2013 AFL finals series

2013 premiership season
2013 premiership season
Date	6–28 September 2013
Teams	8
Premiers	Hawthorn (11th premiership)
Runners-up	Fremantle (1st grand final)
Minor premiers	Hawthorn (9th minor premiership)
Attendance
Matches played	9
Total attendance	558,391 (62,043 per match)
Highest	100,007 (Grand Final, Hawthorn vs. Fremantle)
	← 2012 2014 →

The 2013 Australian Football League finals series determined the winner of the 2013 AFL season. The series ran from the 6th to 28 September and culminated in the 117th AFL/VFL Grand Final, held between Fremantle and Hawthorn, which Hawthorn won.

The top eight teams from the home and away season qualified for the finals series. The top four teams (Hawthorn, Geelong, Fremantle and Sydney) all made the preliminary finals. Both Carlton and Port Adelaide made the semi-finals, while Collingwood and Richmond lost their respective elimination finals.

AFL final series have been played under the current format since 2000. The higher a team finishes on the ladder, the more advantages they get. First and second get a "double chance" and a home final. Third and fourth also get a "double chance" but have to play away. Fifth to eighth play elimination finals where the loser's season is over. Fifth and sixth play their elimination finals at home.

Essendon originally finished seventh but were disqualified due to an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) investigation into their possible use of un-approved supplements during the 2012 season. This promoted Carlton to eighth and Port Adelaide to seventh.

2013 saw the first time Kardinia Park had hosted a final and only the second time a final had been hosted in Geelong, the previous occurrence being in 1897 at Corio Oval.

The finals system

Since 2000, AFL finals series have been round under the current format. The top eight teams from the home and away season qualify for the four-round finals series. The higher a team finishes, the more advantages they receive. The advantages are: "Double chances", home games, longer recovery time between games and easier lower-ranked opposition.

Qualifying finals

The top four teams in the eight receive what is popularly known as the "double chance" when they play in round-one qualifying finals. The team that finishes first on the ladder, play the fourth placed team at the first placed team's home ground.^{[note 1]} This is referred to as the first qualifying final but it is sometimes played after the second qualifying final which is between second and third on the ladder at the second placed team's home ground.^{[note 1]} Both qualifying finals are played before the elimination finals.

Winners of qualifying finals go straight through to the preliminary finals and get a week off. The losers of the qualifying finals play the winners of the elimination finals the next round in semi-finals. All teams in the qualifying finals play their next game at home.^{[note 1]}

Elimination finals

Teams fifth to eighth on the ladder play elimination finals in the first round. Fifth plays eighth in the first elimination final at the fifth placed team's home ground and sixth and seventh play in the second elimination final at the sixth placed team's home ground.^{[note 1]} The winners of elimination play in the semi-finals in round two. The winner of the first elimination final play the loser of the first qualifying final (first or fourth) and the winner of the second elimination final play the loser of the second qualifying final (second or third). Both elimination final winners are the away teams in the semi-final. The losers of both elimination finals are eliminated and that is the end of their season.

Semi-finals

Semi-finals are the only finals played in the second round of the finals. The first semi-final is between the loser of the first qualifying final and the winner of the first qualifying final. The game is held at the loser of the first qualifying final's home ground.^{[note 1]} The second semi-final is between the loser of the second qualifying final and the winner of the second elimination final at the second qualifying final loser's home ground.^{[note 1]} The winners of the semi-finals play the winners of the qualifying finals. The winners of the first and second qualifying finals play the winners of the first and second preliminary finals respective. The winners of both Semi-finals play as the away team. The losers of semi-finals are eliminated.

Preliminary finals

Preliminary finals are held to see which teams make the Grand Final. They are held between the winners of qualifying finals and semi-finals. The winners of the second semi-final and first preliminary final play each other as do the winners of the first semi-final and second preliminary final. The winners of the qualifying finals play at home.^{[note 1]}

Grand Final

The Grand Final is typically played at 2:30 PM on the last Saturday of September at the MCG in Melbourne, Victoria. Normally there is pre-match entertainment where notable Australian performers perform for the crowd of up to 100,000. After the game the winning team is presented with the premiership cup and the winning players are presented with medallions. Winning the AFL Grand Final is the pinnacle of Australian rules football.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Unless the team's home ground is deemed to have a too small capacity. If that is the case the game is played at the MCG or Etihad Stadium for Victorian teams or another venue in the home team's state if the team is a non-victorian team.

