New AFL Finals Format
AFL Plans Expanded Nine-Team Finals Ahead of the 2026 Grand Final
Anonymous
The 2026 AFL Grand Final between Fremantle and Brisbane brings a wide range of player prop bets, with Brisbane’s Will Ashcroft favored for the Norm Smith Medal and Fremantle’s Luke Jackson among the alternatives. The expanded nine-team finals format has also changed the prize-money distribution: more clubs receive payments, but the champion’s payout is lower than Brisbane’s $1.2 million prize in 2025. The wildcard round’s status as genuine finals remains disputed, with AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon supporting the designation and Garry Lyon describing those games as play-ins.
Key Points
1
AFL betting history suggests the Norm Smith Medal is unlikely to go to a key-position player: the last 12 winners were medium or small players, and no key-position player has won since Brian Lake in 2013. A key forward last won in 1989.
2
With Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale suspended, Will Ashcroft is expected to be the Lions’ most prolific midfielder. The article notes Fremantle rarely uses a tag, though Matthew Johnson has taken on tagging roles this season.
3
The new finals prize-money arrangement also includes the McClelland Trophy, worth $1 million for the best-performing club across the AFL and AFLW seasons combined, split equally between the club and its players.
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