2017 AFL finals series

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2017 premiership season
Date7–30 September 2017
Teams8
PremiersRichmond (11th premiership)
Runners-upAdelaide (3rd grand final)
Minor premiersAdelaide (2nd minor premiership)
Attendance
Matches played9
Total attendance553,818 (61,535 per match)
Highest100,021 (Grand Final, Adelaide vs. Richmond)
← 2016
2018 →

The 2017

winner of the 2017 AFL Premiership Season. The series ran over four weekends in September 2017, culminating with the 2017 AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
on 30 September 2017.

The top eight teams from the season qualified for the finals series. AFL finals series have been played under the current format since 2000. The qualifying teams were Adelaide, Greater Western Sydney, Geelong, Richmond, Port Adelaide, Sydney, Essendon and West Coast.

Qualification

See also: 2017 AFL season

Perennial finalists Sydney qualified for their eighth straight finals appearance, thus becoming the first team to reach the finals after starting a season with six straight losses. Adelaide qualified for the third straight year; Geelong qualified for the fourteenth time in the past sixteen years, Port Adelaide and Richmond both returned to the finals for the first time since 2014 and 2015 respectively, while Greater Western Sydney contested its second finals series since entering the AFL in 2012. Essendon returned to the finals for the first time since 2014 and became the first wooden spooner to play finals the following year since West Coast in 2011.

Venues

The matches of the 2017 AFL finals series will be contested at four venues around the country.

As was the case in 2015 and 2016, Melbourne will host only four finals matches, including the Grand Final, with all four played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Adelaide Oval hosted three finals: Adelaide's first qualifying final against Greater Western Sydney, their home preliminary final against Geelong, and Port Adelaide's elimination final against West Coast, while the Sydney Cricket Ground hosted Sydney's elimination final against Essendon and Spotless Stadium hosted Greater Western Sydney's first semi-final against West Coast.

Melbourne
Sydney
Melbourne Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground
Capacity: 100,024 Capacity: 48,000
Adelaide Sydney
Adelaide Oval Spotless Stadium
Capacity: 53,583 Capacity: 24,000

Matches

See also: AFL final eight system

The system used for the 2017 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, 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 at the MCG in Melbourne.[1]


Qualifying and elimination finalsSemi-finalsPreliminary finalsGrand Final
7 Sep,
a.e.t.)
Geelong10.15 (75)30 Sep, MCG
Adelaide8.12 (60)
9 Sep, SCG23 Sep, MCGRichmond16.12 (108)
6Sydney19.7 (121)Richmond15.13 (103)
7Essendon8.8 (56)15 Sep, MCGGreater Western Sydney9.13 (67)
Geelong15.8 (98)
8 Sep, MCGSydney5.9 (39)
2Geelong5.10 (40)
3Richmond13.13 (91)


Week one (qualifying and elimination finals)

First qualifying final (Adelaide vs. Greater Western Sydney)

The first qualifying final saw the minor premiership winning Adelaide hosting the fourth placing Giants at Adelaide Oval in the second-ever Thursday night final.[2][3] This was the first time Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney had met in the AFL Finals. Adelaide player, Sam Jacobs' brother died a week before the game,[4] he dedicated the game to his brother's memory and the Crows team wore black armbands in his honour.[5]

Scorecard
First qualifying final
Thursday, 7 September (7:20 pm) Adelaide def. Greater Western Sydney Adelaide Oval (crowd: 52,805) Report
3.4 (22)
8.7 (55)
12.8 (80)
 12.12 (84) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		1.4 (10)
1.5 (11)
5.7 (37)
 6.12 (48) 		Umpires: Jeff Dalgleish, Brett Rosebury, Shaun Ryan
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
3:
Lynch, B. Crouch
 Goals 2:
Himmelberg, Ward, Greene, de Boer
Lynch, B.Crouch, Jacobs, Brown, Greenwood
 Best Kelly, Coniglio, Scully, de Boer, Ward
Smith (knee) Injuries Cameron (hamstring), Coniglio (knee)
Nil Reports Nil

Second qualifying final (Geelong vs. Richmond)

The second qualifying final saw second placed Geelong host third placed Richmond at the MCG. Geelong leapfrogged Greater Western Sydney with a comprehensive 44-point win over them in Round 23 to finish in the top two for the seventh time in the last ten years and in the top eight for the ninth time in the same period. By contrast, Richmond had played in the finals between 2013-2015 without success but a rejuvenated game style saw them climb back up the ladder, with a win against St Kilda in the final round seeing them climb up to third spot and earn the double chance for the first time since 2001, the last time they won a final.

