Jeff Kennett says the AFL Grand Final twilight debate will indicate whether the league values public opinion

As the AFL continues to move toward a twilight grand final, Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett says the issue is a true test of whether the league cares about public opinion.

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett says twilight footy games are “hopeless” and against the wishes of most fans.

Kennett, also a Seven West Media board member, said he had “no idea” why AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder continued to advocate for a twilight premiership decider.

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Saturday’s Collingwood-Greater Western Sydney preliminary final, kicking off at 4.35pm, is seen by some as a softening up for a 2020 twilight Grand Final.

“I don’t like twilights. I think they’re hopeless and it makes the day too long,” Kennett told the Herald Sun.

“Why is the AFL going against the vast majority of public opinion? I think they’ve got to listen to their audience. The customer should always be their No. 1 consideration.”

Goyder this month doubled down on his bid for a twilight Grand Final, claiming: “Our media partners are pretty strongly supportive as well.”

But asked whether Channel 7 was pushing for a twilight Grand Final, Kennett said: “I honestly do not know.

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“I have no idea what has driven this, but what invariably happens is that they (the AFL) blame the broadcaster for any change that seems to be unpopular.

“It may be something that is driven by the (Seven) executive and that the board is not consulted on, I don’t know.”

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Kennett said a traditional 2.30pm bounce on Grand Final day was more family-friendly.

“If you have a twilight game the celebrations or commiserations or functions afterwards are going to end that much later, and that’s probably only going to lead, sadly in some cases, to more people having too much to drink, too much at risk,” he said.

“And then we’ll all be saying afterwards, ‘Well why did we do it? Couldn’t we have avoided this?’

“We have a social responsibility as well.

There has been a continued push for a twilight Grand Final at the MCG.

“We want to retain some semblance of it being family, so the later they push it back the more they restrict that opportunity.

“Mind you, nothing the AFL does without consultation surprises me anymore.”

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has described the move to a twilight decider as “inevitable”.

An overwhelming 76 per cent of AFL fans insisted on a day Grand Final in this year’s Herald Sun Footy Fans Survey.

Goyder said this month: “To be clear I’d love a twilight Grand Final, I think it would be sensational to attend and, importantly, the television coverage I think would be incredible.

“We certainly weren’t ready this year but before my time is up hopefully we’ll give it a go — so there you go.”