Qualification

2013 AFL ladder
Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	D	PF	PA	PP	Pts
1	Hawthorn (P)	22	19	3	0	2523	1859	135.7	76	Finals series
2	Geelong	22	18	4	0	2409	1776	135.6	72
3	Fremantle	22	16	5	1	2035	1518	134.1	66
4	Sydney	22	15	6	1	2244	1694	132.5	62
5	Richmond	22	15	7	0	2154	1754	122.8	60
6	Collingwood	22	14	8	0	2148	1868	115.0	56
7	Port Adelaide	22	12	10	0	2051	2002	102.4	48
8	Carlton	22	11	11	0	2125	1992	106.7	44
9	Essendon	22	14	8	0	2145	2000	107.3	56^[a]
10	North Melbourne	22	10	12	0	2307	1930	119.5	40
11	Adelaide	22	10	12	0	2064	1909	108.1	40
12	Brisbane Lions	22	10	12	0	1922	2144	89.6	40
13	West Coast	22	9	13	0	2038	2139	95.3	36
14	Gold Coast	22	8	14	0	1918	2091	91.7	32
15	Western Bulldogs	22	8	14	0	1926	2262	85.1	32
16	St Kilda	22	5	17	0	1751	2120	82.6	20
17	Melbourne	22	2	20	0	1455	2691	54.1	8
18	Greater Western Sydney	22	1	21	0	1524	2990	51.0	4

Source: AFL Tables
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers
Notes:

^ Essendon was relegated to ninth due to irregularities in its supplements program during the 2012 season.^[1]

Venues

Melbourne	Sydney Perth Geelong Melbourne		Sydney
Melbourne Cricket Ground			ANZ Stadium
Capacity: 100,024			Capacity: 82,500

Geelong			Perth
Simonds Stadium			Patersons Stadium
Capacity: 33,500			Capacity: 43,500

Summary of results

Qualifying and elimination finals

Semi-finals

Preliminary finals

Grand final

6 September, MCG

1

Hawthorn

15.15 (105)

4

Sydney

7.9 (51)

14 September, ANZ Stadium

Sydney

13.8 (86)

8 September, MCG

Carlton

8.14 (62)

20 September, MCG

5

Richmond

14.12 (96)

Hawthorn

14.18 (102)

8

Carlton

18.8 (116)

Geelong

15.7 (97)

28 September, MCG

Hawthorn

11.11 (77)

7 September, MCG

21 September, Patersons Stadium

Fremantle

8.14 (62)

6

Collingwood

9.9 (63)

Fremantle

14.15 (99)

7

Port Adelaide

12.15 (87)

13 September, MCG

Sydney

11.8 (74)

Geelong

13.18 (96)

7 September, Simonds Stadium

Port Adelaide

12.8 (80)

2

Geelong

9.18 (72)

3

Fremantle

12.15 (87)

Round one (qualifying & elimination finals)

First qualifying final (Hawthorn vs. Sydney)


	First qualifying final
Friday, 6 September (7:50 pm)	Hawthorn	def.	Sydney	MCG (crowd: 59,615)	Report
	3.4 (22) 4.7 (31) 9.9 (63) 15.15 (105)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	3.3 (21) 4.7 (31) 5.8 (38) 7.9 (51)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


3: Gunston 2: Roughead, Hale 1: Lake, Shiels, Anderson, Hill, Puopolo, Spangher, Breust, Bailey		Goals	2: Tippett 1: White, Jetta, Rohan, O'Keefe, Pyke
Sewell, Mitchell, Gibson, Guerra		Best	Jack, Kennedy, Bird, Parker

Second qualifying final (Geelong vs. Fremantle)


