*CONFIRMED* Grand Final 2018 @ 2:30pm

[doppleganger]

Load of s**t, hope this is fake news.

******* drives me nuts that people are constantly trying to change the great game we've got.

I love the orange glow across the field as the sun is almost setting towards the end of the game. The long shadows that indicate the season is gone. It's a sight you don't see during the regular season. It's one of a kind on Grand Final day.
It's perfect for a mid morning Grand Final breakfast at home, have a few beers and get ready for the post lunch start. It's over before the sun goes down and it's time to think about heading out for a few beers to discuss the game with people you've never met before.

It doesn't need to change, and it won't gain anything by changing.

It has the potential to gain plenty of additional viewers in the developing NSW and QLD markets.

Us rusted on Victorian’s who make a day of it presently, will still make a day of it irrespective of when it starts.

But by moving it closer towards prime time, you potentially increase the amount of casual followers who may watch. If can convert some of them to fans the AFL gains plenty.

Everything you said just shifts back two hours.

The orange glow and long shadows occurs at start of game, indicating season coming to an end....perfect.

Instead of having beers with breakfast, just wait til midday to start....better for you.

Instead of a BBQ lunch that starts at midday, just have an afternoon BBQ that starts at 2pm...no difference.

If you have a ‘traditional’ kick to kick at half time, do it before the game starts and at half time make a new tradition...bonus.

If you want to kick on and party, the game and ceremony will be finished by 9pm, plenty of time to kick-on...who the feck goes out at 7pm anyway!?

 

[Milanista28]

I don't want to catch up with the "rest of the world." I like Australian Football because it is different.
Until the sports scientists got their claws into it in the last 20 years or so I'd argue that it was the greatest multi-skilled football in the world.
It still has its moments, just not quite as often as it used to.

If you want to catch up with the "rest of the world" why don't we remove two posts from each end,
put a net or a bar across/between the two remaining, reduce the number of players on the field and change the shape of the ball.

Calm down old timer.

 

[HTT]

It has the potential to gain plenty of additional viewers in the developing NSW and QLD markets.

Us rusted on Victorian’s who make a day of it presently, will still make a day of it irrespective of when it starts.

But by moving it closer towards prime time, you potentially increase the amount of casual followers who may watch. If can convert some of them to fans the AFL gains plenty.

Everything you said just shifts back two hours.

The orange glow and long shadows occurs at start of game, indicating season coming to an end....perfect.

Instead of having beers with breakfast, just wait til midday to start....better for you.

Instead of a BBQ lunch that starts at midday, just have an afternoon BBQ that starts at 2pm...no difference.

If you have a ‘traditional’ kick to kick at half time, do it before the game starts and at half time make a new tradition...bonus.

If you want to kick on and party, the game and ceremony will be finished by 9pm, plenty of time to kick-on...who the feck goes out at 7pm anyway!?

The time the grand final starts at won’t significantly affect the growth of the game. There’s 23 Saturday twilight games all year, if that’s the best time to get viewers then those will have a far greater impact. At the end of the day, those who know nothing about Footy won’t care if it’s two bottom teams. They won’t recognise the difference between that and the top teams.

What it will do significantly do is piss off a lot of people. People whinge about ‘traditionalists’ preventing progress, but really we’ve introduced night Footy, Sunday Footy, professional players, a draft/trade system, a national competition, and clash jumpers. We now have over 10 officials on the ground, there’s score reviews, cameras analysing every part of the game. All of those are good. They make the game better. But they broke some traditions in doing that.
Compared to all that, is it really that big of a deal if some of us really want to keep the GF in the day? Those things I listed before have made the game significantly better. Moving the time the GF starts isn’t.

 

[jwikked]

It has the potential to gain plenty of additional viewers in the developing NSW and QLD markets.

Us rusted on Victorian’s who make a day of it presently, will still make a day of it irrespective of when it starts.

But by moving it closer towards prime time, you potentially increase the amount of casual followers who may watch. If can convert some of them to fans the AFL gains plenty.

Everything you said just shifts back two hours.

The orange glow and long shadows occurs at start of game, indicating season coming to an end....perfect.

Instead of having beers with breakfast, just wait til midday to start....better for you.

Instead of a BBQ lunch that starts at midday, just have an afternoon BBQ that starts at 2pm...no difference.

If you have a ‘traditional’ kick to kick at half time, do it before the game starts and at half time make a new tradition...bonus.

If you want to kick on and party, the game and ceremony will be finished by 9pm, plenty of time to kick-on...who the feck goes out at 7pm anyway!?

The casual market will remain casual no matter what time the GF is on. Everyone in Australia knows when the AFL GF is on, no one will convert simply because of a time shift.

The whole idea is horrid. It has no merit and it just reeks of the AFL trying to emulate other sports - which is no surprise given how the AFL operates these days.

