Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

Australian Football League pre-season competition

The Australian Football League pre-season competition, which is known at present as the NAB Cup, is a competition held before the beginning of the Australian Football League (AFL) premiership season. It is currently a four round competition (round of 16, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and a Final) before the start of the premiership season involving the sixteen AFL clubs in a knockout competition (teams that do not win are eliminated). Most games and the final are night matches. Whilst the pre-season competition matches are not practice matches, they are considered much less important that the Premiership season. The AFL has recently used the pre-season competition to trial new rule changes before they are introduced into the premiership season.

The history of the competition can be traced back to the first night series competition held in 1956. The format has changed over the years, having had periods of operating as an alternative competition for those teams that didn't qualify for the finals, as midweek night games during the season involving teams from other leagues around Australia and being a round-robin rather than knockout competition.

History

The current pre-season competition has its origins in a post-season competition which began in 1956 as the VFL Night Premiership. The Night Series was originally contested by the eight teams that missed the VFL finals. The series later evolved from a post-season competition to a mid-season competition with some pre-season games; eventually, the entire competition was switched to the pre-season.

There are three trophies available to be won by all 16 teams in the AFL competition.

In order of priority, importance and prestige they are:-

1. The Premiership Trophy awarded to the winner of the AFL Premiership competition - the winner of the Grand Final (the Premiers).

2. The Minor Premiership Trophy (C J McClelland Trophy) awarded to the team that finishes on top of the AFL standings at the end of the premiership season home and away rounds.

3. The pre-season Cup Trophy (the NAB Cup currently) awarded to the winner of the four round elimination competition that is held before the Premiership season begins.

1956-1971: Post-season

The Night Premiership was first instituted in 1956, contested in September as a three round knock-out tournament by the eight VFL teams who did not make the final four. Games were played at the Lake Oval, Albert Park, then the home ground of South Melbourne, as it was the only ground equipped to host night games. Despite the fact that not all VFL teams participated, the first season's average crowd was 20,000 for the seven matches played, while a crowd of 33,120 watched the first night Grand Final.

1957 was the only year during this period when the VFL final four took part, with each team entering the Night Series as they were eliminated from the VFL premiership race. Each of the day finalists were duly defeated upon entry and their addition to the competition resulted in a drawn out and complicated fixture of matches. The VFL elected to return to the original format in 1958.

1972-1976: No competition

In 1972, the VFL switched from a final four to a final five playoff system. With only seven teams available to contest it, the Night Premiership ended.

1977-1987: Night Series

The Night Series was revived in 1977 using a different format, with games played under floodlights at VFL Park. Games were televised midweek with some played in the pre-season and the rest played during the home-and-away season. The tournament was largely a knock-out format but featured qualifying rounds, lucky losers and first round byes in various years (see below).

From 1978 until 1986 the tournament included non-Victorian based clubs - comprised of the ten SANFL teams, the eight WAFL teams, and state representative teams from Tasmania, N.S.W., Queensland and the A.C.T.

Three non-VFL teams reached Night Series semi-finals (East Perth 1979, Claremont 1980, North Adelaide 1986) but none made it through to the Grand Final.

In 1987, the combined pre-season/mid-season format remained with only the VFL teams - including newcomers Brisbane and West Coast - taking part.

Year	All Teams	VFL Teams	SANFL Teams	WAFL Teams	State Teams
1977	12	12	-	-	-
1978	13	12	-	-	Tasmania
1979	23	12	-	8	Tasmania, N.S.W., A.C.T.
1980	34	12	10	8	Tasmania, N.S.W., A.C.T., Queensland
1981	34	12	10	8	Tasmania, N.S.W., A.C.T., Queensland
1982	18	12	Glenelg, Norwood, Port Adelaide	Claremont, South Fremantle, Swan Districts	-
1983	17	12	Glenelg, Norwood	Claremont, West Perth	Tasmania
1984	17	12	Sturt, West Adelaide	Claremont, South Fremantle	Queensland
1985	17	12	Norwood, Port Adelaide	East Fremantle, Swan Districts	Queensland
1986	14	12	Glenelg, North Adelaide	-	-
1987	14	14	-	-	-

1988-present: Pre-season

In 1988, the night series was moved entirely to the pre-season; winning teams subsequently became known as "pre-season premiers" rather than "night premiers". For all but three seasons it has been run as a knock-out tournament. Under the current format, eliminated teams continue their pre-season preparation via the "Regional Challenge" series of practice matches (see below).

