AFL stars push for earlier start to Friday night matches than current 7.50pm timeslot

AFL stars have raised earlier start times for Friday night games and greater media access as key ideas to grow the AFL’s brand and revenue pool. HAVE YOUR SAY

The lights go on during a game between Richmond and GWS at the MCG. Picture: Tim Carrafa.

AFL stars have raised earlier start times for Friday night games and greater media access as key ideas to grow the AFL’s brand and revenue pool.

Some of the AFL’s stars have raised the current 7.50pm start time with the player union during summer club visits, believing it is too late for kids to watch games.

Melbourne co-captain Jack Viney recently raised the issue publicly, with the 7.50pm start time for Friday nights later than the 7.20pm Thursday night kick-off for Melbourne games.

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Player union chief Paul Marsh said players continued to throw up ideas to grow the game rather than sit back and just take a cut of the spoils.

The union’s preparedness for greater media access during the last collective bargaining agreement has come to nothing despite a desire from players to be more open.

The roadblock is often restrictive coaches paranoid about players sharing intellectual property and knocking back media requests.

But Marsh told the Herald Sun everything was on the table from AFL players keen to innovate and grow the game.

“We had a good conversation with players in the recent round of club visits around broadcast. (An earlier start time) has come up,” he said.

“We have got to keep innovating and making sure we are relevant. A number of the players talked about an earlier start. I think if you want kids to watch 7.50pm is a fairly late start.

“There are no doubt issues on Friday night because of work but it’s a good conversation to have. Just because we have done it that way doesn’t mean we have to keep doing it.

“It’s not a player issue, it’s about getting eyeballs watching the game. We have bought into that and we want the game to be as strong as it possibly can be.”

The lights go on during a game between Richmond and GWS at the MCG. Picture: Tim Carrafa.

The AFL’s Thursday night clashes clearly outrated Friday nights last year — often with an earlier starting time.

The AFL secured another massive windfall from its 2017-2022 TV rights deal worth $1.25 billion but across world sport there are concerns that the automatic increases of previous decade might be slowing.

AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield recently called on the league to be more open with media access, saying players were stakeholders.

Marsh believes players are on board for that change.

“This is something we put on the table at the CBA talks and we haven’t made any significant change there.

“Players won’t just open themselves up if it puts them at odds with their club but if the clubs and AFL want this, the players completely endorse it.

“We take our partnership with the game seriously and we want it to keep growing. There is enough evidence the players would buy into not necessarily everything but good ideas that would grow interest in the game.”