Twilight AFL grand final being considered for 2028, reporter says
Sports reporter Xander McGuire puts the likelihood of a later start at 80%, while saying the 2027 decider will remain at 2.30pm.
A 5.15pm start for the 2028 AFL grand final is among fixture changes being considered ahead of the Tasmania Devils joining the competition, sports reporter Xander McGuire said on The Breakers podcast.
McGuire said senior AFL figures had indicated they wanted to overhaul aspects of the fixture when the Devils entered. He put his confidence in a twilight grand final at 80 per cent, rather than describing it as a confirmed decision. He said the 2027 match would retain the traditional 2.30pm AEST start.
According to McGuire, the AFL viewed preliminary finals starting at 5.15pm as successful. He said league officials saw that timing as a way to preserve some tradition while allowing entertainment to take place after dark.
The AFL grand final attracted a national total TV audience of 4.52 million, with a reach of 6.5 million, making it the year's most-watched TV program. The NRL decider, played on Sunday night, drew 4.29 million viewers and reached 6.05 million. Online responses to a possible AFL timeslot change included both opposition and support.
