2nd Elimination Final: 6th ranked team hosts 7th ranked team.1st Elimination Final: 5th ranked team hosts 8th ranked team.2nd Qualifying Final: 2nd ranked team hosts 3rd ranked team.1st Qualifying Final: 1st ranked team hosts 4th ranked team.

Similar systems are used by Super League, and were previously used by the Australian Rugby League in the 19 seasons. The system has also been adopted by the Victorian Football League and National Rugby League. The AFL introduced the system in 2000 to address several perceived issues with the McIntyre Final Eight System that had been in use in that competition from 1994–1999. The two winning teams of the top four receive a bye in the second week of the playoff and then play at home in the third week, and the two losing teams play at home in the second week. The top four teams need to win only two finals to reach the Grand Final, while the second four teams need to win three. The system is designed to give the top four teams an easier road to the Grand Final than the second four teams. The grand final is played in the fourth week between the two remaining teams, with the winning team awarded the premiership. The eight teams, which are ranked or seeded in advance of the tournament, participate in a four-week tournament, with two teams eliminated in each of the first three weeks. The AFL final eight system is an eight-team championship playoff tournament developed and adopted by the Australian Football League in the 2000 season. For the Australian Football League finals series itself, see AFL finals series. This article is about the tournament system used in the Australian Football League since 2000.

Finale 2014 system requirements