilda 23 13 10 0 1775 1647 107.8 52
7 Greater Western Sydney 23 13 10 0 2018 1885 107.1 52
8 Sydney 23 12 10 1 2050 1863 110.0 50
9 Western Bulldogs 23 12 11 0 1919 1766 108.7 48
10 Adelaide 23 11 12 0 2193 1877 116.8 44
11 Essendon 23 11 12 0 1838 2050 89.7 44
12 Geelong 23 10 12 1 2088 1855 112.6 42
13 Richmond 23 10 12 1 1856 1983 93.6 42
14 Fremantle 23 10 13 0 1835 1898 96.7 40
15 Gold Coast 23 9 14 0 1839 2006 91.7 36
16 Hawthorn 23 7 16 0 1686 2101 80.2 28
17 North Melbourne 23 3 20 0 1657 2318 71.5 12
18 West Coast 23 3 20 0 1418 2674 53.0 12
Source: afl.com.au
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for
(P) Premiers

Season notes

Venues

Melbourne Brisbane
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Gabba
Capacity: 100,024 Capacity: 36,700
Adelaide
Adelaide Oval
Capacity: 53,500

Matches

The system used for the 2023 AFL finals series is a final eight system. The top four teams in the eight receive the "double chance" when they play in week-one qualifying finals, such that 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 – only the winners survive and move on to the next week. Home-state advantage goes to the team with the higher ladder position in the first two weeks, and to the qualifying final winners in the third week.

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. [1]

Qualifying and elimination finalsSemi-finalsPreliminary finalsGrand Final
First qualifying final: Sep 7, MCG
1Collingwood9.6 (60)
4Melbourne7.11 (53)First semi-final: Sep 15, MCG
Melbourne9.17 (71)
First elimination final: Sep 8, MCGCarlton11.7 (73)First preliminary final: Sep 22, MCG
5Carlton11.8 (74)Collingwood8.10 (58)
8Sydney9.14 (68)Greater Western Sydney8.9 (57)2023 AFL Grand Final: Sep 30, MCG
Collingwood12.18 (90)
Second elimination final: Sep 9, MCGSecond preliminary final: Sep 23, GabbaBrisbane Lions13.8 (86)
6St Kilda11.11 (77)Brisbane Lions11.13 (79)
7Greater Western Sydney15.11 (101)Second semi-final: Sep 16, Adelaide OvalCarlton9.9 (63)
Port Adelaide9.16 (70)
Second qualifying final: Sep 9, GabbaGreater Western Sydney13.15 (93)
2Brisbane Lions19.9 (123)
3Port Adelaide11.9 (75)

Finals series

First Qualifying Final (Collingwood vs Melbourne)

The first qualifying final saw first-placed Collingwood face fourth-placed Melbourne, the twenty-third final between the two sides and the first since the 1989 elimination final.

Scorecard
First Qualifying Final
Thursday, 7 September (7:20 pm) Collingwood def. Melbourne MCG (crowd: 92,636) Report
4.2 (26)
5.3 (33)
9.4 (58)
 9.6 (60)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
1.0 (6)
2.4 (16)
4.9 (33)
 7.11 (53)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

First Elimination Final (Carlton vs Sydney)

The first elimination final saw fifth-placed Carlton face eighth-placed Sydney, the twelfth final between the two sides and the first since the 2013 first semi final.

Scorecard
First Elimination Final
Friday, 8 September (7:50 pm) Carlton def. Sydney MCG (crowd: 92,026) Report
3.2 (20)
7.5 (47)
10.6 (66)
 11.8 (74)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
1.5 (11)
2.6 (18)
7.9 (51)
 9.14 (68)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

Second Elimination Final (St Kilda vs Greater Western Sydney)

The second elimination final saw sixth placed St Kilda take on seventh placed Greater Western Sydney. This was the first meeting between the two sides in a finals series match.

Scorecard
Second Elimination Final
Saturday, 9 September (3:20 pm) St Kilda def. by Greater Western Sydney MCG (crowd: 68,465) Report
2.3 (15)
6.6 (42)
9.8 (62)
 11.11 (77)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
5.3 (33)
10.5 (65)
13.9 (87)
 15.11 (101)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

Second Qualifying Final (Brisbane vs Port Adelaide)

The second qualifying final saw the second-placing Brisbane Lions face third-placing Port Adelaide, the fourth final between the two sides and the first since the 2004 AFL Grand Final. Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide also previously met in the 2001 qualifying final and the 2002 preliminary final.