During 2000-2002 a round-robin format was trialled. The sixteen teams were divided into groups of four and played their round robin matches over three weeks. The winner of each group then progressed to the semi-final stage of the competition.

In 1992, the competition increased in prestige with the Michael Tuck Medal introduced for the best player in the pre-season Grand Final.

Evolution of the Series

1957 The VFL Final four entered the night competition when they were eliminated from the premiership - the only year this took place. South Melbourne knocked out Carlton (4th) and Essendon (2nd) on their way to back-to-back night premierships. Footscray eliminated Hawthorn (3rd) and Melbourne (VFL Premiers) before being defeated in the semi-final stage.1963-64 Footscray won successive night premierships1965-66 North Melbourne won their second straight night premiership1968-69 Hawthorn became the fourth team to win back-to-back night premierships1971 Melbourne won the final night premiership of the era. The series was disbanded the following year due to the introduction of the final five in the premiership competition.1976 The NFL's 12-team Wills Cup competition was played under lights in Adelaide. A round-robin format featured four groups of three teams playing off to qualify for a knockout semi final and final. Teams involved were (VFL) Carlton, Footscray, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Richmond; (SANFL) Glenelg, Norwood, Port Adelaide, Sturt; (WAFL) South Fremantle, Swan Districts, West Perth. Won by Hawthorn, the success of this series inspired the VFL to set up their own competition in 1977.1977 VFL Night Series relaunched. First two matches played under lights at Lake Oval while the construction of lights at VFL Park was completed. St Kilda and North Melbourne advanced to the Quarter Finals as the highest scoring first round losers.1978 The 1977 winner, Hawthorn, received a first round bye. Geelong advanced to the quarter finals with the lowest first round losing margin (1 point). They eventually bowed out in the semi-final stage. Tasmania - featuring legendary full forward, Peter Hudson - became the first non-VFL team to take part in the series.1979 The format changed with the initial Round of 12 being expanded into two qualifying rounds. Round 1 of qualifying featured the VFL teams that finished 6th-12th in the premiership in 1978; the WAFL teams finishing 4th-8th the previous season and the two lowest ranked state teams of 1978 (N.S.W. and Tasmania).

Round 2 of qualifying involved the VFL 's top five of 1978 plus the five VFL teams that made it through round 1; the WAFL's top three of 1978 plus their two surviving qualifiers and the top ranked state team of 1978 (A.C.T.).

By the quarter finals 6 VFL and 2 WAFL teams remained. This was cut to 3 VFL teams and 1 WAFL team at the semi-final stage. The final was won by Hawthorn (VFL 1st seed) over Collingwood (VFL 3rd seed).1980 The inclusion of the 10 SANFL clubs saw a third round added to the preliminary stages. Round 1 of qualifying featured the VFL teams that finished 7th-12th in 1979; the SANFL teams that finished 3rd-10th in 1979; the WAFL teams that finished 3rd-8th the previous season plus a playoff between the four minor states (Qld d. Tas & N.S.W. d. A.C.T.).

Round 2 of qualifying involved all six VFL teams that survived round 1; the two surviving SANFL teams ; the two surviving WAFL teams and the two remaining minor state teams (Qld & N.S.W.).

In round 3 the VFL's top six of 1979 joined the four surviving qualifiers from rounds 1 and 2; the SANFL's top two of 1979 joined their sole qualifier and the WAFL's top two joined their remaining qualifier.

As with the previous championships, 6 VFL and 2 WAFL teams progressed to the quarter finals. Again, 3 VFL teams and 1 WAFL team made it to the semi-final stage. The final was won by North Melbourne (VFL 2nd seed) over Collingwood (VFL 3rd seed).1981 The format was tweaked further this season. Round 1 of qualifying saw the VFL teams that finished 7th-12th in 1980 face off - the three winners advanced directly to the 3rd round, the highest placed loser (Footscray) moved to a 2nd round playoff against the remaining minor states team and the bottom two losing teams were eliminated.

