2011 AFL finals series#Week one (qualifying & elimination finals)

{{Main|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 until 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.[https://www.afl.com.au/news/2010-08-01/the-final-8-system-explained AFL Finals System Explained (AFL.com.au)]}

{{:2011 AFL season|transcludesection=Ladder}}

{{8TeamBracket-PagePlayoff|RD2-RD3-cross=y

|team-width=110

|score-width=70

|RD1-text1= 10 September, MCG

|RD1-team1={{AFL Col}}

|RD1-score1=12.10 (82)

|RD1-team2={{AFL|WC}}

|RD1-score2=9.8 (62)

|RD1-text4= 9 September, MCG

|RD1-team7={{AFL Gee}}

|RD1-score7= 14.14 (98)

|RD1-team8={{AFL Haw}}

|RD1-score8= 9.13 (67)

|RD1-text2= 11 September, MCG

|RD1-team3={{AFL Car}}

|RD1-score3= 21.23 (149)

|RD1-team4={{AFL Ess}}

|RD1-score4= 13.9 (87)

|RD1-text3= 10 September, Etihad Stadium

|RD1-team5={{AFL|StK}}

|RD1-score5=8.9 (57)

|RD1-team6={{AFL Syd}}

|RD1-score6=12.10 (82)

|RD2-text1= 17 September, Patersons Stadium

|RD2-team1={{AFL|WC}}

|RD2-score1=15.11 (101)

|RD2-team2={{AFL Car}}

|RD2-score2=15.8 (98)

|RD2-text2= 16 September, MCG

|RD2-team3={{AFL Haw}}

|RD2-score3=19.8 (122)

|RD2-team4={{AFL Syd}}

|RD2-score4=13.8 (86)

|RD3-text1= 23 September, MCG

|RD3-team1={{AFL Col}}

|RD3-score1=10.8 (68)

|RD3-team2={{AFL Haw}}

|RD3-score2=9.11 (65)

|RD3-text2= 24 September, MCG

|RD3-team3={{AFL Gee}}

|RD3-score3=17.15 (117)

|RD3-team4={{AFL|WC}}

|RD3-score4=10.9 (69)

|RD4-text1= 1 October, MCG

|RD4-team1={{AFL Col}}

|RD4-score1=12.9 (81)

|RD4-team2={{AFL Gee}}

|RD4-score2=18.11 (119)

}}

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.

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = First qualifying final

|home team = Collingwood

|home Q1 = 1.1 (7)

|home Q2 = 7.5 (47)

|home Q3 = 10.7 (67)

|home final = 12.10 (82)

|winner = H

|away team = West Coast

|away Q1 = 2.3 (15)

|away Q2 = 5.4 (34)

|away Q3 = 6.5 (41)

|away final = 9.8 (62)

|venue = MCG

|date = Saturday, 10 September

|crowd = 67,379

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011011741/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123129/default.aspx Report]

|home goals =

|away goals =

|home best =

|away best =

|home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

|away injuries =

|broadcast = Network Ten

|notes =

}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = Second qualifying final

|home team = Geelong

|home Q1 = 2.0 (12)

|home Q2 = 7.2 (44)

|home Q3 = 12.6 (78)

|home final = 14.14 (98)

|winner = H

|away team = Hawthorn

|away Q1 = 3.5 (23)

|away Q2 = 4.8 (32)

|away Q3 = 7.12 (54)

|away final = 9.13 (67)

|venue = MCG

|date = Friday, 9 September

|crowd = 73,400

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011011453/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123096/default.aspx Report]

|home goals =

|away goals =

|home best =

|away best =

|home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

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|broadcast = Seven Network

|notes =

}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = First elimination final

|home team = Carlton

|home Q1 = 4.5 (29)

|home Q2 = 10.12 (72)

|home Q3 = 17.17 (119)

|home final = 21.23 (149)

|winner = H

|away team = Essendon

|away Q1 = 3.4 (22)

|away Q2 = 4.7 (31)

|away Q3 = 8.9 (57)

|away final = 13.9 (87)

|venue = MCG

|date = Sunday, 11 September

|crowd = 90,161

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011055723/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123170/default.aspx Report]

|home goals =

|away goals =

|home best =

|away best =

|home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

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|broadcast = Seven Network

|notes =

• {{AFL Car}} won its first final since the 2001 First Elimination Final.{{cite web|first=Michael|last=Horan|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/substitutes-named-for-carlton-essendon-final/story-e6frf9k6-1226134130271|title=Dominant Carlton comfortable winners over Essendon by 62 points|publisher=Herald Sun|date=11 Sep 2011|accessdate=11 Sep 2011}}
• The attendance of 90,161 was a new record for the highest ever for an elimination final. This record stood until 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-08/heartbreak-for-tigers|author=Nick Bowen|date=8 September 2013|accessdate=8 September 2013|title=Blues ensure Tigers' September return ends in heartbreak|publisher=Australian Football League}}

}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = Second elimination final

|home team = St Kilda

|home Q1 = 1.3 (9)

|home Q2 = 3.4 (22)

|home Q3 = 7.7 (49)

|home final = 8.9 (57)

|winner = A

|away team = Sydney

|away Q1 = 2.4 (16)

|away Q2 = 7.6 (48)

|away Q3 = 8.9 (57)

|away final = 12.10 (82)

|venue = Etihad Stadium

|date = Saturday, 10 September

|crowd = 39,205

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20120420044932/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123147/default.aspx Report]

|home goals =

|away goals =

|home best =

|away best =

|home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

|away injuries =

|broadcast = Network Ten

|notes =

• {{AFL|StK}} lost its first Saturday night match at Etihad Stadium since Round 9, 2003.