 

[doppleganger]

The time the grand final starts at won’t significantly affect the growth of the game. There’s 23 Saturday twilight games all year, if that’s the best time to get viewers then those will have a far greater impact. At the end of the day, those who know nothing about Footy won’t care if it’s two bottom teams. They won’t recognise the difference between that and the top teams.

What it will do significantly do is piss off a lot of people. People whinge about ‘traditionalists’ preventing progress, but really we’ve introduced night Footy, Sunday Footy, professional players, a draft/trade system, a national competition, and clash jumpers. We now have over 10 officials on the ground, there’s score reviews, cameras analysing every part of the game. All of those are good. They make the game better. But they broke some traditions in doing that.
Compared to all that, is it really that big of a deal if some of us really want to keep the GF in the day? Those things I listed before have made the game significantly better. Moving the time the GF starts isn’t.

Why do you think all of the finals are now played at night?

Why is Friday night supposedly a cherished blockbuster time slot?

AFL experimenting with Thursday, Sunday and Monday night football.

You noticing the trend??

More people are home to watch things at night.

Football tragica will set aside an entire day to focus on the GF...but casual fans in other cities won’t.

The twilight, say 5:00 start, is simply a step to ease transition from the 2:30 start to a 7:00 start.

Equate it with NRL GF, as a casual Victorian fan who doesn’t really have any interest in league apart from potentially catching an origin, if it was on during the day...meh wouldn’t bother.

But as it is on a night when you are home, happily end up watching it, and if it is a good contest it might then lead you to taking a greater interest in the storm, if you are a kid you might like it and then want to play.

It is all about the QLD and NSW markets, and the TV audience.

 

[King Brown]

Night games are always lower quality than day games.

 

[doppleganger]

The casual market will remain casual no matter what time the GF is on. Everyone in Australia knows when the AFL GF is on, no one will convert simply because of a time shift.

The whole idea is horrid. It has no merit and it just reeks of the AFL trying to emulate other sports - which is no surprise given how the AFL operates these days.

People are home to watch more TV at night.

The shift in starting time of H&A games and finals to predominantly night games is all about maximising people watching.

ALL of the finals have moved to twilight or night games, and the majority of the H&A games are also played under lights...it makes sense that the GF will follow.

 

[HTT]

Why do you think all of the finals are now played at night?

Why is Friday night supposedly a cherished blockbuster time slot?

AFL experimenting with Thursday, Sunday and Monday night football.

You noticing the trend??

More people are home to watch things at night.

Football tragica will set aside an entire day to focus on the GF...but casual fans in other cities won’t.

The twilight, say 5:00 start, is simply a step to ease transition from the 2:30 start to a 7:00 start.

Equate it with NRL GF, as a casual Victorian fan who doesn’t really have any interest in league apart from potentially catching an origin, if it was on during the day...meh wouldn’t bother.

But as it is on a night when you are home, happily end up watching it, and if it is a good contest it might then lead you to taking a greater interest in the storm, if you are a kid you might like it and then want to play.

It is all about the QLD and NSW markets, and the TV audience.

It’s one game. TV ratings might get a slight boost (given its already a massive drawcard, it won’t be significant in the long run.
In terms of attracting people to the game, like I said, those sorts of people honestly won’t recognise the difference between the grand final and say a Collingwood vs Carlton mid season game in front of a packed MCG. The only benefit is one more night on prime time. There’s 26 weekends before that where that happens though. An extra 1 will hardly cause a significant shift. If you want to broadcast it prime time, go ahead. Again, the sorts of people you are trying to attract won’t really care that it’s not live, they aren’t invested in the result.

It makes such a minor improvement in exchange for something that helps make football genuine, and not tack copycat s**t.

 

[doppleganger]

It’s one game. TV ratings might get a slight boost (given its already a massive drawcard, it won’t be significant in the long run.
In terms of attracting people to the game, like I said, those sorts of people honestly won’t recognise the difference between the grand final and say a Collingwood vs Carlton mid season game in front of a packed MCG. The only benefit is one more night on prime time. There’s 26 weekends before that where that happens though. An extra 1 will hardly cause a significant shift. If you want to broadcast it prime time, go ahead. Again, the sorts of people you are trying to attract won’t really care that it’s not live, they aren’t invested in the result.

It makes such a minor improvement in exchange for something that helps make football genuine, and not tack copycat s**t.

What is ‘genuine’ about the GF starting at 2:30? Why is this time sacred?

How many games actually start at 2:30?

The Richmond v Giants PF last year was amazing.

Crowd and atmosphere was amazing in the lead up in bright brilliant sunshine, and then second half when Tigers turned it on it was electric under lights.

Plenty of time to kick on and party if you are that way inclined, also time to do stuff in the morning - kids sport, stuff around the house etc.

But it wasn’t ‘genuine’ because it was 4:45 start

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Think the day works really well, from the second you wake up, the build up etc.

Don’t know but it seems like we get good weather more often than not, nice sunny day after a long winter... signals the end of the season for me... it gets shadowy as the cup is presented, the season is over and the winners crowned, they celebrate as dusk falls and into the night.