All 10 SANFL teams locked horns with the biggest winner (South Adelaide) advancing directly to the 3rd round, the other winners moved to the 2nd round and the losing teams were eliminated. Things were slightly less complicated for the 8 WAFL teams - the four winners advanced to the 2nd round, the losers were eliminated. The four minor state teams also played off with Tasmania and the A.C.T. proceeding to the 2nd round.

Round 2 featured matches between four SANFL teams, the winners joining South Adelaide in the next round. The four remaining WAFL teams went up against each other with the two winners and the highest-ranked loser (East Fremantle) advancing to the third round. The two remaining minor state teams clashed, with the winner (A.C.T.) taking on Footscray for the right to advance.

Round 3 saw the introduction of the VFL's top six from 1981 alongside the four surviving VFL teams. They eliminated the three remaining SANFL teams and the last three WAFL teams.

This meant the finals were an all-VFL affair with Essendon (VFL 7th seed) eventually claiming the title from Carlton (VFL 4th seed).1982 The Night Series was streamlined with only the SANFL and WAFL's top three teams joining the 12 VFL sides in the competition. The SANFL and WAFL top teams entered the main draw directly, whilst their 2nd and 3rd placed teams played qualifying matches for the remaining two spots. The minor state teams were moved to a separate competition named the Escort Shield.

The St Kilda v Sydney quarter final scheduled for June 22 was moved forward a fortnight as the two teams were due to meet in the premiership competition on the 20th. This meant Richmond v Swan Districts was pushed back a fortnight from June 8.

In protest, Swan Districts' coach John Todd sent a team of colts and reserves players instead of his senior line-up. His protest backfired when the young squad lost by a record margin of 186 points - the AFC later banned Swan Districts from the competition for the next two seasons.1983

Further changes meant the SANFL and WAFL's top two teams entered the competition directly. Due to the aforementioned ban, on the WAFL side of the draw Swan Districts (1st) were replaced by West Perth (3rd). A qualifying match was introduced giving the winner of the previous season's Escort Shield a chance to enter the main draw by defeating the VFL's last place team of the previous year. Tasmania (1982 Escort Shield winner) took on Footscray (1982 VFL 12th) but was unable to qualify, going down by 108 points at North Hobart Oval.1984

For the first time in this era the format remained unchanged. Swan Districts (WAFL 1st) remained ineligible and were replaced by South Fremantle (WAFL 3rd). Queensland (1983 Escort Shield winner) took on St Kilda (1983 VFL 12th) but fell short of the main draw by just 7 points.

The only fixture change saw the Fitzroy v Sydney 1st round match moved to May 22 after a flight delay resulted in the Swans arriving late for the original clash on April 17.1985

Swan Districts' ban expired meaning they could finally claim their spot in the competition. However, their return was short-lived, suffering a 91 point thrashing in their Round 1 encounter with Fitzroy.

St Kilda (1984 VFL 12th) again survived a qualification match against Queensland (1984 Escort Shield winner), this time getting home by a far more comfortable margin of 60 points.1986

More changes with the WAFL no longer taking part, leaving the SANFL's top two teams as the only interstate sides involved in the competition. The qualifying match between the Escort Shield winner and the VFL wooden-spooner was also scrapped.

Subsequently, the "lucky loser" spot returned allowing the team with the lowest losing margin in the 1st round to advance to the Quarter Finals. However, at the end of the 1st round Sydney and Collingwood both qualified with a lowest losing margin of 26 points. A lucky loser playoff held on April 22 resulted in a Collingwood victory by 37 points and a trip to the next round.

North Adelaide became the last of just three interstate sides to make the semi-finals in this era; the Roosters finally bowing out to Hawthorn to the tune of 90 points.1987

The SANFL teams followed the lead of their WAFL counterparts the year before and ended all involvement with the series. This marked the first time since 1977 the competition had been contested solely by VFL teams. Fledgling outfits the Brisbane Bears and West Coast Eagles made their VFL debuts, the Bears losing to Sydney in Round 1 while the Eagles sent shockwaves through the competition by reaching the semi-final stage. Fitzroy advanced to the quarter-finals as the lucky loser after an 11 point loss to Carlton.

