grand finals are going to be night from now on

Feb 5, 2018
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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.


So ridiculous and out of touch to what the footy fan actually wants.

A light show at night is the perfect time for the post-match concert and winning team presentation on stage. Jack with The Killers proved that in 2017.
 
Sep 28, 2019
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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.

🤮🤮 the lights at Optus are the worst thing about that ground. I hate them. My partner hates them.

First thing they said when I mentioned it was at Optus was “is that the ground with the stupid flashing lights?”.

It’s silly enough having it at night but having it at night to take advantage of those ridiculous lights is rubbish.
 
Oct 3, 2007
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West Coast
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So what I hearing here is no one watches Friday Night Footy in Victoria as it starts to late? Yet it looks like thousands and thousands of kids attend these Friday night games at the G. Do they get a special pill for those games?
The AFL have scheduled the GF to be played at a timeslot which Victorians are used to more than any other. Don’t understand what the drama is here?
 

Jakksynn

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 10, 2013
5,694
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So what I hearing here is no one watches Friday Night Footy in Victoria as it starts to late? Yet it looks like thousands and thousands of kids attend these Friday night games at the G. Do they get a special pill for those games?
The AFL have scheduled the GF to be played at a timeslot which Victorians are used to more than any other. Don’t understand what the drama is here?
Friday night games are very different. Most people knock off work then go to the footy or come home from work and have some drinks with mates while watching. Grand final day is a Saturday and a hell of a lot of people make a day out of it. BBQs, beers, parties, all the good stuff. Waiting around all day for the game is ridiculous
 

Fountain Springs

Debutant
Jul 1, 2021
60
211
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Fremantle
I'm 100% a supporter of the day Grand Final, but it doesn't really matter with the time this year given its not at the G. If anything it's good for having a day game going forward because we would have had 2 night GFs in a row and people haven't liked it. If Vic is out of lockdown in 2022 and they can get 100k at the G at 2:30pm and people around the country can have BBQs and parties all the fans will be raving about how good it was.
 
Oct 16, 2006
7,790
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Geelong
So what I hearing here is no one watches Friday Night Footy in Victoria as it starts to late? Yet it looks like thousands and thousands of kids attend these Friday night games at the G. Do they get a special pill for those games?
The AFL have scheduled the GF to be played at a timeslot which Victorians are used to more than any other. Don’t understand what the drama is here?

Normal Friday nights aren’t a huge event. There is no presentation or massive party after, I can just go to bed.
Grand Final I want to enjoy everything that goes with it. I don’t want to worry about having to put the kids to bed and staying silent so I don’t wake them. God I hate it!
After the presentation I would normally head out for a bit and watch the replay.
In saying this I always prefer a day game, normal season, final or Grand Final.
 

Masotiger

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Feb 12, 2020
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Like the Melbourne Cup has become the event that stops the nation, not the race that stops the nation, the AFL Grand Final is an EVENT.

All football supporters get involved to celebrate the climax of the season. Those not attending gather with friends and family for BBQs, etc. Non-competing clubs supporters are also invested in the game. As such, the Victorian State Government needs to step in and legislate to ensure the GF is always played at 2.30pm on the last Saturday of September.

2020 and 2021 have been exceptional years due to Covid-19, as such a deviation from the norm is fine. But if we ever get back to life as we knew it, the GF must be played at 2.30pm at the MCG.

I've had the pleasure of watching my team win premierships in the day and at night. I can tell you, waiting around for the game to start at night was excruciating. I love the races but just couldn't get into Cox Plate day. Trying to stay sober pre-game was a task even though we were locked down, no hope if you could gather with mates. Celebrating the premiership was not the same in 2020 (and not because of covid).

The government and the AFL can not be allowed to destroy the event for the sake of a few extra dollars advertising might bring.
 
Oct 3, 2013
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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.

The light show is an epileptic sufferer's worst nightmare.
 

Fountain Springs

Debutant
Jul 1, 2021
60
211
AFL Club
Fremantle
Like the Melbourne Cup has become the event that stops the nation, not the race that stops the nation, the AFL Grand Final is an EVENT.

All football supporters get involved to celebrate the climax of the season. Those not attending gather with friends and family for BBQs, etc. Non-competing clubs supporters are also invested in the game. As such, the Victorian State Government needs to step in and legislate to ensure the GF is always played at 2.30pm on the last Saturday of September.

2020 and 2021 have been exceptional years due to Covid-19, as such a deviation from the norm is fine. But if we ever get back to life as we knew it, the GF must be played at 2.30pm at the MCG.

