{"id":889022,"date":"2026-09-12T05:54:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T05:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/889022\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T05:54:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T05:54:22","slug":"afls-controversial-call-vindicated-by-nfls-down-under-showcase-afl-grand-final-start-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/889022\/","title":{"rendered":"AFL\u2019s controversial call vindicated by NFL\u2019s Down Under showcase, AFL grand final start time"},"content":{"rendered":"

The AFL continues to face pressure to move its Grand Final to a night slot, but the league\u2019s decision to hold firm was vindicated after an incredible turnout and atmosphere for the 49ers and the Rams clash on Friday morning. <\/p>\n

The AFL tested night grand finals when it moved from the MCG to Brisbane (2020) and Perth (2021) during Covid lockdowns.<\/p>\n

And the expectation is it will soon move to a 3.20pm or later start to appease broadcasters and generate overseas interest.<\/p>\n

That is despite the fact that last year\u2019s AFL Fan\u2019s Association survey found approximately 82 per cent of supporters preferred a 2.30pm Grand Final start time.<\/p>\n

\"Patriots<\/p>\n

A later timeslot also would allow for the AFL to change to a halftime show under lights, something becoming increasingly popular. <\/p>\n

But in the face of the added pressure of the 2025 NRL Grand Final being the highest-rated TV program of 2025, usurping the AFL Grand Final for the first time in a decade, the AFL held firm, confirming the 2.30pm slot will remain for the 2026 and 2027 showpiece events.<\/p>\n

And after more than 100,000 people packed into the MCG for the NFL\u2019s first foray into Australia, one could definitely argue a day final is still where it\u2019s at.<\/p>\n

Despite the one-sided match, the day game allowed for free-flowing football, and it had the footy world saying that the AFL\u2019s decision to hold firm was vindicated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s one thing for sure the #NFL confirms, is that the @AFL grand final should always be a day timeslot!\u201d AFL Podcast The Glass Table said on X.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jonas Brothers just killed it in beautiful daylight sunshine. You can shut up about the AFL going to a night grand final now,\u201d Bryan Barish commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe the AFL has it wrong with an arvo grand final? 10:30am start next year? #NFL,\u201d popular AFL fan account Warnie wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow good would a 10.30am AFL grand final be,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other thing this demonstrated is why the @AFL Grand Final should remain in the day time,\u201d a fifth commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis NFL game looking glorious in the sun with all the show that\u2019s come with it is not helping the night time AFL Grand Final push,\u201d another added.<\/p>\n

The start time of the 2028 Grand Final will be reviewed at a later date, as part of a broader assessment of scheduling required to accommodate AFL newcomer Tasmania, the league\u2019s 19th team.<\/p>\n

Originally published as AFL\u2019s controversial call vindicated by NFL\u2019s Down Under showcase<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The AFL continues to face pressure to move its Grand Final to a night slot, but the league\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":889023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[458609,458594,458583,458618,382106,458589,458580,325639,458608,47025,256328,4891,458592,458596,458622,458591,458616,458610,378346,458588,383979,458603,458604,458576,458598,458586,458623,638,458577,458624,458612,458578,458605,458614,458582,64,63,55,639,458595,651,249411,458615,20971,32092,458620,58430,317293,39598,55675,458613,458621,45755,22549,304344,155207,593,458599,388615,458587,6622,46,458602,1655,79682,458590,132384,85,109384,458579,458593,458601,458611,225351,458617,379302,458581,458607,458597,458619,384793,379398,376549,400740,458585,109479,280721,403687,41710,458625,458575,458606,458600,288,458584],"class_list":["post-889022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-s-19th-team","tag-s-afl-fan","tag-s-association-survey","tag-s-controversial-call","tag-s-decision","tag-s-first-foray","tag-s-nfl-showcase","tag-000-people","tag-458608","tag-47025","tag-256328","tag-4891","tag-a-10-30am-afl-grand-final","tag-a-2-30pm-grand-final-start-time-a-massive-brawl","tag-a-3-20pm","tag-a-broader-assessment","tag-a-day-final","tag-a-day-timeslot","tag-a-decade","tag-a-divisive-issue","tag-a-fifth","tag-a-halftime-show","tag-a-later-date","tag-a-night-grand-final","tag-a-night-slot","tag-a-patriots-fan","tag-about-a-dozen-seattle-fans","tag-afl","tag-afl-newcomer-tasmania","tag-afl-podcast-the-glass-table","tag-all-the-show","tag-an-arvo-grand-final","tag-an-incredible-turnout-and-atmosphere","tag-another-added-the-start-time","tag-approximately-82","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-beautiful-daylight-sunshine","tag-brisbane","tag-broadcasters","tag-bryan-barish","tag-call","tag-cent","tag-covid-lockdowns-and","tag-firm","tag-free-flowing-football","tag-friday","tag-friday-morning","tag-its-grand-final","tag-its-guns","tag-last-year","tag-lights","tag-more-than-100","tag-next-year","tag-nfl","tag-night-grand-finals","tag-one-thing","tag-overseas-interest-that","tag-part","tag-perth","tag-popular-afl-fan-account-warnie","tag-pressure","tag-scheduling","tag-security-a-later-timeslot","tag-showcase","tag-sports","tag-supporters","tag-the-2-30pm-slot","tag-the-2025-nrl-grand-final","tag-the-2026-and-2027-showpiece-events-and","tag-the-2028-grand-final","tag-the-49ers","tag-the-added-pressure","tag-the-afl","tag-the-afl-grand-final","tag-the-day-game","tag-the-day-time","tag-the-expectation","tag-the-face","tag-the-fact","tag-the-first-time","tag-the-footy-world","tag-the-highest-rated-tv-program","tag-the-jonas-brothers","tag-the-league","tag-the-mcg","tag-the-nfl","tag-the-night-time-afl-grand-final-push","tag-the-one-sided-match","tag-the-other-thing","tag-the-rams-clash","tag-the-sun","tag-this-nfl-game"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=889022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/889023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=889022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=889022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=889022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}