This was the tenth final between the two sides and first in twenty-two years, having previously met in the finals in

1967
. Head to head in finals it was 7-2 in Richmond's favour, despite Geelong's more recent successes.

Scorecard
Second qualifying final
Friday, 8 September (7:50 pm) Geelong def. by Richmond MCG (crowd: 95,028) Report
0.4 (4)
2.4 (16)
4.9 (33)
 5.10 (40) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		2.4 (16)
3.7 (25)
6.10 (46)
 13.13 (91) 		Umpires: Matt Stevic, Matthew Nicholls, Shane McInerney
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
1: Motlop, Dangerfield, Parsons, Hawkins, Taylor Goals 2: Townsend, Caddy
1: Butler, Vlastuin, Edwards, Prestia, Grigg, Lambert, Castagna, Cotchin, Riewoldt
Lonergan, Smith
 Best Martin, Prestia, Rance, Cotchin, Vlastuin, Lambert
C.Guthrie (calf) Injuries Nil
Nil Reports Nil
  • Richmond won their first final since 2001, ending the longest active winless streak in finals.
  • The crowd of 95,028 was the highest crowd for a qualifying final in AFL/VFL history.

Second elimination final (Sydney vs. Essendon)

The second elimination final saw sixth placed Sydney host seventh placed Essendon at the SCG. Both sides had defied the odds to qualify for the finals, with Sydney losing their first six games but recovering to become the first team to make the finals from that position, while Essendon were wooden spooners the previous year but a win against Fremantle in the final round sealed a spot in the finals.

This marked the third final between the two sides, having previously contested

kicked a behind after the siren to put the Swans into the 1996 AFL Grand Final and a Qualifying Final in 1999
which the Bombers won convincingly by 69 points.

Scorecard
Second elimination final
Saturday, 9 September (4:20 pm) Sydney def. Essendon SCG (crowd: 46,323) Report
3.2 (20)
13.5 (83)
17.5 (107)
 19.7 (121) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		1.3 (9)
3.4 (22)
5.8 (38)
 8.8 (56) 		Umpires: Brendan Hosking, Ray Chamberlain, Simon Meredith
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
4:
Kennedy, Rohan, Heeney
1: Papley, Jack, Lloyd
 Goals 3: Joe Daniher
2: Begley
1: Myers, Fantasia, Heppell
Kennedy, Sinclair, Parker, Grundy, Lloyd, Franklin, Jones
 Best Daniher, Heppell, Zaharakis, McGrath
Franklin (corked thigh), Heeney (nose) Injuries Nil
Nil Reports Nil
  • The crowd of 46,323 is the largest crowd for an AFL game at the SCG.[6]

First elimination final (Port Adelaide vs. West Coast)

The first elimination final was held between fifth placed

Domain Stadium needing to beat ladder leaders Adelaide by around four goals to leapfrog Melbourne
into eighth spot. They achieved this, defeating the Crows by 29 points to earn their third finals appearance in as many years.

The two sides met in the finals once before, ten years previously in a qualifying final which Port Adelaide won by three points.

Scorecard
First elimination final
Saturday, 9 September (7:20 pm) Port Adelaide def. by West Coast Adelaide Oval (crowd: 41,172) Report
1.0 (6)
5.5 (35)
6.8 (44)
8.12 (60)
10.16 (76) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Final 		4.2 (26)
7.4 (46)
7.5 (47)
9.6 (60)
12.6 (78) (
a.e.t.
) 		Umpires: Chris Donlon, Curtis Deboy, Justin Schmitt
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
3: Dixon
2: S.Gray, Wines
1: Ebert, Powell-Pepper 		Goals 3:
Kennedy
2: Shuey, Petrie
1: Cripps, Priddis
Dixon, Wines, Ebert, Powell-Pepper, Howard, R.Gray Best McGovern, Priddis, Petrie, Jetta, Shuey, Vardy
Nil Injuries Nil
Nil Reports Nil
  • after the final siren
    at the conclusion of extra time to win the game.

