The AFL has once more resisted the urge to change to a profitable twilight grand closing, electing to play this 12 months’s decider within the conventional day timeslot.
The AFL Commission ended the yearly debate when it met on Wednesday, locking in a 2.30pm begin for the grand closing to be performed on the MCG on September 30.
A whopping 73 per cent of these polled in an AFL Fans Association survey in March need the AFL grand closing to stay a day affair.
Outgoing AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has held agency in his choice for a day grand closing as he prepares at hand the reins over to Andrew Dillon.
“The Commission will continue to review the start time for future grand finals,” McLachlan mentioned on Wednesday.
“The AFL’s role is to deliver the best possible game experience, both for fans at the ground and for the millions watching the broadcast, and together with our broadcast partner the Seven Network, we remain committed to creating an amazing event, both in the build-up during the week and culminating in 100,000 fans at the MCG.
“The followers this season have been unbelievable with greater than three million followers attending matches throughout the primary 9 rounds – the most important and loudest crowds within the historical past of the sport up to now of the season – and are available the final Saturday in September, it is going to be by far the most important occasion of the 12 months.”
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the AFL experimented with night grand finals in 2020 at the Gabba and 2021 at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
After serious pressure from fans and members, the AFL decided to revert to an afternoon decider last year as Geelong thrashed Sydney at the MCG.
Seven West Media boss James Warburton has consistently argued for a night grand final.
Warburton renewed his push for an evening spectacle following a scores stoop in tv and streaming scores throughout final 12 months’s one-sided grand closing.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
