AFL Daily: Live rolling footy news from around Australia for April 27, 2018

THE AFL Commission debated the Grand Final start time vigorously before coming to its decision but flag-winning coach Paul Roos says the spectacle is just fine during the day. RECAP ALL THE DAY’S NEWS

PREMIERSHIP coach Luke Beveridge has applauded the AFL’s decision to retain a 2.30pm start time this year despite the push for a twilight kick-off.

The AFL Commission debated the start time vigorously but eventually decided the push for change was not strong enough. It means the AFL Grand Final’s start time has now become an annual guessing game, after three years of the league teasing a later start. MATTHEW LLOYD: CATS NO LONGER A THREE-MAN TEAM TIGER TALE: HOW BLUES MISSED OUT ON LAMBERT LOOK OUT: BIG SAV IS A CAT ON A MISSION AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan admitted a longer halftime — up to 29 minutes to allow a star act to perform — was a strong factor in retaining tradition. The AFL is in only the second year of its six-year TV deal, with McLachlan admitting again it was inevitable the time would one day come for change. Beveridge’s Dogs won the 2016 Grand Final but he said having to wait for nearly 30 minutes at halftime would be a concern for a coach on Grand Final day. “The teams playing on the day, if they need extra time for a halftime break that does put you off. I’d rather it stayed the same, I’m a bit old school in that way,” Beveridge said. Collingwood boss Eddie McGuire has long pushed a twilight start, believing it would add to the spectacle and massively boost ratings in northern markets. But McLachlan said the commission had made the decision after debate at Friday’s Perth commission meeting. “Going into the meeting, I thought the decision could have gone either way. But on balance, everyone was really comfortable to keep it where it was,’’ he said. “We’ll just review it each year. I’ve been open enough to say there’s merit in changing … but to do it you’d have to be comfortable that everything was right. “There’s a lot of things into that – whether the entertainment’s right, the high performance aspect ... half time would have to be a bit longer, making sure that was executed right. “On balance, we’re comfortable keeping it where it is.” Premiership coach Paul Roos said the AFL should never change its starting time. “I think leave it alone forever. I went to the Super Bowl and the game was incidental to the entertainment,’’ Roos said on Fox Footy, “I get sick of hearing about the entertainment. In terms of the spectacle, people go to watch the Grand Final. “At the Super Bowl people go to watch the event.” But Collingwood president Eddie McGuire remains adamant a twilight Grand Final would reach more people who are not regular AFL viewers. “Every big event is on at night. My only people is we need to make the Grand Final the biggest show on Australian television by a mile. “Let’s put it on at a time when people are watching it on the northern markets.” Asked why it was being postponed as a trial, he said McLachlan would want a huge international act. “Gill doesn’t want to limp into it. He would want to put on the Rolling Stones, not someone from Australian survivor or wherever.” McLachlan denied the AFL had kept its constituents waiting too long by announcing the decision in mid-April. “We wouldn’t be waiting this long if we didn’t think it was fair and appropriate,” he said. “People know what day it is. It’s normally a full day for everyone and as long as there’s enough time to get all the logistics ... March/April is plenty of time.” The AFL has always said it will not monetise the Grand Final by asking host broadcaster Seven for more money for a time slot that draws more prime time viewers. But there is a view if the AFL trials a twilight Grand Final later in its broadcast deal it will be a valuable lure for its next broadcast deal. Seven boss Tim Worner in 2015 joked civilisation was not going to collapse by adding a few minutes to half time. “There is no way you are not going to get a much better result,” he said. “Not just a great deal, more tension and a much bigger audience, but a far better looking spectacle minus the shadows and the seagulls.” Media analysts have long believed the AFL could expose another million people in northern states to the Grand Final with a twilight or night contest. LIVE stream every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week trial & start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW >

Originally published as AFL Daily: Live rolling footy news from around Australia for April 27, 2018

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