	Second qualifying final
Saturday, 7 September (2:20 pm)	Geelong	def. by	Fremantle	Simonds Stadium (crowd: 32,815)	Report
	4.6 (30) 6.11 (47) 9.13 (67) 9.18 (72)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	2.5 (17) 7.9 (51) 10.12 (72) 12.15 (87)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


3: Podsiadly 2: Johnson 1: Corey, Vardy, Motlop, Duncan		Goals	3: Barlow 2: Pavlich, Hill 1: Walters, Ballantyne, Spurr, Sandilands, Mayne
Mackie, Bartel, Corey, Guthrie, Taylor		Best	Barlow, Fyfe, Spurr, Mundy, Pearce, Crowley

Second elimination final (Collingwood vs. Port Adelaide)


	Second elimination final
Saturday, 7 September (7:45 pm)	Collingwood	def. by	Port Adelaide	MCG (crowd: 51,722)	Report
	1.4 (10) 4.6 (30) 7.7 (49) 9.9 (63)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	2.4 (16) 6.6 (42) 8.9 (57) 12.15 (87)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


3: Swan 2: Cloke 1: Keeffe, Macaffer, Williams, Beams		Goals	3: Wingard, Schulz 2: Boak, Wines 1: Westhoff, Monfries
Swan, Beams, Macaffer, Sidebottom		Best	Logan, Ebert, Cornes, Jonas, Lobbe, Carlile

First elimination final (Richmond vs. Carlton)


	First elimination final
Sunday, 8 September (3:20 pm)	Richmond	def. by	Carlton	MCG (crowd: 94,690)	Report
	3.5 (23) 10.7 (67) 12.10 (82) 14.12 (96)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	2.3 (15) 6.5 (41) 12.6 (78) 18.8 (116)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


2: Vickery, Cotchin, Edwards, Maric 1: Riewoldt, Petterd, Newman, Martin, Tuck, Ellis		Goals	4: Waite, Duigan 3: Betts 2: Garlett, Robinson 1: Warnock, Scotland, Judd
Deledio, Cotchin, Martin, Rance, Newman		Best	Judd, Murphy, Curnow, Duigan, Betts, Waite, Gibbs

Round two (semi-finals)

First semi-final (Sydney vs. Carlton)


	First semi-final
Saturday, 14 September (7:45 pm)	Sydney	def.	Carlton	ANZ Stadium (crowd: 37,980)	Report
	3.3 (21) 8.6 (54) 13.8 (86) 13.8 (86)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	2.3 (15) 4.8 (32) 4.8 (32) 8.14 (62)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


3: Parker 2: McVeigh, Jack, Cunningham 1: O'Keefe, Kennedy, Jetta, Bolton		Goals	3: Waite 2: Betts 1: Armfield, Gibbs, Robinson
McVeigh, Parker, Jack, Hannebery, Grundy, Cunningham		Best	Walker, Murphy, Simpson, Henderson, McLean



Carlton's scoreless 3rd quarter marked the first time since 1959 that they went scoreless in a finals quarter.

Second semi-final (Geelong vs. Port Adelaide)


	Second semi-final
Friday, 13 September (7:50 pm)	Geelong	def.	Port Adelaide	MCG (crowd: 52,744)	Report
	2.2 (14) 3.6 (24) 8.12 (60) 13.18 (96)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	3.2 (20) 7.5 (47) 8.5 (53) 12.8 (80)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


4: Chapman 2: Hawkins, Motlop 1: Duncan, Bartel, Corey, Christensen, Selwood		Goals	3: Westhoff 2: Schulz 1: Ebert, Monfries, Lobbe, Logan, Gray, Broadbent, Hartlett
Chapman, Johnson, Corey, Selwood, Motlop, Kelly		Best	Cornes, Moore, Westhoff, Boak, Monfries

Round three (preliminary finals)

First preliminary final (Hawthorn vs. Geelong)


	First preliminary final
Friday, 20 September (7:50 pm)	Hawthorn	def.	Geelong	MCG (crowd: 85,569)	Report
	3.5 (23) 7.8 (50) 10.10 (70) 14.18 (102)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	4.0 (24) 7.4 (46) 14.6 (90) 15.7 (97)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


