The night grand final concept

[PumpyChowdown]

I've always been an advocate of keeping it at 1430, but lately my thought process is changing. Why not give it a go at twilight? Try it. See what happens. It's still the bloody GF. If it sucks then lesson learnt. If not, it could be even better than the traditional slot. Worth a go IMO.

 

[ioppolo]

Trailing a GF or two at night wouldn't hurt. 5.40pm start would go alright I reckon.

 

[Xtreme]

Stay with tradition

daylight + red ball + non dewy conditions - no fireworks = win for everyone

 

[melbournemartin]

But what are your hypothetical State of Origin squads?

 

[Kram]

We play the Prelims at night, I don't get what people are so scared of, at least give it a go!

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

Now that I think of it, I'd like the AFL to make all the finals games to start at 2:30pm.

 

[estibador]

If people are that desperate to watch it at night, just watch the replay.

Or if you're that desperate to watch it during the day just watch the replay on Sunday afternoon.

 

[Toump Ass]

How is moving the GF to the night going to stop people getting smashed?

If the GF was later, I'd probably start drinking later.

Last weekend I was hammered by half time, and calling my dealer before the final quarter. The day GF means *more* partying, not less.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Should be at night. More people will watch.

 

[JackFlash]

Twilight GF is inevitable in 2017.
Next year's GF will be the last arvo GF for a while at least.

Too late, the NRL have beaten us to the punch. They have Origin and now their Grand Final is better. The AFL are miles ahead with the overall season, but when it comes to the big events we have slipped...Night Grand Final next year...make it happen! Start the day at midday with the novel idea of playing the VFL GF? From 3pm you go all out glitz, glamour, music with fireworks at dusk....bounce down at 7.10pm ...it's all over by 10pm.......??

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Is the FA Cup played at night? It's always been 3pm London time.

FA Cup hasn't been the "main event" in English soccer for a long time.

 

[Father Jack]

Good point.

Is the FA Cup played at night? It's always been 3pm London time.

They moved it to 5:30pm a few years ago


Also, I'm sure all these arguments against a night grand final were rolled out before we started playing night H&A games, and then before we started playing night finals. A night GF will happen, and after a couple of years there'll only be a handful of hardcore traditionalists who pine for the golden days of day grand finals

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Who cares about some 'entertainment'. I don't know anyone that watches it and all the comments are to bag it out.
I'd much rather finish the game at 5.30 than 11.

Not only is it better for families, but also the supporters of the premiers who may want to celebrate the win including functions put on by the club etc

 

[Rotayjay]

The final siren in golden afternoon sunshine, then many hours to celebrate, OR the game finishes at 10 o'clock and the winning supporters get five hours' less time to party and lap up the ultimate feeling for a footy fan. Take your pick.

 

[Father Jack]

Fairly certain that the whole point of Sundays is so that time becomes more or less irrelevant on Saturdays

 

[bungwahl]

Too late, the NRL have beaten us to the punch. They have Origin and now their Grand Final is better. The AFL are miles ahead with the overall season, but when it comes to the big events we have slipped...Night Grand Final next year...make it happen! Start the day at midday with the novel idea of playing the VFL GF? From 3pm you go all out glitz, glamour, music with fireworks at dusk....bounce down at 7.10pm ...it's all over by 10pm.......??

That's nonsense. The NRL won the popular vote for GF this season because their final was an epic battle and the AFL GF was a wipe out. It has nothing to do with the time of day.

5pm would be the absolute latest in my opinion. Moving it to a genuine night GF is fine for us binge drinking hooligans, but it ruins it for families and kids. It reeks of selling tradition for TV dollars.

 

[JackFlash]

That's nonsense. The NRL won the popular vote for GF this season because their final was an epic battle and the AFL GF was a wipe out. It has nothing to do with the time of day.

5pm would be the absolute latest in my opinion. Moving it to a genuine night GF is fine for us binge drinking hooligans, but it ruins it for families and kids. It reeks of selling tradition for TV dollars.

Then why do we play at night at all? Why are the Preliminary Finals played at night during the school holiday period? The NRL have caught us napping, i was a staunch traditionalist, but the time has come to move it and make the entire day a celebration football. Get the gates open at Midday, hand out MCC members tickets at 11am, put on a game to begin the day then go all out with the lead up to the first bounce. A 7.10pm start is still earlier than normal night games, plenty of time for the celebrations after and all day Sunday to recover!

 

[bungwahl]

Then why do we play at night at all? Why are the Preliminary Finals played at night during the school holiday period? The NRL have caught us napping, i was a staunch traditionalist, but the time has come to move it and make the entire day a celebration football. Get the gates open at Midday, hand out MCC members tickets at 11am, put on a game to begin the day then go all out with the lead up to the first bounce. A 7.10pm start is still earlier than normal night games, plenty of time for the celebrations after and all day Sunday to recover!

The other finals are played at night for TV dollars, I thought that was common knowledge?

If we really, really need to mess with tradition we could push the game to 4:30 or 5pm, but pushing it back til after 7pm is pointless in my opinion. Gains nothing except TV dollars. The current time slot is perfect for social gatherings, though a twilight game may also work.

 

[gavaniacono]

Every time they change the frickin schedule it fracks with my church going. ******* atheist scum. heathen campaigners the lot of 'em. How can one ******* worship our loving ******* Jesus ******* Christ AND follow the frickin' football. campaigners!

 

[JD Tomahawk]

A pro night granny argument would be entertainment. Instead of the rubbish we get during the day how about light shows and fireworks with a few decent acts. Who doesn't like fireworks.

 

[Kram]

The other finals are played at night for TV dollars, I thought that was common knowledge?

Also because it's a better and more convenient time slot? And I prefer night games in general, going to the game half the crowd doesn't have the sun in its face.

5.40pm EST works for me. Not too late for kids and adults to kick on afterwards but still get the benefits of being night. People dead against it are living in the past, it should and will happen so may as well embrace it. I bet after about 2 or 3 of them about 90% of the complainers will have disappeared and eventually we will wonder why the hell we used to play them at 2pm.

 

[Smokeyr67]

Too late, the NRL have beaten us to the punch. They have Origin and now their Grand Final is better. The AFL are miles ahead with the overall season, but when it comes to the big events we have slipped...Night Grand Final next year...make it happen! Start the day at midday with the novel idea of playing the VFL GF? From 3pm you go all out glitz, glamour, music with fireworks at dusk....bounce down at 7.10pm ...it's all over by 10pm.......??

I was thinking a very similar thing, just with different timings.

11:30 or 12 - Lower League game (i.e. VFL v WAFL premiers)

3 - 6 - Entertainment

6:30 - Start the Grannie (sunset is at 18:24, so no worries with lighting issues)

 

[Power Raid]

night games are a good idea as it moves away from tradition which then opens the pathway to interstate grand finals


bring it on!

 

[krisholio14]

Once the GF switches to night, it will be the final part of the transition of Footy from sport/game to business/entertainment.

 

[Father Jack]

Once the GF switches to night, it will be the final part of the transition of Footy from sport/game to business/entertainment.

how does it cease to be a sport/game if the Grand Final is on at night?