The AFL has shaken up the final stages of the 2023 VFL season, introducing a Wildcard Round that will see four clubs battle it out for the last two spots in the finals.
The 2023 VFL season will consist of 22 rounds, with all 21 teams to play 18 matches and have four byes each.
The major change from 2022 will come in the week after the end of the home and away season, with the teams that finish seventh to 10th on the ladder to face-off in two sudden death clashes on the weekend of August 26-27.
The winner of the 7th v 10th and 8th v 9th games will move through to the finals, while the losers will be eliminated. The top six teams will have a bye during the Wildcard Round.
The highest-ranked winner from the Wildcard Round will enter the finals as the seventh-ranked team.
The idea of a Wildcard Round has been floated for the AFL before, with club bosses expressing their support for the concept as far back as 2017.
However, outgoing AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said this year the current top-eight system is set to stay, at least in the short term.
"I think we have a finals series that works for us," McLachlan said in March.
"I know people talk about different additions and wildcards and stuff like that. We've reviewed that. Our supporters like it, we like it, I think our broadcasters like it.
"The best team, in my view, through this (current) system wins. So it will stay."
The concept has gathered some momentum since the AFL introduced the pre-finals bye in 2016, which currently sees no AFL games played for almost two weeks following the end of the home and away season.
This year, that gap in the schedule was filled by the opening round of the AFLW season. In 2023, the first full week of the VFL finals will also be played during the AFL's pre-finals bye.
The opening week of the 2022 AFL finals was one of the best in living memory, with players refreshed after a week off producing four memorable games to begin the finals campaign.
"The introduction of the Wildcard Round will provide an exciting new element to the 2023 Smithy's VFL season," AFL head of state league competitions Jennie Loughnan said.
"With 21 teams competing in the Smithy's VFL, the addition of the Wildcard Round provides more teams the opportunity to contend for finals.
"We expect the Wildcard Round to create more anticipation and excitement for competing clubs and football fans throughout the home and away season, with more sides remaining in finals contention later into the regular season.
"We are extremely proud of the rich tradition and history of the VFL and its clubs, and are also open to exploring exciting new opportunities, such as the Wildcard Round, for clubs, players and fans involved within the competition."
The full fixture for the VFL season, which will begin on the weekend of March 25-26, will be announced at a later date.
The VFL Grand Final will be played on Sunday, September 24, the weekend before the Toyota AFL Grand Final.
COMPETING TEAMS IN THE 2023 VFL
VFL standalone clubs: Coburg, Frankston, Northern Bullants, Port Melbourne, Southport Sharks, Werribee, Williamstown
AFL aligned clubs: Box Hill Hawks, Casey Demons, Sandringham
AFL standalone clubs: Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Footscray Bulldogs, Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney Swans