Melbourne claimed the last of the mid-season night premierships with a stirring 4 point upset of Essendon on April 28 - the Dees' first silverware since their 1971 night triumph.1988

The start of the modern era, this was the first of the night premierships to be played entirely in the pre-season. The lucky loser spot was scrapped with both Grand Finalists from the 1987 competition granted a first round bye instead. Hawthorn went on to claim the first pre-season cup with a thrilling 3 point victory over Geelong.1989

The reigning Grand Finalists, Geelong and Hawthorn received a first round bye, the Cats taking full advantage by making their second Cup final in a row. This time, however, it was Melbourne denying them the title as the Demons claimed a 9 point victory - their second flag in three years. 1990

The Demons and Cats received the first round bye but it was West Coast who received the luckiest break. After losing to Essendon by 3 points, the Eagles received another chance in the first round due to Brisbane's withdrawal from the competition for financial reasons. They stepped in to play North Melbourne on February 21 but their luck ended there, going down to the Kangaroos by a mere 2 points.

Essendon vs Fitzroy (Feb.28) was the first VFL/AFL match to be decided using extra-time - the Bombers getting home by a goal in overtime then winning their next two matches to claim the title.1991

The addition of Adelaide to the AFL increased the participating teams to 15, meaning a first round bye was now only awarded to the reigning pre-season premier, forcing the runner-up to enter the fray in the 1st round.1992

Collingwood and West Coast played the first pre-season cup match in Darwin on February 9. Reigning premier Hawthorn received a first round bye, helping them on their way to back-to-back pre-season premierships; the Hawks overcoming the surprise Grand Finalist Fitzroy by 65 points.1993

Problems with new turf at Waverley Park forced the relocation of three matches - Melbourne v Collingwood (Feb.17) was moved to Princes Park, whilst Essendon v Brisbane (Feb.27) and Footscray v Fitzroy (Feb.28) were moved to Kardinia Park.

Reigning premier Hawthorn received a first round bye but it was Essendon who clinched the trophy with a 25 point triumph over Richmond. A record night series/pre-season Grand Final crowd of 75,533 fans jammed into Waverley for the match. 1994

Reigning premier Essendon received a first round bye and used it to their advantage, cruising to back-to-back titles with a 44 point defeat of Adelaide in the final. 1995

The addition of Fremantle to the AFL raised the number of teams to 16, thus removing the need for a bye in the opening round. The Dockers made their debut at Fremantle Oval on February 24 but it was St Kilda claiming victory with a 35 point win over the new team.1997

The Grand Final was held at the MCG to capitalise on Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne - the first title match to be played away from Lake Oval/Waverley Park. A near-record crowd of 74,786 watched Carlton romp home by 57 points against a disappointing Geelong.1998

Pre-Season football went international for the first time with Brisbane defeating Fremantle in Capetown, South Africa (Feb.22) followed by a young Melbourne team upsetting Sydney in Wellington, New Zealand (Mar.1).2000

After criticism that the knock-out format limited the preparation of the losing teams, a round-robin format was introduced. The sixteen teams were split into groups of four, each playing three pool matches with the winner of each group advancing to the knockout semi-final stage. The public reaction to the change was mixed. With the pool games becoming glorified practice matches the atmosphere at some of these early games was flat compared to previous years.

In other developments Carlton and Collingwood played the earliest season-opener in VFL/AFL history - a one-off New Year's Eve match played December 31, 1999 at the MCG. A sparse crowd watched the Blues get home by 88 points in the "Millennium Challenge". A second match was played in New Zealand following the initial foray overseas in 1998, the Western Bulldogs defeating Hawthorn by 47 points in Wellington. The 2000 Ansett Cup also featured the last matches played at Waverley Park prior to the launch of the new Docklands Stadium.2001

History was made as Port Adelaide took on Brisbane in the first VFL/AFL Grand Final played outside Victoria. It also marked the first Grand Final between two non-Victorian clubs in the League's history. In front of their home crowd at Football Park, the Power romped home by a record margin of 85 points. 2003

