2011 AFL finals series

The 2011 Australian Football League finals series determined the winner of the 2011 AFL season. The series was scheduled to occur over four weekends in September 2011, culminating with the 115th AFL/VFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 1 October 2011. Traditionally held on the final Saturday in September, the Grand Final date was pushed to October to accommodate two extra rounds in the home and away season.

The finals system
Main article: AFL final eight system

The system is a final eight system. This system is different from the McIntyre Final Eight System, which was previously used by the AFL, and was used by the National Rugby League in 2011.

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
2011 AFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Collingwood 22 20 2 0 2592 1546 167.7 80 Finals series
2 Geelong (P) 22 19 3 0 2548 1619 157.4 76
3 Hawthorn 22 18 4 0 2355 1634 144.1 72
4 West Coast 22 17 5 0 2235 1715 130.3 68
5 Carlton 22 14 7 1 2225 1700 130.9 58
6 St Kilda 22 12 9 1 1891 1677 112.8 50
7 Sydney 22 12 9 1 1897 1735 109.3 50
8 Essendon 22 11 10 1 2217 2217 100.0 46
9 North Melbourne 22 10 12 0 2106 2082 101.2 40
10 Western Bulldogs 22 9 13 0 2060 2155 95.6 36
11 Fremantle 22 9 13 0 1791 2155 83.1 36
12 Richmond 22 8 13 1 2069 2396 86.4 34
13 Melbourne 22 8 13 1 1974 2315 85.3 34
14 Adelaide 22 7 15 0 1742 2193 79.4 28
15 Brisbane Lions 22 4 18 0 1814 2240 81.0 16
16 Port Adelaide 22 3 19 0 1718 2663 64.5 12
17 Gold Coast 22 3 19 0 1534 2726 56.3 12
Source: AFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers.

Summary of results
  Qualifying / Elimination finals Semi-finals Preliminary finals Grand final
                                   
  QF1: 10 September, MCG  
1  Collingwood 12.10 (82)  
4  West Coast 9.8 (62)     SF1: 17 September, Patersons Stadium  
     West Coast 15.11 (101)    
EF1: 11 September, MCG      Carlton 15.8 (98)       PF1: 23 September, MCG
5  Carlton 21.23 (149)        Collingwood 10.8 (68)  
8  Essendon 13.9 (87)          Hawthorn 9.11 (65)     GF: 1 October, MCG
         Collingwood 12.9 (81)
  EF2: 10 September, Etihad Stadium       PF2: 24 September, MCG      Geelong 18.11 (119)
6  St Kilda 8.9 (57)          Geelong 17.15 (117)  
7  Sydney 12.10 (82)     SF2: 16 September, MCG        West Coast 10.9 (69)  
     Hawthorn 19.8 (122)    
QF2: 9 September, MCG      Sydney 13.8 (86)    
2  Geelong 14.14 (98)  
3  Hawthorn 9.13 (67)  

Week one (qualifying & elimination finals)

For the first time since the current AFL finals system was introduced in 2000, all four finals were played in Melbourne in the first week of the finals.

First qualifying final (Collingwood vs. West Coast)
First qualifying final
Saturday, 10 September Collingwood def. West Coast MCG (crowd: 67,379) Report
1.1 (7)
7.5 (47)
10.7 (67)
 12.10 (82)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 2.3 (15)
5.4 (34)
6.5 (41)
 9.8 (62)		 Television broadcast: Network Ten

Second qualifying final (Geelong vs. Hawthorn)
Second qualifying final
Friday, 9 September Geelong def. Hawthorn MCG (crowd: 73,400) Report
2.0 (12)
7.2 (44)
12.6 (78)
 14.14 (98)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 3.5 (23)
4.8 (32)
7.12 (54)
 9.13 (67)		 Television broadcast: Seven Network

