AFL Grand Final start time - Afternoon, twilight or night

[kickazz]

Literally every big game the whole season is either twilight or at night except the grand final, it isn’t a logical thing to say the GF must be retained during the day.

It is logical, as I'll now explain.

During the year, there are a lot of games of footy, and there are a lot of things for us to do, including playing our own sports among other things.

We work our footy watching in with our schedule, and having the big games at night enables more people to watch them.

During grand final week, and then of course grand final day - it is the other way around. It's all about the footy, the grand final IS what we do, and we work other things around that. The grand final has the power to choose the best time. And the best time, for reasons many have said here already, is the afternoon.

 

[AndyLucimitis]

When we lost in 2020 it felt to me like losing the Wizard Cup.

So what you are saying is there is an asterix against Richmond's 2020 flag

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Every other final is a yellow ball final. The grand final is now the only remaining red ball final.

We need more red ball finals.

Get rid of the pre-finals bye, and there's a Sunday afternoon final returned.

 

[kickazz]

Get rid of the pre-finals bye, and there's a Sunday afternoon final returned.

Would be a good start. Perhaps also either a Semi or Prelim on Saturday during the day - makes for a smaller gap in prep time for the next week.

 

[kickazz]

So what you are saying is there is an asterix against Richmond's 2020 flag

Not at all, that was a tough year for its own reasons. I just didn't have that devastated vibe on the day, er I'm sorry, the night afterwards.

 

[kickazz]

I mean how shit is having the NRL grannie on a Sunday night. I get that the Monday may be a pub hol in NSW and QLD, but here in Vic you are watching it during a time when normally your weekend is winding down. I remember flicking between it and Austin Powers one Sunday night FFS.

 

[Bjo187]

I mean how shit is having the NRL grannie on a Sunday night. I get that the Monday may be a pub hol in NSW and QLD, but here in Vic you are watching it during a time when normally your weekend is winding down. I remember flicking between it and Austin Powers one Sunday night FFS.

Austin powers for the 5th time, likely more unpredictable than a game of rugby league though.

 

[Blackhawk42]

I mean how shit is having the NRL grannie on a Sunday night. I get that the Monday may be a pub hol in NSW and QLD, but here in Vic you are watching it during a time when normally your weekend is winding down. I remember flicking between it and Austin Powers one Sunday night FFS.

Last year I put on AEW Collison at half time and completely forgot to turn it back on until there was 5 minutes left.

If it was on a Sunday arvo it'd probably be another excuse to try and organise something with mates for it, even though I don't really follow it at all.
It's such an afterthought on a Sunday night.

 

[Kappa]

It is logical, as I'll now explain.

During the year, there are a lot of games of footy, and there are a lot of things for us to do, including playing our own sports among other things.

We work our footy watching in with our schedule, and having the big games at night enables more people to watch them.

During grand final week, and then of course grand final day - it is the other way around. It's all about the footy, the grand final IS what we do, and we work other things around that. The grand final has the power to choose the best time. And the best time, for reasons many have said here already, is the afternoon.

WAY more people would watch a night gf so ur point is completely wrong.

 

[kickazz]

WAY more people would watch a night gf so ur point is completely wrong.

I think you missed my point.

 

[Kappa]

I think you missed my point.

lol no I didn’t, u said more ppl watch footy at night but that changes during the GF, ur simply utterly wrong about that, and u can ask the tv networks if u don’t understand.

 

[kickazz]

lol no I didn’t, u said more ppl watch footy at night but that changes during the GF, ur simply utterly wrong about that, and u can ask the tv networks if u don’t understand.

I think you are being a bit obtuse.

Yes the GF would likely get more viewers at night - I didn't say it wouldn't get more.

What I was saying that it doesn't matter as much as it does during the year. For the grand final, they should stick to quality over quantity.

Might be a bit hard for you to understand though.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Would be a good start. Perhaps also either a Semi or Prelim on Saturday during the day - makes for a smaller gap in prep time for the next week.

I'd go the NFL system

Bye before the GF

Have all the awards that week, Brownlow, AA, etc.

This also eliminates the risk of players missing GF's due to concussion protocols.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Just leave it where it is. Why the obsession by media to make it a night GF? Might get some extra viewers but in the end
half the country will watch anyway.

The afternoon GF has several more reasons to stay as is best value for the vast majority of fans and businesses.

• Watch the morning/early arvo prelude shows and radio of the upcoming match
• Late September can bring on beautifull sunshine more than likely
• Great for parents taking kids after breakfast to MCG for the activities outside
• Great day for a BBQ/lunch with family or friends
• Watch the game at home, public places or venue of choice
• After the game it's still a reasonable time to get to MCG for entertainment/concert with kids/friends
• Still a reasonable time to get out for dinner with friends/family and fill up restaurants
• Still a reasonable time for all footy fans to fill all the pubs around Melb and celebrate the season that was
• This is great for businesses to generate some revenue on one of our biggest days

A night or twilight GF will not be good for fans for the last 4 points I made. Especially for families and teens.

