2013 AFL finals series

The 2013 Australian Football League finals series determined the winner of the 2013 AFL season. The series ran from the 6th to the 28th of September and culminated in the 117th AFL/VFL Grand Final, held between Fremantle and Hawthorn, which Hawthorn won.

The top eight teams from the home and away season qualified for the finals series. The top four teams (Hawthorn, Geelong, Fremantle and Sydney) all made the preliminary finals. Both Carlton and Port Adelaide made the semi-finals, while Collingwood and Richmond lost their respective elimination finals.

AFL final series have been played under the current format since 2000. The higher a team finishes on the ladder the more advantages they get. First and second get a "double chance" and a home final. Third and fourth also get a "double chance" but have to play away. Fifth to eighth play elimination finals where the losers season is over. Fifth and sixth play their elimination finals at home.

Essendon originally finished seventh but were demoted due to an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) investigation into their possible use of un-approved supplements during the 2012 season. This promoted Carlton to eighth and Port Adelaide to seventh.

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