The competition reverted to a knockout format and the "super goal" was introduced. Any goal kicked from outside the 50 metre line (or from a 50 metre penalty awarded outside the line) was now worth 9 points. Additionally, rushed behinds were worth 3 points in a rule designed to deter backmen who used the goals as an "out" when under defensive pressure.2006 A rule was introduced to determine the venue of the pre-season Grand Final. The team scoring the most goals in the first three rounds would host the title match. If two teams were tied after the semi-finals the number of super goals kicked would act as a tie-breaker.

This followed debate over Port Adelaide (2002 vs Richmond), Adelaide (2003 vs Collingwood) and West Coast (2005 vs Carlton) having to play the Grand Final at Docklands Stadium in Melbourne despite a superior record in that year's tournament to their opponent.

The new rule allowed the high-scoring Adelaide team to host the 2006 final at Football Park against Geelong. However, the Cats clinched the title on the road by 8 points.2008

A fourth international match took place with Adelaide defeating Collingwood by 81 points at a remodelled polo ground in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Following North Melbourne's decision not to relocate to the Gold Coast, the AFL altered the pre-season fixture; Essendon taking North Melbourne's place in the match against Brisbane at Carrara, meaning the Kangaroos played the Western Bulldogs in Darwin instead.

A "Lightning Premiership" (sponsored by Coca-Cola) was also held in 1996 (see below).

The competition sponsor for 1979-1984 was actually the cigarette manufacturer W.D. & H.O. Wills - "Escort" and "Sterling" were brand names used by the company during this period.

The 1995-2001 competitions were officially named the "Ansett Australia Cup" but are more commonly referred to as the "Ansett Cup".

Similarly, the 2002-2005 competitions were officially named the "Wizard Home Loans Cup" but are usually referred to as the "Wizard Cup".

National Australia Bank currently hold naming rights for the competition until 2010, renaming it the "NAB Cup".

AFL pre-season cup winners

(Since 2000)

The Year	Winner	Runner-up
2000	Essendon	North Melbourne
2001	Port Adelaide	Brisbane Lions
2002	Port Adelaide	Richmond
2003	Adelaide	Collingwood
2004	St. Kilda	Geelong
2005	Carlton	West Coast
2006	Geelong	Adelaide
2007	Carlton	Brisbane Lions
2008	St. Kilda	Adelaide

The "Double"

The pre-season/league premiership double has only been achieved six times to date:

Essendon 1984, 1993, 2000
Hawthorn 1986, 1988, 1991

Prize

Trophy

The design of the trophy for the pre-season competition has varied greatly over the years.

When it was the Wizard Home Loans Cup, it was affectionately known by fans as the "wok cup" due to the shape of it being like a wok.

More recently it has taken the more traditional trophy shape.

Unlike the AFL Premiership Cup, however, the biggest prize the clubs play for is the cash prize.

Cash Prize

Prize money is awarded to the winning club.

This is awarded by the National Australia Bank - the current sponsors of the competition.

The AFL announced prior to the 2007 season that if a club could win both the pre-season cup and premiership in the same season, that club would receive a bonus $1 million. Half will be distributed among the players, while the other half goes to the club.

Recent attendances

See List of Australian Football League night premiers for Grand Final crowds.

Although many clubs and coaches (especially the wealthier clubs) do not take the pre-season competition seriously and use the competition as a chance to test young and inexperienced players, the NAB Cup format has proven quite popular with spectators.

