The DuFFLe Finals is played out in two tiers over the last four weeks of the AFL season (Rounds 20-23). The top eight play off in an AFL inspired draw in which the first round sees the top four face off in qualifying games in which the winners head straight to the preliminary finals. The losers of the qualifying games face the winners of the two elimination matches - teams finishing from fifth to eighth. The losers of the elimination games get to go on their season-ending team holiday to Phuket early.
For teams finishing from 9th to 18th, they play off for the Richmond Cup. No, it isn't named after our benevolent Dockerland dictator, but after the AFL team that regularly promises much and delivers little.
Each game in the Richmond Cup is an elimination game. You lose - good bye. The finals match ups are based on the highest ranking team at the end of the DFFL HomeNaway meeting the lowest, so in the first Richmond Cup round, 9 plays 18, 10 plays 17, 11 plays 16, etc. However, the highest ranking winner of the first Richmond Cup Round goes straight through to the Richmond Cup Final. The remaining four winners play off against each other for the right to reach the Richmond Cup Final.
So that you can gain an understanding of how the RC Finals work, let us assume that the highest ranked team always wins. If that's the case the RC Finals would look something like this…
RC#1
• 9 v 18
• 10 v 17
• 11 v 16
• 12 v 15
• 13 v 14
Winners 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Eliminated 18, 17, 16, 15, 14
RC#2
• 10 v 13
• 11 v 12
Winners 10, 11
Eliminated 12, 13
RC#3
• 10 v 11
Winner 10
Eliminated 11
RC#4 (Richmond Cup Final)
• 9 v 10
