It's the tradition we've come to know, and somewhat love. But the afternoon Grand Final may have seen better days, with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon not exactly confirming that it's here to stay in years to come.
The AFL have only been confirming the time slot on an annual basis, refusing to make a decision too far in advance. The time slot for this year's Grand Final was only officially announced in June.
The AFL Fans Association have often campaigned for the current time slot to remain in place, although media and broadcasters alike have been pushing for a later start time, in a bid for increased viewership.
When asked about future Grand Finals, Dillon told The Agenda Setters he was impressed by Saturday's twilight final.
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"The day Grand Finals have served us well. But I must say, the two prelims we had on the weekend were just incredible. To get nearly 200,000 people at the 'G on that Friday and Saturday twilight was incredible," he said Tuesday night.
"We look at it each year. I think there are people pushing it, but there [are] a lot of traditionalists who love that day Grand Final as well.
"I've always loved the twilight spot. I think the Saturday twilights [and] the Sunday twilight games are great... but I think it's always a balance of that tradition and progression."
The afternoon slot has been the traditional start time for previous Grand Finals, except in the COVID-affected years of 2020 and 2021, where both deciders commenced at night.