Scorecard
Second Qualifying Final
Saturday, 9 September (7:25 pm) Brisbane Lions def. Port Adelaide The Gabba (crowd: 36,020) Report
3.3 (21)
8.4 (52)
16.5 (101)
 19.9 (123)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
1.4 (10)
5.6 (36)
9.9 (63)
 11.9 (75)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

First Semi-Final (Melbourne vs Carlton)

The first semi-final saw Melbourne host Carlton. This was the ninth final contested between the two teams and the first since 2000, when Melbourne defeated Carlton in a qualifying final. They had previously played in five semi-finals (1915, 1936, 1941, 1959 and 1962), a preliminary final in 1988 and a qualifying final in 1994.

Scorecard
First Semi-Final
Friday, 15 September (7:50 pm) Melbourne def. by Carlton MCG (crowd: 96,412) Report
3.3 (21)
4.7 (31)
7.11 (53)
 9.17 (71)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
2.2 (14)
5.3 (33)
7.5 (47)
 11.7 (73)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

Second Semi-Final (Port Adelaide vs Greater Western Sydney)

This was the first meeting between Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney in a finals series match.

Scorecard
Second Semi-Final
Saturday, 16 September (7:10 pm) Port Adelaide def. by Greater Western Sydney Adelaide Oval (crowd: 45,520) Report
4.1 (25)
5.6 (31)
8.7 (55)
 9.16 (70)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
4.4 (28)
9.11 (65)
11.15 (81)
 13.15 (93)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

First Preliminary Final (Collingwood vs Greater Western Sydney)

This was the third meeting in the Finals between Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney after the 2018 semi-final (won by Collingwood) and the 2019 preliminary final (won by Greater Western Sydney).

Scorecard
First Preliminary Final
Friday, 22 September (7:50 pm) Collingwood def. Greater Western Sydney MCG (crowd: 97,665) Report
2.2 (14)
2.6 (18)
7.7 (49)
 8.10 (58)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
0.3 (3)
4.4 (28)
6.9 (45)
 8.9 (57)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

Second Preliminary Final (Brisbane vs Carlton)

This was the fourth time Brisbane Lions and Carlton meet in the finals; they have previously contested one qualifying final in 1999 (won by the Lions) and two semi-finals in 2000 and 2009 (respectively won by the Blues and the Lions).

Scorecard
Second Preliminary Final
Saturday, 23 September (5:15 pm) Brisbane Lions def. Carlton The Gabba (crowd: 36,012) Report
1.2 (8)
6.6 (42)
9.9 (63)
 11.13 (79)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
5.1 (31)
6.3 (39)
6.7 (43)
 9.9 (63)
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)

Week four – Grand Final

This was the third time that Brisbane and Collingwood faced off in the Grand Final, after the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals, both won by Brisbane. Collingwood won the Grand Final by 4 points and equalled the record of 16 premierships with Carlton and Essendon.

Grand Final
Saturday, 30 September (2:30 pm) Collingwood def. Brisbane Lions Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 100,024) Report
4.4 (28)
9.9 (63)
10.15 (75)
 12.18 (90)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
3.0 (18)
9.3 (57)
11.5 (71)
 13.8 (86)
Umpires: Stevic, Gavine, Meredith, Findlay
Norm Smith Medal: Bobby Hill
Television broadcast: Seven Network
National anthem: Kate Miller-Heidke
Hill 4, Crisp 2, De Goey 2, N. Daicos, Mihocek, Pendlebury, Sidebottom Goals Cameron 3, Daniher 3, Bailey 2, McCarthy 2, McCluggage 2, Robertson
Hill, N. Daicos, Crisp, Howe, Mitchell, Pendlebury Best McCluggage, Daniher, Coleman, Andrews, Bailey, Cameron
Murphy (concussion) Injuries
  • Collingwood's 16th VFL/AFL premiership, tying Carlton and Essendon's joint record.

References

  1. Hutchinson, Col; Rodgers, Stephen (1 August 2010). "The final 8 system explained". Australian Football League. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
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