Bombers set to be kicked off prime time footy in 2026
Essendon’s prominence in prime time has left plenty of footy fans frustrated, but CEO Craig Vozzo is adamant they’re not to blame for the poor crowds and games on Thursday and Friday nights.
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Essendon will lobby the AFL for less Thursday night games next year given a strong negative response from its fan base – although the club’s miserable late-season performance might be enough for an off-Broadway 2026 fixture.
The AFL is likely to hand Essendon a final Thursday night clash in round 24 leading into their Wednesday night clash against Gold Coast to finish their season.
The AFL is still several weeks from locking in that round 24 floating fixture but there is a chance of a Thursday night double-header with Port Adelaide hosting the Suns and Carlton taking on Essendon.
It will be Ken Hinkley’s farewell clash and it would also provide the Suns and Essendon a six-day break leading into the season’s final home-and-away games.
Then the league could schedule a blockbuster Friday night clash like Brisbane-Hawthorn after a series of diabolical Friday night clashes including the Bulldogs-Essendon.
That game was a ratings disaster for Channel 7, who have always been keen to see Essendon, Carlton and Collingwood in healthy doses in prime time slots.
The league told the Herald Sun this week Thursday night football was here to stay and had averaged more than 40,000 attendees this year.
Thursday nights have averaged 1.06m viewers to date this year – up one per cent on 2024 – while attendances are four per cent lower than last year’s average of 42,000.
Essendon will finish the year having played 14 games on a Thursday or Friday this season, but even with an improved injury list the AFL will have to sideline them next year after this year’s prime time failures.
Essendon has had four Thursday clashes and while the club’s attendances have held up overall, the GWS clash drew 20,347 fans, the Roos clash had 35,435 spectators and the Port Adelaide game drew only 25,114.
Friday’s clash against the Dogs drew 29,367 fans, with CEO Craig Vozzo making clear in the pre-match that the fans were upset about what will likely end up being four Thursday home clashes and five in total.
Three of those Thursday clashes have required Essendon to play off a five-day break.
When the AFL locked in its round 16-23 fixture in mid-May the Dons were competitive but have never been higher than ninth on the ladder this year.
“The Thursday nights have been tough on our club. We have a resilient membership and we have still had an average of 50-odd thousand to our games which is the third highest in the competition,” Vozzo said.
“Our members have made it really clear to us, particularly those with young family and our country members (they don’t like so many Thursdays).
“It’s been tough. It’s not a request we made. Having less for us would be great. I am not sure what the AFL has got planned across the whole competition.”
The AFL believes the Thursday night clashes have been a ratings success, with the non-competitive nature of this season handcuffing the league as it tries to find two prime time clashes and quality games for Fox Footy’s Super Saturday.
Originally published as Bombers set to be kicked off prime time footy in 2026
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