I've had the pleasure of watching my team win premierships in the day and at night. I can tell you, waiting around for the game to start at night was excruciating. I love the races but just couldn't get into Cox Plate day. Trying to stay sober pre-game was a task even though we were locked down, no hope if you could gather with mates. Celebrating the premiership was not the same in 2020 (and not because of covid).

The government and the AFL can not be allowed to destroy the event for the sake of a few extra dollars advertising might bring.
As much as I agree with the sentiment, it's not the government's job to tell a private organisation how to run its affairs.
 

Masotiger

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Feb 12, 2020
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As much as I agree with the sentiment, it's not the government's job to tell a private organisation how to run its affairs.
Yeah? Where's the GF being played in 2021? Absolutely it is when it comes to the impact on its citizens. There's no way the AFL could survive and prosper in it's current form without government support - and not just during covid times.
 

Freshwater

Premiership Player
Oct 30, 2014
4,123
8,070
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
The AFL claims to be ‘progressive’ on social issues. The amount of carbon burned to run the lighting at the ground, and all the households staying up to watch it is enormous compared with an afternoon game.
 
It is grand final day, not grand final night, and that is a scientific fact.

Optus Stadium has beautiful lights and the grass smells like cinnamon, it's... terrible!
 

JohnZ

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 10, 2016
7,757
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Geelong
Totally despise a night grand final.
Couldn’t give two fu**s about a light show, or fire ******* works.
They could've had a 2.30pm game in Perth and still done their fireworks after the game. No one cares if the halftime entertainment is at day or night, it's not the superbowl.
 

Fountain Springs

Debutant
Jul 1, 2021
60
211
AFL Club
Fremantle
Yeah? Where's the GF being played in 2021? Absolutely it is when it comes to the impact on its citizens. There's no way the AFL could survive and prosper in it's current form without government support - and not just during covid times.
They could've played it in Vic with no crowds but made a commercial decision to play it in Perth.
 

Masotiger

All Australian
Feb 12, 2020
863
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Richmond
They could've played it in Vic with no crowds but made a commercial decision to play it in Perth.
The reason they could've played it in front of no-one is because of a government directive. Imagine if McGowan played hardball and refused entry into WA, where would the AFL stand then? Don't kid yourself, governments have the ability to influence many decisions.

Regarding the AFL GF, imo, because it is an event that goes beyond the few extra dollars advertising might bring; the Victorian State Government should intervene and ensure it is a day GF for the benefit of the community at large.

Just remember who tips in to redevelop grounds. Do some research and find out how much the state government tipped in to redevelop Punt Road Oval (amongst other grounds) to the state of the art facility it is now.
 
Feb 5, 2018
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They did announce earlier this season when Covid went away for a while that we were reverting back to 2:30pm at the G for the big day.

It's because of that I hold onto hope for next year and moving forward.

The dumbest thing here though was not experimenting with the twilight time slot for the Eastern state viewers. They had the chance to literally have their cake and eat it too, but the 'OMG amazing light show!' was what they went with.
 
Except for that time we tried a night grand final and the ratings were no better than years previous.
2020 Grand final was the highest ever rated GF in Melbourne
2020 Grand Final was the highest ever rated GF in Brisbane

And overall, it was the highest rated GF not involving the Sydney Swans
 
Sep 13, 2015
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Richmond
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2020 Grand final was the highest ever rated GF in Melbourne
2020 Grand Final was the highest ever rated GF in Brisbane

And overall, it was the highest rated GF not involving the Sydney Swans
Ratings were always going to be up slightly. Shorter games rated higher all year.

Given there would normally be 100,000 Melbournians at the game (plus tens of thousands at club live sites) - not contributing to ratings, and we were in lockdown so it’s not like there was anything else to do, it’s not suprising Melbourne was up.
And Brisbane is a normally small market for the league which became the home of the season, that would’ve provided a big boost too.
 
Aug 6, 2021
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2020 Grand final was the highest ever rated GF in Melbourne
2020 Grand Final was the highest ever rated GF in Brisbane

And overall, it was the highest rated GF not involving the Sydney Swans

How much of that increase was down to more people watching at home instead of at parties or the pub?
 
Ratings were always going to be up slightly. Shorter games rated higher all year.

Given there would normally be 100,000 Melbournians at the game (plus tens of thousands at club live sites) - not contributing to ratings, and we were in lockdown so it’s not like there was anything else to do, it’s not suprising Melbourne was up.
And Brisbane is a normally small market for the league which became the home of the season, that would’ve provided a big boost too.
Does that really explain 600k more than the previous year :think:
 
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