Week two (semi-finals)

Second semi-final (Geelong vs. Sydney)

Scorecard
Second semi-final
Friday, 15 September (7:50 pm) Geelong def. Sydney MCG (crowd: 55,529) Report
3.1 (19)
9.4 (58)
13.4 (82)
 15.8 (98) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		2.2 (14)
3.4 (22)
4.9 (33)
 5.9 (39) 		Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Matthew Nicholls, Simon Meredith
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
4: Dangerfield
2: Menzel, Menegola, Duncan
1: Stanley, Smith, Motlop, Hawkins, Blicavs 		Goals 1: Jack, McVeigh, Mills, Papley, Reid
Dangerfield, Henderson, Menegola, Duncan, Motlop, Blicavs, Taylor Best
Hannebery, Grundy, Lloyd, Jack, McVeigh
Lonergan (food poisoning) replaced in selected side by Stanley, Stewart
(hamstring) 		Injuries Nil
Nil Reports Nil

First semi-final (Greater Western Sydney vs. West Coast)

Scorecard
First semi-final
Saturday, 16 September (7:25 pm) Greater Western Sydney def. West Coast Spotless Stadium (crowd: 14,865) Report
5.4 (34)
9.7 (61)
15.10 (100)
 19.11 (125) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		3.0 (18)
4.2 (26)
5.2 (32)
 9.4 (58) 		Umpires: Matt Stevic, Justin Schmitt, Shaun Ryan
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
6:
Himmelberg, Deledio, Coniglio
 Goals 2:
Kennedy, Shuey, Petrie, Darling
Coniglio, Whitfield, Johnson, Ward, Corr, Kelly, Shiel, Wilson Best Priddis, Shuey, Mitchell, Hurn, Redden
Nil Injuries Nil
Nil Reports Nil

Week three

First preliminary final (Adelaide vs. Geelong)

First preliminary final
Friday, 22 September (7:20 pm) Adelaide def. Geelong Adelaide Oval (crowd: 53,817) Report
6.3 (39)
11.7 (73)
14.10 (94)
 21.10 (136) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		1.2 (8)
5.8 (38)
8.11 (59)
 10.15 (75) 		Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Matt Stevic, Justin Schmitt
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
5:
Lynch, Seedsman
1: Jacobs, Otten, M.Crouch, Knight
 Goals 2:
Henderson, Menegola
Laird, Cameron, M.Crouch, Seedsman, B.Crouch, Talia Best J.Selwood, Motlop, Taylor, Mackie, Dangerfield
Nil Injuries
Lonergan (corked quad), J.Selwood
(groin)
Nil Reports Nil

Second preliminary final (Richmond vs. Greater Western Sydney)

Second preliminary final
Saturday, 23 September (4:45 pm) Richmond def. Greater Western Sydney MCG (crowd: 94,258) Report
4.3 (27)
5.7 (37)
11.11 (77)
 15.13 (103) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		3.3 (21)
5.6 (36)
6.10 (46)
 9.13 (67) 		Umpires: Matthew Nicholls, Simon Meredith, Shaun Ryan
Television broadcast: Seven Network,
Fox Footy (simulcast)
4: Rioli
3: Martin
2: Butler
1: Lambert, Caddy, Castagna, Townsend, Edwards, Riewoldt 		Goals 4:
Patton
Cotchin, Rioli, Martin, Grimes, Rance, Lambert, Prestia Best
Himmelberg
Nil Injuries Shiel (concussion)
Nil Reports Nil

Week four (Grand Final)

Main article: 2017 AFL Grand Final
Grand Final
Saturday, 30 September (2:30 pm) Adelaide def. by Richmond MCG (crowd: 100,021) Report
4.2 (26)
4.7 (31)
5.10 (40)
 8.12 (60) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		2.3 (15)
6.4 (40)
11.8 (74)
 16.12 (108) 		Umpires: Simon Meredith, Shaun Ryan, Matt Stevic
Norm Smith Medal: Dustin Martin
Television broadcast: Seven Network
National anthem: Dami Im
2: Sloane, Walker
1: Betts, Greenwood, B. Crouch, Cameron 		Goals 3: Graham
2: Townsend, Martin, Riewoldt
1: Caddy, Houli, Grigg, Lambert, Castagna, Prestia, Butler
M. Crouch, Jacobs, B. Crouch, Sloane, Laird Best Martin, Rance, Houli, Astbury, Prestia, Edwards, Graham, Grimes
Nil Injuries Rioli (ankle)
Nil Reports Nil

References

  1. ^ Hutchinson, Col; Rodgers, Stephen (1 August 2010). "The final 8 system explained". Australian Football League. Telstra Media. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  2. ^ Davidson, Ryan (22 August 2017). "Thursday night locked in to start final series". AFL. AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  3. ^ Walsh, Courtney (16 July 2016). "AFL final series: Thursday opener firming". The Australian. The Australian. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  4. News Limited. Archived
    from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Sam Jacobs thanks Adelaide teammates for their support after the death of his brother". Adelaide Now. The Advertiser. 8 September 2017. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Sydney/Essendon Elimination Final Breaks An All-Time Record". Triple M. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Lowest Finals Crowd In A Century". Triple M. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  8. Telstra Media
    . Retrieved 24 September 2017.

External links

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