First elimination final (Carlton vs. Essendon)
First elimination final
Sunday, 11 September Carlton def. Essendon MCG (crowd: 90,161) Report
4.5 (29)
10.12 (72)
17.17 (119)
 21.23 (149)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 3.4 (22)
4.7 (31)
8.9 (57)
 13.9 (87)		 Television broadcast: Seven Network
  • Carlton won its first final since the 2001 First Elimination Final.[2]
  • The attendance of 90,161 was a new record for the highest ever for an elimination final.[2] This record stood until 2013.[3]

Second elimination final (St Kilda vs. Sydney)
Second elimination final
Saturday, 10 September St Kilda def. by Sydney Etihad Stadium (crowd: 39,205) Report
1.3 (9)
3.4 (22)
7.7 (49)
 8.9 (57)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 2.4 (16)
7.6 (48)
8.9 (57)
 12.10 (82)		 Television broadcast: Network Ten
  • St Kilda lost its first Saturday night match at Etihad Stadium since Round 9, 2003.

Week two (semi-finals)

First semi-final (West Coast vs. Carlton)
First semi-final
Saturday, 17 September West Coast def. Carlton Patersons Stadium (crowd: 42,803) Report
1.3 (9)
9.3 (57)
11.8 (74)
 15.11 (101)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 4.1 (25)
7.4 (46)
10.5 (65)
 15.8 (98)		 Television broadcast: Network Ten
  • This was Carlton's third narrow loss in an interstate final in three years.
  • West Coast won its first final since the 2006 grand final.

Second semi-final (Hawthorn vs. Sydney)
Second semi-final
Friday, 16 September Hawthorn def. Sydney MCG (crowd: 55,198) Report
3.5 (23)
10.5 (65)
12.6 (78)
 19.8 (122)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 0.1 (1)
4.1 (25)
9.6 (60)
 13.8 (86)		 Television broadcast: Seven Network

Week three (preliminary finals)

First preliminary final (Collingwood vs. Hawthorn)
First preliminary final
Friday, 23, September 7:45 pm AEST Collingwood def. Hawthorn MCG (crowd: 87,112) Report
2.3 (15)
3.5 (23)
5.6 (36)
 10.8 (68)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 2.4 (16)
4.7 (31)
7.11 (53)
 9.11 (65)		 Television broadcast: Seven Network

Second preliminary final (Geelong vs. West Coast)
Second preliminary final
Saturday, 24, September 2:20 pm AEST Geelong def. West Coast MCG (crowd: 59,455) Report
5.7 (37)
8.11 (59)
15.14 (104)
 17.15 (117)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 2.3 (15)
5.4 (34)
7.6 (48)
 10.9 (69)		 Television broadcast: Network Ten
  • West Coast became the first non-Victorian team to make the top four since 2007.

Week four (Grand Final)
Main article: 2011 AFL Grand Final
Grand Final
Saturday, 1 October 2:30pm Collingwood def. by Geelong MCG (crowd: 99,537) Report
4.2 (26)
9.3 (57)
12.6 (78)
 12.9 (81)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 4.3 (27)
8.6 (54)
13.7 (85)
 18.11 (119)		 Umpires: C Donlon, B Rosebury, S Ryan
Norm Smith Medal: Jimmy Bartel (Geelong)
Television broadcast: Network Ten
National anthem: Vanessa Amorosi
T Cloke, A Krakouer 3
S Sidebottom 2
L Ball, L Brown, B Johnson, S Wellingham 1		 Goals S Johnson 4
J Bartel, T Hawkins, T Varcoe 3
J Selwood 2
M Duncan, C Ling, M Stokes 1
S Pendlebury, D Thomas, S Sidebottom, C Tarrant, L Ball, L Brown, T Cloke Best J Bartel, J Selwood, T Hawkins, C Ling, S Johnson, P Chapman, B Ottens, T Varcoe
Nil Injuries J Podsiadly (shoulder)
Nil Reports Nil

Notes and references
  1. AFL Finals System Explained (AFL.com.au)}
  2. Horan, Michael (11 September 2011). "Dominant Carlton comfortable winners over Essendon by 62 points". Herald Sun. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  3. Nick Bowen (8 September 2013). "Blues ensure Tigers' September return ends in heartbreak". Australian Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
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