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The first ball-up of this year’s AFL grand final will stay at 2.30pm AEST, along with the 2027 premiership decider, after the league found there was “no compelling case” for immediate change.
Discussions about the grand final’s 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 television audience numbers.
A statement released by the AFL on Sunday said while views were mixed on when the game should start, there is “no compelling case for change now”.
Drummond said it was “important to provide fans and clubs with certainty” for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
“Everyone who loves footy has a view on the right start time for our biggest game of the year, and for at least the next two seasons it will remain in its traditional afternoon timeslot at the MCG,” he said.
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, when the Tasmania Devils are due to enter the competition.
“We are already undertaking significant work on Tasmania entering the AFL in 2028, so it makes sense to lock in the grand final start time for the next two seasons and provide everyone with clarity,” Dillon said.
