Melburnians love sport in general, but it’s football that’s in our blood, whether we’re one of 100,000 people packed into the MCG grandstands on grand final day, on the grass banks in the bush or in the burbs supporting the game’s grassroots.
Aussie Rules football is Australia’s biggest and most prominent sport, and the AFL grand final is the pinnacle of our great game. That said, the great thing isn’t just reaching that day in September; it’s winning footy’s ultimate prize: the flag and the AFL premiership cup.
All of the 121 VFL/AFL grand finals played over 117 years have been played during a daytime timeslot, but that tradition appears to be on the outer, with particular pressure from broadcasters, sponsors and the entertainment factor driving the campaign for a twilight or night match.
I love footy. I am a passionate member of the Gold Coast Suns and love everything about our great game, from the big time in the AFL to the grassroots that I have been part of for more than a decade as a player and, more recently, as a coach.
Changing the grand final to a night match will have a disastrous effect on our game at both the AFL and the grassroots level, and the AFL should never forget that the supporters at the grassroots make up our great game.
I oppose and would hate a move for the grand final to finish in the evening. It doesn’t sit right with me. But what are my reasons? Why am I so against a trial of night-time grand final?
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
The Herald Sun and the AFL Players Association run a players survey annually, and this year they asked, “What is your preferred AFL grand final timeslot?”.
The result was that 75 per cent of players supported the grand final remaining in the current afternoon timeslot, the same figure returned by the 2017 survey. Only 22 per cent preferred a twilight grand final, and three per cent wanted a night-time match.
The AFL needs to take this opposition into account when considering a change to the grand final starting time.
The same thing goes for the AFL State of Origin – if the players want something, the AFL should listen. It would make the players happier, which would then result in them being more willing to promote the game as ambassadors for the AFL.
In 2016, when the Western Bulldogs broke their premiership drought, stand-in skipper Easton Wood said that he wants the grand final to remain during the day because it’s what all players grew up with and it has a sense of tradition attached to it. If the majority of the players want it to happen, that’s something the AFL should think about before making major decisions that will have significant impacts on the game.
The AFL should also consider the effects of grassroots football. Local clubs and supporters will be disadvantaged by a night-time grand final because many host functions during the day. They’re real family affairs, but they wouldn’t be able to hold those picnics and lunches if the big dance were to start at night.
The AFL mustn’t forget kids, either, who love footy. I have experienced this firsthand through coaching football. They want to watch the biggest game of the season, and it would be a shame if they had to miss even part of it because it finished late in the evening.
(Alexander Sheko/Wikimedia Commons)
Tradition is a key reason for the grand final to stay as it is. Every first and second-tier grand final has been played during the day in the history of the AFL, including the AFL, AFLW, VFL, VFLW, WAFL, SANFL, NEAFL, TSL et cetera.
As Easton Wood said in regard to the players survey, “Players have grown up with the traditional timeslot and there’s certainly an element of nostalgia attached to a warm September day and a red Sherrin,” and though he added that players would obviously be happy to play in the grand final regardless, that tradition shouldn’t be discounted.
The AFL is made for the daytime. It just feels awesome when the sun shining down across the MCG and that red footy, the style used from the first-ever VFL game, is bounced by the umpire to officially open the match. It gives everyone goosebumps.
Football is played with a better and grander quality during the day. I have seen this firsthand this year with the Gold Coast Suns. We play lots of twilight and night games, and when the dew sets in, the footy is bad to watch. The grand final is broadcast into many countries around the globe, and we should be showcasing the best of our game, but players fumbling the ball sells our game badly.
The AFL grand final is a full day. It starts early in the morning with the North Melbourne grand final breakfast, continues with pre-match activities and events around and inside the MCG, and then the grand final kicks off at 2:30pm every year. The presentations are finished by 6pm, and then the premiers return to the stage for the premiership party held inside the MCG, a free event for all supporters to celebrate the victory and a wonderful season.
I’m a proud fan, a member of the Gold Coast Suns and a supporter of the ongoing and lasting legacy football has made to our wonderful nation. I love Australia, and we have such a proud sporting history – and I would hate for this to be tarnished by moving the AFL grand final into the night-time despite its traditions.
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