Updated ,first published
The AFL grand final will be played during the day for the next two years after the league found there was “no compelling case” for immediate change.
In a statement released on Sunday, the league announced the start time of the 2026 and 2027 season deciders would stay at 2.30pm AEST, but it could change in 2028 when the Tasmania Devils are due to enter the competition.
Discussions about the grand final start time were held following the recent appointment of new AFL Commission chairman Craig Drummond, and some in the competition and broadcasting industry hoped a night grand final would increase the television audience.
The twilight time slot, which was used for the 2021 grand final in Perth – a nighttime start for viewers in the eastern states – has long been regarded as the league’s preferred option to move away from the afternoon, partly because of the time needed for presentations and post-game festivities. The 2020 and 2021 grand finals were played away from the MCG as Victoria was in COVID lockdowns at the time.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the grand final’s start time would be reviewed in two years, but that making the announcement for the next two seasons now was a way to provide certainty for fans.
“When we make the decisions, all of our decisions, we’re putting them through the focus of what’s best for the footy, what’s best for the fans, and what’s best for the competition, and so as we sit here now, 2026 and 2027, we made the call, and I think it’s great. Traditional timeslot, and you look at a day like today – how great,” he said.
He said the decision hadn’t been fast-tracked.
“It was more about that in 2028, we will have the 19th team, so we’ll have a fixture structure that is different, so there will be a lot of planning going into the entry of Tasmania and how the season structure is going to work, and grand final time might be part of that.
“Lock it in for 2.30pm [in 2026 and ’27], just to give that certainty the fans have been looking for.”
This year’s grand final is due to be played at the MCG on Saturday, September 26.
Drummond said it was “important to provide fans and clubs with certainty” for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
But he did not rule out change in the future.
“We are very focused, as we said, on the fans, on the footy, the quality of the footy product, but not saying that in the future, we wouldn’t look to reassess. But in this point of time, we think it’s really important to give our stakeholders certainty, and that’s why two years, we think, makes eminently good sense.”
Premier Jacinta Allan declined to offer an opinion on the timing of the match, instead talking up the government’s support in securing an NFL regular season game this September at the MCG.
“It doesn’t matter what time of the day the AFL grand final is, it’s always a cracking event that can only be done here in Melbourne and Victoria at the fabulous MCG,” she said.
AFL Fans Association president Ron Issko said supporters had been heard.
“For generations, a 2.30pm grand final has brought people together – not just for the match itself, but for the shared experience around it. Families and friends can gather for a lunch or barbecue, enjoy the game, and still have time afterwards to celebrate or commiserate without it becoming too late for kids,” he said.
“Grand final day is about more than just the match – it’s a uniquely shared experience, and the traditional time slot plays a vital role in that.”
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