grand finals are going to be night from now on

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Mar 24, 2017
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2.30pm is best for the quality of the match, those attending, those celebrating afterwards (best part of the day if your team wins) and young families watching at home.
7- 7.30pm is best for pre-game entertainment and ratings. Horrible for young families and those wanting to celebrate afterwards.
5.15pm if the latest palatable start for young families - 8pm finish with presentations done by 9pm. Kick of the footy beforehand and BBQ half time. Better for ratings but still too late to meet up with friends after to celebrate. Could do the entertainment at half time as it will be almost dark.

I know that want to use the fancy lighting at Optus (personally the novelty has worn off), but it is a shame they don’t do a 3.15pm Perth start so the rest of Australia ca get a feel for a twilight GF.

Last year was lame. I fear this year will be the same.
 

le dominateur

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May 24, 2009
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It's been brought up before, but footy is much more of a family game than NRL and finishing the biggest game of the season beyond 10:30 at night when a lot of kids are in bed is a great way to NOT grow the game into the future.

I’m sure kids can stay up for one night a year, the world won’t end if there not in bed at Humphrey B. Bear time.
 

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Nov 10, 2013
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Hell no
A late night here or there won’t hurt them 😂
No but its not like they just awake and extend their evening. They get overtired and then grumpy and then meltdown meaning they dont - and more importantly you dont - get to seethe game anyway!
 
Feb 5, 2018
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I’m sure kids can stay up for one night a year, the world won’t end if there not in bed at Humphrey B. Bear time.

It's too late for me and I'm an adult. I barely made it to the end of the Cats/Giants game. Having an 18 month old will do that to you.

But the post-game will extend well beyond 11pm and that's ridiculous when it can easily be started an hour earlier (or stay at 2:30pm from next year like everybody wants it to).
 
Apr 12, 2010
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Sounds like the GF is pretty well locked in for a start time between 7pm to 7:20pm AEST.

Hate the night GF but with the time zone it’s a bit more Difficult.

However the game should have stayed in its 2:30 time slot WA time.

Yep.

Last year the excuse/reason was Cox Plate coverage during the day.

No such issue this year. 2:30 WA time almost perfect.

So last year's reasoning was bullshit?
 

JohnZ

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Mar 10, 2016
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2.30pm is best for the quality of the match, those attending, those celebrating afterwards (best part of the day if your team wins) and young families watching at home.
7- 7.30pm is best for pre-game entertainment and ratings. Horrible for young families and those wanting to celebrate afterwards.
5.15pm if the latest palatable start for young families - 8pm finish with presentations done by 9pm. Kick of the footy beforehand and BBQ half time. Better for ratings but still too late to meet up with friends after to celebrate. Could do the entertainment at half time as it will be almost dark.

I know that want to use the fancy lighting at Optus (personally the novelty has worn off), but it is a shame they don’t do a 3.15pm Perth start so the rest of Australia ca get a feel for a twilight GF.

Last year was lame. I fear this year will be the same.
A 2.30 local (4.30 eastern) start time ticked way too many boxes for it not to be chosen. Traditional start time, Prime Time on the East Coast, Family Friendly but also Advertiser Friendly. AFL have screwed the pooch here by sucking up to Ch7.
 
Apr 13, 2006
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Yep.

Last year the excuse/reason was Cox Plate coverage during the day.

No such issue this year. 2:30 WA time almost perfect.

So last year's reasoning was bullshit?

Who actually gives a * about the Cox Plate? Gamblers and the Vic State Government? Virtually nobody else.

Why is the AFL so intertwined with what the horse racing industry is doing? The Vic State Government runs the AFL. If the disgraceful MCG contract isn't proof enough.
 
Apr 12, 2010
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Who actually gives a fu** about the Cox Plate? Gamblers and the Vic State Government? Virtually nobody else.

Why is the AFL so intertwined with what the horse racing industry is doing? The Vic State Government runs the AFL. If the disgraceful MCG contract isn't proof enough.

Well it is supposedly the WFA championship of Australasia - I like it but it has declined in quality of late. The main reason though was probably CH7 having the broadcast rights for both events, and the fact that footy muscled in on racing's time of the year so it was only fair to do what they could to accommodate both.
 

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Mar 24, 2017
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Yep.

Last year the excuse/reason was Cox Plate coverage during the day.

No such issue this year. 2:30 WA time almost perfect.

So last year's reasoning was bullshit?
Cox plate was a furphy.
7.15pm locked in. Will finish 10pm, presentation of cup around 10.30pm. Absolute rubbish.
 

Coolangatta

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Oct 27, 2007
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I bet they've done it so they can say, "See? It's not the same when it's not at the MCG, is it?" Of course it's not the same if you don't play it in the afternoon, you utterly Vic biased pieces of s**t!
 

St Plugger

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Feb 28, 2012
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I'm gunna probably get shot down here, but I didn't mind the night GF last year! It left the day free to get the regular Saturday stuff done and then the night for the big game. A night AFL game happens every every Saturday through the season, so no change there! As far as kids go, they should have a regular bedtime routine, so why change it because the GF is on?
 

magpiemaniac44

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Aug 19, 2020
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I'm gunna probably get shot down here, but I didn't mind the night GF last year! It left the day free to get the regular Saturday stuff done and then the night for the big game. A night AFL game happens every every Saturday through the season, so no change there! As far as kids go, they should have a regular bedtime routine, so why change it because the GF is on?
That's the thing, it doesn't feel like grand final day if you're doing things like a normal day beforehand. I can't speak for other states but I know that being in lockdown in Vic made it worse, because going to a friends house would've still had some sort of normality about it whereas being stuck at home it just didn't feel right.
 
Aug 6, 2021
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That's the thing, it doesn't feel like grand final day if you're doing things like a normal day beforehand. I can't speak for other states but I know that being in lockdown in Vic made it worse, because going to a friends house would've still had some sort of normality about it whereas being stuck at home it just didn't feel right.

Absolutely agree, we don’t want the AFL grand final to feel like just another day with a football game at the end.
 

carloss

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AFL executive general manager of clubs and broadcasting Travis Auld said the decision to play the game at night was also made to help take advantage of Perth Stadium's light display.

 
Apr 12, 2010
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AFL executive general manager of clubs and broadcasting Travis Auld said the decision to play the game at night was also made to help take advantage of Perth Stadium's light display.


Because that's what really matters
 

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