AFL 2023: Grand Final start time to be decided mid-May as Andrew Dillon gives strong hint
Newly appointed chief executive Andrew Dillon has made an indication on when he would like the grand final to be held.
AFL
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New AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has given the strongest hint he is in favour of a day Grand Final ahead of an AFL Commission decision in coming weeks.
The seven-person commission has waited until its mid-May meeting to decide whether to retain its 2022 day timeslot or commit to a later twilight timeslot amid.
The grand final’s official broadcaster Seven has strongly lobbied the league to maximise ratings with a timeslot that would be several hours later than the customary 2.30pm timeslot.
The league’s executive have prepared a submission for the league which would help them decide upon whether to retain tradition or maximise ratings.
Tuesday’s AFL commission meeting will not deal with the Grand Final start date as it is exclusively focused on the ratification of Tasmania.
But a scheduled mid-May commission meeting will see the league make its decision for the September grand final start date.
Dillon now becomes part of the AFL Commission as its AFL chief executive and when asked about the timeslot on Monday raved about last year’s contest which was played in broad daylight.
“I went to my first grand final in 1976. I‘ve been to two drawn grand finals. I’ve been to a grand final at Waverley. And I was fortunate enough over the last three years to go to a grand final at the Gabba which was at night. I went to one at Optus Stadium that was a twilight Grand Final. And then last year was back at the MCG for a day grand final. They’ve all been amazing. I haven’t been to a bad Grand Final. But last year’s grand final was really good …”
Speaking in March current AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said of the 2023 timeslot that “as someone who is a traditionalist … I have noticed just out there that people are a bit more receptive to having a look at something else.”
The ratings for last year’s game were nearly one million viewers fewer than the 2020 and 2021 contests with later start times but the one-sided nature of the Geelong-Sydney clash makes comparison more challenging.
The league has repeatedly conditioned the football market in recent years for later start times but apart from the Covid-affected 2020 and 2021 grand finals away from the MCG has always retained the traditional timeslot.
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