4: Gunston 3: Burgoyne 2: Hale, Hill 1: Guerra, Breust, Franklin		Goals	4: Johnson 2: Motlop 1: Christensen, Hawkins, Vardy, Bartel, Selwood, Guthrie, Taylor, Murdoch, Caddy
Mitchell, Burgoyne, Gunston, Hale, Birchall, Guerra, Hill		Best	Johnson, Motlop, Guthrie, Selwood, Taylor, Stokes, Duncan



Hawthorn's victory was its first over Geelong in 11 games since the 2008 Grand Final, ending the "Kennett curse".^[2]

Second preliminary final (Fremantle vs. Sydney)


	Second preliminary final
Saturday, 21 September (5:45 pm)	Fremantle	def.	Sydney	Patersons Stadium (crowd: 43,249)	Report
	2.9 (21) 7.11 (53) 11.12 (78) 14.15 (99)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	2.1 (13) 2.2 (14) 5.5 (35) 11.8 (74)	Television broadcast: Seven Network, Fox Footy (simulcast)


3: Walters 2: Pavlich, Fyfe, Suban 1: Crowley, Duffield, Neale, Barlow, Ballantyne		Goals	2: Rohan 1: Jetta, Cunningham, Parker, Bolton, McGlynn, Pyke, McVeigh, Hannebery
Mundy, Fyfe, Crowley, Walters, Duffield, Mzungu		Best	McVeigh, Kennedy, Parker, Malceski, McGlynn, Mumford



Sydney's half-time score of 2.2 (14) was its lowest ever in a finals match.^[3]

Round four (Grand Final)


	Grand Final
Saturday, 28 September (2:30 pm)	Hawthorn	def.	Fremantle	MCG (crowd: 100,007)	Report
	2.3 (15) 5.5 (35) 8.8 (56) 11.11 (77)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	0.3 (3) 1.6 (12) 6.10 (46) 8.14 (62)	Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Mathew Nicholls, Simon Meredith Norm Smith Medal: Brian Lake Television broadcast: Seven Network National anthem: Tina Arena


Gunston 4, Roughead 2, Franklin, Rioli, Smith, Breust, Hill		Goals	Pavlich 3, Walters 2, Mzungu, Mayne, Pearce
Lake, Gunston, Lewis, Rioli, Hodge, Birchall		Best	Mundy, Fyfe, Crowley, Johnson, Barlow
Nil		Injuries	Nil
Lake (striking), Rioli (rough conduct)		Reports	Suban (misconduct)

Scheduling Issues

In Round one, all finals were to be played in Melbourne, usually meaning that one match would be moved to Etihad Stadium; however, the AFL announced that the qualifying final between Geelong and Fremantle would instead be played at Simonds Stadium in Geelong, as a match between these two sides would not have attracted a full capacity crowd at Etihad Stadium. It was the first finals match in Geelong since 1897, and the first ever at Simonds Stadium.^[4]

Notes and references

^ "Essendon Bombers out of 2013 AFL finals as James Hird accepts 12-month suspension". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
^ Robinson, Mark (23 September 2013). "Hawks break curse, Cats in classic". Herald Sun.
^ Dockers smother Swans to reach first Grand Final, AFL.com.au official website, 21 September 2013
^ "AFL grants Geelong home final". The Australian. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.

External links

AFL official website
RealFooty by The Age (Melbourne) Online Archived 25 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
SportsAustralia (news and views)

[Non-Victorian-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Unless the team's home ground is deemed to have a too small capacity. If that is the case the game is played at the MCG or Etihad Stadium for Victorian teams or another venue in the home team's state if the team is a non-victorian team.

[table_hth_Ess0.17254004123273-3] Essendon was relegated to ninth due to irregularities in its supplements program during the 2012 season.^[1]

[2] "Essendon Bombers out of 2013 AFL finals as James Hird accepts 12-month suspension". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2020.

[4] Robinson, Mark (23 September 2013). "Hawks break curse, Cats in classic". Herald Sun.

[5] Dockers smother Swans to reach first Grand Final, AFL.com.au official website, 21 September 2013

[6] "AFL grants Geelong home final". The Australian. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.

[note 1]

[a]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]