 

[Blackhawk42]

A night or twilight GF will not be good for fans for the last 4 points I made. Especially for families and teens.

That doesn't matter to some people. Apparently It's more important that casual or non-fans in NSW and QLD might be home at night channel surfing and improve the TV ratings for the network.

The tradition, families and overall enjoyment of the day itself is secondary.

 

[kickazz]

Just leave it where it is. Why the obsession by media to make it a night GF? Might get some extra viewers but in the end
half the country will watch anyway.

The afternoon GF has several more reasons to stay as is best value for the vast majority of fans and businesses.

• Watch the morning/early arvo prelude shows and radio of the upcoming match
• Great for parents taking kids after breakfast to MCG for the activities outside
• Great day for a BBQ/lunch with family or friends
• Watch the game at home, public places or venue of choice
• After the game it's still a reasonable time to get to MCG for entertainment/concert with kids/friends
• Still a reasonable time to get out for dinner with friends/family and fill up restaurants
• Still a reasonable time for all footy fans to fill all the pubs around Melb and celebrate the season that was
• This is great for businesses to generate some revenue on one of our biggest days

A night or twilight GF will not be good for fans for the last 4 points I made. Especially for families and teens.

You can add to that list: there is a certain magic in the weather at that time of the year in Melbourne. We are just starting to wake up from a dreary winter. It's not guaranteed - but in September there is a good chance of getting a really nice day.

A night game - well that's just another night game from a weather/atmosphere point of view.

 

[Kavliaris69]

That doesn't matter to some people. Apparently It's more important that casual or non-fans in NSW and QLD might be home at night channel surfing and improve the TV ratings for the network.

The tradition, families and overall enjoyment of the day itself is secondary.

I see what you did there.

 

[kickazz]

That doesn't matter to some people. Apparently It's more important that casual or non-fans in NSW and QLD might be home at night channel surfing and improve the TV ratings for the network.

The tradition, families and overall enjoyment of the day itself is secondary.

Yeah one way of looking at it is that the AFL is like that person who would rather have hundreds of social media friends or followers than a core group of mates that have really good times together.

 

[Kavliaris69]

You can add to that list: there is a certain magic in the weather at that time of the year in Melbourne. We are just starting to wake up from a dreary winter. It's not guaranteed - but in September there is a good chance of getting a really nice day.

A night game - well that's just another night game from a weather/atmosphere point of view.

Great point. Now added.

 

[Cleansweep17]

I personally liked the night GF in 2020. Gave it a different vibe. I think the ball was yellow instead of the usual red due to the time too.

 

[Toump Ass]

The build up to the first bounce in '21 was horrendous as a supporter.

 

[bottomboy]

Night is the only correct answer. I think people are choosing day because it's tradition.

 

[hawkman]

Saturday night is always a TV dead zone, it is why the FTA networks don't care that much to show an AFL ot NRL game then. If you had little interest initially I doubt you would get much more watching later in the day, you may even just head out for the night.

Sunday night is different for the NRL as you are winding down your weekend and Sunday night is generally the biggest TV audience

 

[Blue1980]

And despite being finals, none of those games have the same feeling of gravitas or atmosphere that a Grand Final does.

The 2020 and 2021 Grand Finals didn't either.

As already stated plenty of times in here, families are the biggest loser of moving it to a night fixure, in favour of casual or non-fans. That is the most important argument for me, and I'll never view it differently.

I became a rusted on footy nuffie as a kid thanks to the Grand Final parties my parents would host every year.
Move it anywhere past 7pm and families with kids instantly second guess hosting or attending those parties. Basically everybody outside of the 100 000 people in the MCG on the day has that choice to make.

It isn't worth the risk of shutting out the next generation of supporters by moving it to an inferior timeslot.

Every other sport has their major events at night, I don’t think they’re shutting anyone out.

Once they do it people will be outraged for a year then move on when they realise the world doesn’t end.

I don’t care either way if it’s day, twilight or night, makes no difference to me. I just see the logic of having it at a time to maximise tv viewership.

 

[Roobs321]

NRL switched to night in 2001 and then the Warriors made the 2002 GF (Sunday 9pm kickoff their time)

the 2002 nrl series still irritates me. Roosters were 4th (McIntyre system) and played at their home ground W1-3. Meanwhile the top two qualifiers in prelim week (Warriors and Broncos) played away in Sydney. Bulldogs looked a sure thing until the salary cap breach punishment. Roosters were 6th and 10-8-1 after Rnd21. To be fair they found form at the right time and could’ve had a dynasty.