Ah well. The AFL act as content producers, nothing else, so they don’t give a * and it’ll happen.

 

[Dirty_banchez]

A night GF would also be more dangerous since statistically you are more likely to be a victim of violence after the sun goes down.

 

[Toump Ass]

I'm lazy and like sleeping in. 2pm start isn't adequate to wake up, shower, get somewhere and get comfortably poleaxed before the game. I support this change.

 

[caloschwaby]

Just read it, is this really what it says?

Seems like just the same old quotes from Gil.

Read another article and couldn’t find it so I just linked this one that was similar to it. The other article claimed it was confirmed. Not sure what to believe now.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[juss]

Finally. "Tradition" has held back the AFL on far too many issues.

How is it better?
I was at the PF and the timeslot felt so wrong. It was an akward in-between time of a day or night game. The lighting at dusk wasnt great. Ive got no issues with ditching tradition for a 7-730pm night game, but twilight is the worst timeslot the game has.

 

[Zeox7]

In the past, I was totally against pushing back the start time of the GF, but now the "suggestion" doesn't bother me. I can understand why people prefer a day GF, but I can also see the benefits of a night game.

The main problem with day games at the MCG, are the shadows that leave half the field in sunlight and half in darkness, which may not look so bad when you're at the ground, but looks terrible on tv, where the majority are watching.

I have no interest in fireworks or any of that gimmicky crap, but maybe they could try it once to see how it goes. As long as they respect the traditions, and it doesn't finish too late it might be okay.

 

[Colonial]

Happy with twilight. Would prefer night.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[HTT]

What is ‘genuine’ about the GF starting at 2:30? Why is this time sacred?

How many games actually start at 2:30?

The Richmond v Giants PF last year was amazing.

Crowd and atmosphere was amazing in the lead up in bright brilliant sunshine, and then second half when Tigers turned it on it was electric under lights.

Plenty of time to kick on and party if you are that way inclined, also time to do stuff in the morning - kids sport, stuff around the house etc.

But it wasn’t ‘genuine’ because it was 4:45 start

There’s a big difference between prelims and GFs. A prelim isn’t something you plan around. If you can watch it, you’ll sit down and watch it, but if you can’t then you don’t. GF Day is it’s own thing. You get the morning to go do something quickly, then watch the pregame, then the game, then the post game is at dinner. You never get bored and you never feel rushed. It’s perfect.

And I went to that prelim. It’s a bloody hard timeslots to get to. You can still only do things that take a short time in the morning, and I got home at 11. For a GF it would be 12. “Family friendly slot”

People go “look at the prelim, how cool was that” but forget it wasn’t the light that made it good, it was the game and the emotion. Yeah the lighting was different in the second half of the prelim, but you know the real reason the atmosphere was unreal? Because 90k supporters were watching their team kick 6 goals to 1 in the third quarter of a prelim to get them into their first GF in 35 years.

And there’s nothing ingenuine about a 4.45 slot. It’s the gimmicky s**t that doesn’t belong to Footy that the AFL clearly want in this change.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Last year was just perfect with the late afternoon sun shining down on proceedings. Gillon, you campaigner.

 

[SizeMatters]

Imagine a night AFL grand final. The atmosphere would be absolutely insane. Hurry up already and change it. Costing the AFL millions not having a night GF.

 

[Sauras]

Imagine a night AFL grand final. The atmosphere would be absolutely insane. Hurry up already and change it. Costing the AFL millions not having a night GF.

We have, and it's still a s**t idea.

 

[mike91]

The AFL really want a night Grand Final, but they need to soften up the traditionalists with a twilight Grand Final first.

I'm soft for liking the afternoon slot? You do realize Adam Goodes is in your profile picture right? Irony.

 

[Sauras]

I'm soft for liking the afternoon slot? You do realize Adam Goodes is in your profile picture right? Irony.

Im not sure thats what he means...

 

[Tiger Toffee]

Ask the players, they say if it went to twilight or night then the after match club function would start at midnight for a twilight and most likely not at all for a night match.

 

[The_Reaper]

Finally we catch up with the rest of the world. About time.

Yeah we have really been lagging behind the rest of the Aussie rules community..

 

[IKnowtheDog]

I am firmly in the camp of day Grand Final. I would be happy to accommodate a 4pm EST start to make it more accommodating for fans in the west.

Two of the great post grand final celebrations occurred because the night could be used for such purposes and families be able to enjoy them.

It would be nice for somebody in AFL media to ask somebody who attends the Super Bowl junket why the superbowl isn't held in a city with an outdoor stadium with shitty weather to get an understanding of what the NFL's number 1 priority is.
Also a couple of points with racing and different time slots.
The MRC ran its premier races at 5.30 a few years ago and it was a disaster. They lost sponsors. Flemington in 2011 ran its Turnbull meeting from 10am to 2pm day after the Grand Final. Disaster!!