}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = First semi-final

|home team = West Coast

|home Q1 = 1.3 (9)

|home Q2 = 9.3 (57)

|home Q3 = 11.8 (74)

|home final = 15.11 (101)

|winner = H

|away team = Carlton

|away Q1 = 4.1 (25)

|away Q2 = 7.4 (46)

|away Q3 = 10.5 (65)

|away final = 15.8 (98)

|venue = Patersons Stadium

|date = Saturday, 17 September

|crowd = 42,803

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110923155419/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123638/default.aspx Report]

|home goals =

|away goals =

|home best =

|away best =

|home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

|away injuries =

|broadcast = Network Ten

|notes =

• This was {{AFL Car}}'s third narrow loss in an interstate final in three years.
• {{AFL|WC}} won its first final since the 2006 grand final.

}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = Second semi-final

|home team = Hawthorn

|home Q1 = 3.5 (23)

|home Q2 = 10.5 (65)

|home Q3 = 12.6 (78)

|home final = 19.8 (122)

|winner = H

|away team = Sydney

|away Q1 = 0.1 (1)

|away Q2 = 4.1 (25)

|away Q3 = 9.6 (60)

|away final = 13.8 (86)

|venue = MCG

|date = Friday, 16 September

|crowd = 55,198

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011060634/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/123590/default.aspx Report]

|home goals =

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|home best =

|away best =

|home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

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|broadcast = Seven Network

|notes =

}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = First preliminary final

|home team = Collingwood

|home Q1 = 2.3 (15)

|home Q2 = 3.5 (23)

|home Q3 = 5.6 (36)

|home final = 10.8 (68)

|winner = H

|away team = Hawthorn

|away Q1 = 2.4 (16)

|away Q2 = 4.7 (31)

|away Q3 = 7.11 (53)

|away final = 9.11 (65)

|venue = MCG

|date = Friday, 23, September 7:45 pm AEST

|crowd = 87,112

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110924071046/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/124014/default.aspx Report]

|home goals =

|away goals =

|home best =

|away best =

|home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

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|broadcast = Seven Network

|notes =

}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = Second preliminary final

|home team = Geelong

|home Q1 = 5.7 (37)

|home Q2 = 8.11 (59)

|home Q3 = 15.14 (104)

|home final = 17.15 (117)

|winner = H

|away team = West Coast

|away Q1 = 2.3 (15)

|away Q2 = 5.4 (34)

|away Q3 = 7.6 (48)

|away final = 10.9 (69)

|venue = MCG

|date = Saturday, 24, September 2:20 pm AEST

|crowd = 59,455

|umpires =

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110925072959/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/124055/default.aspx Report]

|home goals = |away goals = |home best = |away best = |home reports =

|away reports =

|home injuries =

|away injuries = |broadcast = Network Ten

|notes =

• {{AFL|WC}} became the first non-Victorian team to make the top four since 2007.

}}

{{main|2011 AFL Grand Final}}

{{AFLGameDetailed

|title = Grand Final

|date = Saturday, 1 October 2:30pm

|home team = {{AFL Col}}

|home Q1= 4.2 (26)

|home Q2= 9.3 (57)

|home Q3= 12.6 (78)

|home final= 12.9 (81)

|home goals= T Cloke, Krakouer 3
S Sidebottom 2
L Ball, L Brown, B Johnson, S Wellingham 1

|home best = S Pendlebury, D Thomas, S Sidebottom, C Tarrant, L Ball, L Brown, T Cloke

|home injuries = Nil

|home reports = Nil

|winner = A

|away team = {{AFL Gee}}

|away Q1= 4.3 (27)

|away Q2= 8.6 (54)

|away Q3= 13.7 (85)

|away final= 18.11 (119)

|away goals= 4 S Johnson
3 J Bartel, Hawkins, Varcoe
2 Selwood
1 Duncan, Ling, Stokes

|away best= Bartel, Selwood, Hawkins, Ling, S Johnson, P Chapman, Ottens, Varcoe

|away injuries = Podsiadly (shoulder)

|away reports = Nil

|venue = MCG

|crowd = 99,537

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20111002021842/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/124477/default.aspx Report]

|umpires = Donlon, Rosebury, Ryan

|BOG award = Norm Smith Medal

|BOG winner = Jimmy Bartel ({{AFL Gee}})

|broadcast = Network Ten

|anthem = Vanessa Amorosi

|notes=

}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.afl.com.au AFL official website]
• [http://realfooty.theage.com.au RealFooty by The Age (Melbourne) Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725045941/http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/ |date=25 July 2008 }}
• [http://www.sportsaustralia.com SportsAustralia (news and views)]

{{AFL finals series}}

{{2011 AFL season}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011 Afl Finals Series}}

Finals Series, 2011