There was talk that Gil would give the VIC's one last day GF as a gesture for missing the last two grand finals. Guess not....

Would rather the 2:30 start. It's just so iconic and traditional and is a key feature of my favourite day of the year.

Can tolerate a 4:30pm start, but would really dislike a 7pm GF.

So long as we win, anytime, day or night, will be fine.

Otherwise it is a greedy AFL assault on supporters.

Honestly, last grand final day nearly killed me. The wait was excruciating. I was an absolute mess by 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter. Oddly I became much calmer after that.

Therefore I don’t mind the later start time on the condition we ice the game in the first quarter.

 

The number one issue the AFL has at the moment is that they are devoting all their energies to a group of people who are only worried about the "experience", and this is coming at the expense of traditional fans, including local and junior football clubs.

Yes, you'll get a big TV audience and a few extra hangers on by having a night grand final and providing fireworks and music and gimmicks, but few of these people will ever become members or put money into the game. The people who actually care, who volunteer at grass roots level, who encourage their kids interest in the game, who become members and buy merchandise, actually get turned off by all this crap.

We sit in M15 and we are surrounded by people who spend their time playing on their phones and getting up to buy drinks. They come to games a couple of times a year and watch about 10 minutes of football each time. I really don't know what they (or the club) get from the effort, other than a few pictures on their Insta pages.

1 minute ago, poita said:

The number one issue the AFL has at the moment is that they are devoting all their energies to a group of people who are only worried about the "experience", and this is coming at the expense of traditional fans, including local and junior football clubs.

Yes, you'll get a big TV audience and a few extra hangers on by having a night grand final and providing fireworks and music and gimmicks, but few of these people will ever become members or put money into the game. The people who actually care, who volunteer at grass roots level, who encourage their kids interest in the game, who become members and buy merchandise, actually get turned off by all this crap.

We sit in M15 and we are surrounded by people who spend their time playing on their phones and getting up to buy drinks. They come to games a couple of times a year and watch about 10 minutes of football each time. I really don't know what they (or the club) get from the effort, other than a few pictures on their Insta pages.

This. 1000 times this. The metric of engagement is set at such a low bar that it’s become detrimental to what helps drive sport - which is passion. 

The AFL has some issues with deeper engagement, and it won’t be shown for another 4-5 years. I suspect the talent pool ain’t growing, while the players required at the top level is. It will make for a real problem. Imagine 5-6 North Melbournes.

I actually love the 4:35pm timeslot. Can have lunch in Richmond, have a few beers and then head to the G.

Then game is finished by 7pm so still get another few hours out or can get home by 8pm rather than 11pm.

It makes sense to hold a Grand Final at this timeslot as you will get more viewers on TV and the overall spectacle will be better with light shows etc.

I understand the traditional views, but this is where the AFL is headed and the more money to grow the game the better.

I quite like the twilight start time. There is something very special about ceremonies being under lights, just look at ANZAC eve.

No issues with it, as realistically it is still fine for kids, especially as the GF is during school holidays. 

3 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

I actually love the 4:35pm timeslot. Can have lunch in Richmond, have a few beers and then head to the G.

Then game is finished by 7pm so still get another few hours out or can get home by 8pm rather than 11pm.

It makes sense to hold a Grand Final at this timeslot as you will get more viewers on TV and the overall spectacle will be better with light shows etc.

I understand the traditional views, but this is where the AFL is headed and the more money to grow the game the better.

Mind you, I suspect that it will only be twilight for a year or two with the game eventually being played at night. I see twilight as a transitional step to soften the blow for traditionalists.

1 hour ago, Macca said:

It's more about the total broadcast rights money ... the last broadcast deal was worth $2.518Billion

That buys you a big say in proceedings

So it's not necessarily about the extra 2% or 4%

Not that I'm siding either way, more so pointing out the reality of the situation

As it stands, 7 of the other 8 finals games are played in the evening with the other final played as a twilight fixture (in the 1st week of the finals)

Again, I'd prefer a day GF

It doesn't buy you any say in proceedings. The AFL decides scheduling. They have decided to absolutely maximise profit by shifting the granny, rather than still make a killing albeit slightly less because they kept a tradition of the game intact. 

These kinds of things are presented as "the way the world's going" and "inevitable" but they're actually not. In reality the wishes of fans who come week in week out for decades are taking a backseat to the last 5% of people who don't really care but are more likely to switch on if it's at night. 

Anyway it seems like a lot of people are partial to the move anyway so maybe I'm wrong!!

Just now, daisycutter said:

as little as a couple of years ago i was dead set against any other time than the traditional mid afternoon.

i've now come around to acceptance of a twilight time to be just as good, maybe even better.

not sold on a full night game but

#metoo. Did BBO get to you too? 

I previously cared about the mid-afternoon GF tradition but have been worn down over the years. But keep the centre bounce please - that's one of the traditional things that makes our game unique. The time-slot for our grand final not as much. 