Season	Total Attendance	Matches	Average
2008	245,070	15	16,338
2007	246,321	15	16,421
2006	235,980	15	15,732
2005	307,181	15	20,479

Regional challenge

Since 2003, the AFL has run a series of pre-season practice matches called the "Regional Challenge" for clubs that are eliminated from the NAB Cup. The dual aim of the series is to bring the game to fans in remote areas (this is limited to venues that are considered AFL standard, although many games are still played at metro AFL venues) and to provide the eliminated teams with match fitness. Although the games are informal and there is no actual winner or prize, they have attracted a large amount of interest in regional areas and grown in popularity.2008

New South Wales - Narrandera (8,296)
South Australia - Noarlunga
Western Australia - Albany (8,000)
Northern Territory - Alice Springs (6,000)
Victoria - Bendigo (7,000), Shepparton, Casey, Princes Park (1,500)
Australian Capital Territory - Canberra (2,264)
Queensland - Cairns (5,321), Carrara (4,134)2007
New South Wales - Narrandera (10,979)
South Australia - Mount Gambier (5,000)
Northern Territory - Alice Springs (11,000)
Victoria - Geelong, Mildura (10,733) (Severe drought made many rural grounds in Victoria unavailable)
Australian Capital Territory - Canberra (3,365)2006
Queensland - Carrara (2 games - 6,277; 10,117)
Victoria - Shepparton (4,500); Bendigo (11,000); Mildura (10,000) (this match was played as a memorial to teenagers that died in a Mildura road accident)
Western Australia - Mandurah (8,283)
New South Wales - Lavington (5,151)2005
South Australia - Port Lincoln
Western Australia - Joondalup
Queensland - Carrara (16,591)
Northern Territory - Alice Springs (7,500)
New South Wales - Lavington (12,157); Newcastle (5,002)
Victoria - Bendigo (14,000); Morwell (Latrobe Valley)

In 2005, the total Regional Challenge attendance was 117,552 up from 87,000 in 2004 and 76,000 in 2003.

New rule trials

The pre-season competition has been a place where the AFL has trialled new rules. The NAB Cup has the intentions of being modern and promoting a fast-paced pre-season competition.

Most of the rules are included as a trial to determine their appropriateness for the regular season, with the obvious exception of the Supergoal. However, the shortness of the pre-season makes it difficult for the AFL to evaluate how coaches will tactically handle rule-changes it makes.

Such rules have included:2003

Nine points for a goal kicked from outside of the 50 metre arc, known as a Super Goal.2005
No requirement to wait upon the goal umpires' flag waving before playing on.
Extra players on the interchange bench, although this is intended mainly so that coaches can try extra players, and ensure that none is over-worked, during the pre-season.
A larger centre circle.
4 field umpires
Umpires coming in 10m from the boundary line to throw in the ball.
Play on if the ball hits the goal post and bounces back into the field of play.2006
For a player kicking it backwards, except when that kick takes place within the attacking team's forward 50m, there can be no mark to a team-mate of that player and the umpire simply calls `Play On'2007
Video replay umpire for goals. Ability for goal umpire decisions to be overruled by video umpire.
All 9 umpires able to pay free kicks (includes boundary and goal umpires) (Trialled only in Melbourne vs Hawthorn Round 1 NAB Cup 2007)
Play on called for backwards kicks only in the defensive half of the field.
Kick must travel 20m to be paid a mark.2008
8 men on the interchange bench, only 16 interchanges permitted each quarter.
2.5m x 6.5m "no-go" area around the centre bounce, where players are prohibited before and during the bounce until the umpire clears the area.
Play on called for backwards kicks only in the defensive half of the field.
Kick must travel 20m to be paid a mark.
Three points for a deliberate rushed behind.
The Super Goal continuing, scoring nine points for a goal from outside 50m.
Centre bounces only at the start of a quarter and after goals, ball is thrown up otherwise.
Play on if the ball hits any of the posts and rebounds into the field of play.
Boundary throw-ins to be taken from 10m inside the boundary line.

Lightning Premiership

The Lightning Premiership was held for the only time in the modern era in 1996 - the Centenary Season of the AFL. It was a knock-out competition played from Friday, 9th February until Sunday, 11th February, with four games each evening at Waverley Park, each consisting of two 17.5 minute halves. The game trialled a number of highly experimental rules, including three points awarded both for deliberate rushed behinds and balls which hit the goalposts, and timekeepers not blowing the siren if scores were tied; however, the rule which altered the game most significantly was that where the ball was not thrown in from the boundary line, but a free kick given against the last team to touch the ball. Essendon won the title defeating Brisbane by 17 points in the Grand Final.

Previous VFL/AFL Lightning Premierships were held in: