AFL

Finishing higher on the AFL ladder gets you benefits over your lower-ranked finals opponent, right?

Wrong, if you are the Western Bulldogs playing against Collingwood in the Wildcard Finals.

The Bulldogs have lost out in every way after their Wildcard final was scheduled for Friday night at the MCG.

Not only do the eighth-placed Bulldogs have to play at ninth-placed Collingwood’s home ground, but they do so off a six-day break, while the Magpies get the luxury of a seven-day break.

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It’s no surprise that the AFL avoided scheduling a final at the Bulldogs home ground Marvel Stadium, when it would get a bigger crowd at the MCG, but to also give Luke Beveridge’s team less of a break than their opponents is a slap in the face.

The fairest solution was to play the match on the Saturday night — which despite Collingwood still having an extra day break, at least the Bulldogs would have got seven days to prepare.

If the Wildcard final between Melbourne and Carlton was scheduled on Friday night, both teams would have got an equal break of six days.

According to Jon Ralph, Collingwood’s Friday night fixture was locked in before they even knew who their opponent would be — with the AFL attempting to appease broadcasters.

Ralph also suggested the Magpies playing on a Friday night in finals is now a tradition.

«Collingwood hasn’t been told when they will play next week but the expectation is of a Friday night clash,» Ralph posted on X on Friday night.

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«The league will listen to broadcasters. The Pies have the seven day break.

«The league will have to consider the NFL game three weeks ahead and the unavailability of the MCG but Pies on Friday night is a final tradition.»

Collingwood hasn’t been told when they will play next week but the expectation is of a Friday night clash. The league will listen to broadcasters. The Pies have the seven day break. The league will have to consider the NFL game three weeks ahead and the unavailability of the MCG…
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) August 21, 2026

As for the Western Bulldogs, being the team that has finished in the eight has given them absolutely no benefit at all.

You have to wonder if the AFL will even let them wear the home shorts.

Former Adelaide star Josh Jenkins believes the governing body’s treatment of the Bulldogs is a ‘downright disgrace’.

“Some people don’t care about this and other people like to roll their eyes. It’s always been something that’s irritated me,” Jenkins said on SEN.

“I just can’t cop that next weekend … that the Bulldogs will be forced to play at the MCG against Collingwood in front of 80,000 — (with up to) 70,000 Collingwood fans.

“I cannot stand the fact that teams are forced to play a home final at someone else’s home ground. I think it’s one of the most inequitable situations that happens in the game.

“It’s something that often gets linked to Geelong but we’ve talked about St Kilda, the Bulldogs, North Melbourne as well. I think it’s a downright disgrace.”

AFL

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