 

2 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Inevitable after the success of last year's GF. Also the comparison of the ceremonies between our Anzac eve and the unmentionables' in the daytime.

Agree it is inevitable and will happen , it is just a matter of when. But……...I’ve just had it in my head and dreamed (dare I say fantasied)  for decades that we would play and win a GF at the G during the day.  
I would  just love to see that dream realised this year and then I would be prepared to accept us winning the next one in 2023 under lights.😊

31 minutes ago, Kozzie4PM said:

Anyway it seems like a lot of people are partial to the move anyway so maybe I'm wrong!!

You're not wrong, the overwhelming majority of footy supporters want a day game at 2/230pm. The AFL again is selling out it's constituents for a few extra pieces of silver. Disgraceful especially considering this issue gets brought up every year and is continually knocked back due to the lack of support amongst its key demographic. But they'll just keep bringing it up again and again until they get the answer they want.

Hopefully the Commission tells Gil to stick it but I somehow doubt it

1 minute ago, Wodjathefirst said:

Agree it is inevitable and will happen , it is just a matter of when. But……...I’ve just had it in my head and dreamed (dare I say fantasied)  for decades that we would play and win a GF at the G during the day.  
I would  just love to see that dream realised this year and then I would be prepared to accept us winning the next one in 2023 under lights.😊

Why is it inevitable?

14 minutes ago, Skuit said:

#metoo. Did BBO get to you too? 

I previously cared about the mid-afternoon GF tradition but have been worn down over the years. But keep the centre bounce please - that's one of the traditional things that makes our game unique. The time-slot for our grand final not as much. 

 

It's getting off-topic, but I think the bounce will be gone soon, too. That's because there appears to be a belief that the requirement to bounce the ball is stopping some otherwise capable people of becoming umpires. A shortage of quality umpires is a bigger problem than whether the bounce should be retained or not.  

1 hour ago, Kozzie4PM said:

It doesn't buy you any say in proceedings. The AFL decides scheduling. They have decided to absolutely maximise profit by shifting the granny, rather than still make a killing albeit slightly less because they kept a tradition of the game intact. 

These kinds of things are presented as "the way the world's going" and "inevitable" but they're actually not. In reality the wishes of fans who come week in week out for decades are taking a backseat to the last 5% of people who don't really care but are more likely to switch on if it's at night. 

The Broadcasting people get to have a big say ... if you were forking out $Billions wouldn't you want to know what you were getting for your money?  It's real money too and big money talks big

Again, I'm not siding with the broadcasters, just pointing out the reality of the sutuation

 

Edited May 12, 20222 yr by Macca

There's a commercial side to football? How long's that been going on?

1 hour ago, Kozzie4PM said:

 These kinds of things are presented as "the way the world's going" and "inevitable" but they're actually not. In reality the wishes of fans who come week in week out for decades are taking a backseat to the last 5% of people who don't really care but are more likely to switch on if it's at night. 

Yeah but when you have an inelastic product you can pretty much do what you want and fans will follow. And money does talk..

3 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

My thoughts are that I would be thrilled to watch Melbourne win a premiership at 11:32am on a Tuesday.

 

🤣🤣I’m with ya!

3 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

My thoughts are that I would be thrilled to watch Melbourne win a premiership at 11:32am on a Tuesday.

 

Paramount Pictures are proud to announce its partnership with the AFL with the rescheduling of Australian Football to 11:32am on Tuesdays. This is to better optimize the viewing experience for USA Monday night prime time viewers. Paramount believes this will further the partnership and enhance the viewing experience for all participants.

Changes that didn't kill anyone, and made perfect sense once implemented.

Decimal currency

Weekend work

 Women getting the vote.

Twilight Grand Final.

 

Can't understand why anyone has a problem with this.

56 minutes ago, Skuit said:

#metoo. Did BBO get to you too? 

I previously cared about the mid-afternoon GF tradition but have been worn down over the years. But keep the centre bounce please - that's one of the traditional things that makes our game unique. The time-slot for our grand final not as much. 

 

bbo? he couldn't wear down an old pair of rubber thongs on a treadmill 🤣

3 hours ago, Fat Tony said:

I favour a twilight/night grand final. The entertainment and fireworks will be spectacular.

Sorry - only entertainment I want is Kossie lighting up the G and Goodwin’s speech. 
 

If I want music and crackers, there’s Moomba

49 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Why is it inevitable?

I sound defeatist don’t I?  Put very simply, I just feel that money talks and it is very hard not to think that what we have right now is a form of professional entertainment that tv : multi media interests have an enormous say in.   Football comes second (as do supporters)…… unfortunately 

A neutral watcher whether it be at the ground or on tv probably wouldnt care what time the GF is on. A supporter of a team in it does.

I was nervous wreck last gf day.Im sure we were all. a twilight match will become a night match . If I cant get tickets to this years gf and were in it I wont be having a bbq  at lunch time. i want to have the game start at 2.30 pm .