▁The ▁first ▁match ▁was ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁in ▁Ad ela ide ▁at ▁A AM I ▁Stadium . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁that ▁the ▁competition ▁format ▁had ▁changed . ▁With ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁Gold ▁Coast ▁Football ▁Club ▁and ▁Gre ater ▁Western ▁Sydney ▁Gi ants ▁( the ▁latter ▁required ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁competition ▁feature ▁a ▁manage able ▁ 1 8 ▁teams ), ▁the ▁format ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁N AB ▁Cup ▁was ▁as ▁follows : ▁We eks ▁ 1 ▁and ▁ 2 : ▁The ▁eigh teen ▁teams ▁are ▁split ▁into ▁six ▁po ols ▁of ▁three ▁teams ▁each . ▁The ▁three ▁teams ▁in ▁each ▁pool ▁play ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁games ▁of ▁two ▁ 2 0 - min ute ▁hal ves , ▁with ▁all ▁three ▁games ▁being ▁played ▁over ▁a ▁three - hour ▁period ▁at ▁the ▁one ▁ven ue . ▁Week ▁ 3 : ▁The ▁first ▁ranked ▁teams ▁from ▁each ▁pool ▁progress ▁to ▁the ▁quarter - final s , ▁with ▁the ▁two ▁next ▁best ▁ranked ▁teams ▁joining ▁them , ▁allowing ▁an ▁eight ▁team ▁quarter - final s ▁week end . ▁Week ▁ 4 : ▁The ▁w inners ▁from ▁the ▁quarter - final s ▁progress ▁to ▁the ▁semi - final s . ▁Week ▁ 5 : ▁The ▁two ▁w inners ▁of ▁the ▁semi - final s ▁progress ▁to ▁the ▁N AB ▁Cup ▁Grand ▁Final . ▁ ▁Games ▁The ▁first ▁round ▁fi xt ures ▁were ▁announced ▁by ▁the ▁A FL ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁October ▁