The top 8 tipsters at the end of the minor rounds will proceed into the Top 8 Finals Series special event. This event will be run over the four weeks of the AFL finals series. During each week, each tipster will go head-to-head with one other tipster, trying to tip the games closer than the other. The head-to-head matchup will be decided according the the AFL finals method. For example, in the first week tipster#1 plays against tipster #4, tipster#2 plays against tipster#3, tipster#5 plays against tipster#8, and tipster#6 plays against tipster#7. Your tipster number is determined by your rank in the main tipping competition ladder after completion of round 24.
Each week some tipsters are knocked-out if they are beaten, mimicking the AFL finals series where teams are knocked-out. The Grand Final will consist of two tipsters tipping against each other to determine the overall and first prize winner. Second to eighth place will be decided according to how tipsters finish in the Top 8 Finals Series special event following the AFL finals ranking rules.
In each round, you must tip a winner and the margin. This is done in the same way as for the main home and away tipping competition, however you will not pick a winning streak since that special event finishes at the completion of round 24.
The final series scoring is calculated differently than the main tipping competition.
As described above, each tipster will tip against one other tipster according to the AFL finals series draw. For example, in week 1 (Qualifying finals) Tipster#1 tips against Tipster#4. The score of Tipster#1 is compared only against Tipster#4 and the winner is calculated as follows:
1) The winner is the tipster who tipped the most games correctly. If this is a draw, then goto 2).
2) The winner is the tipster who tipped closest (not including the tipster bonus - see below) in the most number of games. If this is also a draw, then goto 3)
3) The winner is the tipster who has the largest score. For each AFL game in the round, the difference between the game margin and your tipped margin is calculated. The tipster bonus (see below) is then subtracted from the margin difference. You receive a score of 36 points minus your bonus adjusted margin difference (capped at zero points) for each AFL game.
Example: Tipster#1 vs Tipster#4
Tipster#1 tip:Essendon margin:45
Tipster#4 tip:Essendon margin:34
Tipster#1 receives a tipster bonus (see below) of 2 points for finishing
above tipster#4.
game result: Essendon defeated Hawthorn by 39 points.
Tipster#1 score = 36 - (abs(margin - game margin) - tipster bonus) =
36 - (abs(45 - 39) - 2) = 32 points.
Tipster#4 score = 36 - (abs(margin - game margin)) = 36 - abs(34 -
39) = 31 points.
A Tipster Bonus is used to give higher placed tipsters a small advantage over lower placed tipsters, rewarding these tipsters for finishing well in the main tipping competition. This mimicks the fact that in an AFL finals game, you would expect the team that finished higher on the ladder to have a higher chance of winning.
During the main tipping competition each tipster scored correct tips and bonus points that are added together to form the total score, which is used to rank tipsters (see the Overall Rankings results page). The bonus is calculated as 2 points for each 1 point difference between the higher ranked tipsters total score and the lower ranked tipsters total score, for each AFL game of the round.
Example, in the first week Tipster#1 tips against Tipser#4 and there are 4 games. Tipster#1 is on 109.10 points and Tipster#4 is on 108.16 points. Therefore Tipster#1 will have a bonus of (109.10 - 108.16)*2 = 2 points per game. (Note: fractions of points are always rounded up). Therefore for Tipster#4 to win, they must tip more correct games, or draw the correct games and be closest in more games, or draw games and closests and tip margins atleast (2 points*4 games) = 8 points closer than Tipster#1.
Example, in the first week Tipster#5 tips against Tipster#8 and there are 4 games. Tipster#5 is on 135.62 points and Tipster#8 is on 130.90 points. Therefore Tipster#5 will have a bonus of (135.62 - 130.90)*2 = 10 points per game. Therefore for Tipster#8 to win, they must tip more correct games, or draw the correct games and be closest in more games, or draw games and closests and tip margins atleast (10 points*4 games) = 40 points closer than Tipster#5.
Due to the method in which the AFL finals series ranks teams (and in our case tipsters), the following outcomes become apparent:
Therefore you find that higher ranked tipsters are rewarded by having a slightly larger probability of finishing in the prize money, but it remains possible for a lower ranked tipster to gain some positions and move up into the prize money.
The Grand Final Scoring is the same as described above, except that no tipster bonus is allocated. This allows each tipster in the final to have equal chance of winning first prize, regardless of where they finished in the main tipping competition.
Good luck, and may the tipping gods be on your side! :)