IF SATURDAY'S Grand Final between Collingwood and West Coast ends in a draw, don't expect to come back next week. 

As per rule changes decided upon in April 2016, there will be a winner on the day.  

If scores are level at the end of the fourth quarter, a six-minute break will occur before two five-minute periods, plus time on. 

In the first period, the teams will kick to the same end as they did in the final term, before switching ends for the second.

No break will occur between those two stanzas, and coaches won't be allowed on the field. 

If scores are still level after those halves, play will continue until a side adds to its tally, and it will be declared premiers. 

In that scenario, there won't be a siren to indicate the end of that period, so spectators will need to be on alert for the time when first score wins begins, because there won't be any indication of it on the scoreboard either. 

However, both teams have access to the exact timings of the game and will know when the 'golden score' stage starts. 

At the time of the announcement, Magpies skipper Scott Pendlebury voiced his displeasure at the idea of a behind seeing a team win the flag.

An extra 15 interchange rotations are allowed for extra time, with changes made between the two halves counted in the cap.

Collingwood was involved in the last Grand Final replay, when it drew with St Kilda in 2010 before coming back the following week to post a convincing win.

In the immediate aftermath of that tie, then-Pies captain Nick Maxwell described the prospect of a replay as an "absolute joke". 

Another edition of the decider was also required in 1977, when North Melbourne defeated the Pies, and 1948, which saw Melbourne overcome a dominant Essendon outfit.