Eddie McGuire is of the opinion that the AFL has erred by not moving the grand final’s start time to a twilight or night slot.
The league has confirmed that the annual decider will continue to kick off at 2.30pm for both 2026 and 2027.
This announcement comes despite rampant speculation about a potential shift to a twilight game this year, especially to align with Kylie Minogue’s performance during the match.
Ultimately, the decision was made to retain this year’s 2.30pm start time, as well as for 2027, a choice that many fans embraced, largely due to their preference for maintaining tradition.
AFL historian Rhett Bartlett, son of Richmond icon Kevin Bartlett, reflected this sentiment on social media. Yet, McGuire stands firmly against this view, arguing that the AFL has made an unwise decision.
His rationale lies in the belief that a night match would generate higher ratings and draw a larger audience, particularly in Sydney and Brisbane.
Notably, the NRL grand final, held at night, outperformed the AFL’s in 2025, marking a first in a decade.
McGuire feels that the AFL has not taken adequate steps to reclaim that audience, particularly in light of some questionable scheduling choices that have allowed the NRL to secure early ratings victories this year.
“They (the AFL) have bungled the fixture this year, and the aim should be to grow the game in New South Wales and Queensland,” the former Collingwood president shared on Nine’s Footy Classified.
“There’s a chance we could see Brisbane and Gold Coast face off in the grand final, but the reality in Queensland and New South Wales is that football on a Saturday afternoon just doesn’t attract viewers.”
“They’ve chosen to schedule their main game on a Saturday afternoon merely to please the fans after messing up the fixture at the beginning of the season.”
“While I wouldn’t mind if it were on at 2pm, I am genuinely troubled by how this decision came about.”
“It’s a decision driven by popularity. The AFL Commission’s role is to make sound decisions, not solely ones that are popular.”
A snapshot of the 2025 AFL grand final. via Getty Images
Seasoned commentator Gerard Whateley echoed similar sentiments, asserting that the AFL is inadvertently aiding the NRL in surpassing its ratings.
“What elevates the stakes is the fact that the NRL grand final managed to outshine the AFL grand final—an unusual occurrence last year,” Whateley stated on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“The AFL’s perspective may be that both a Brisbane and a Melbourne team participated in the NRL grand final, with Sydney as the primary market.”
“Had the AFL chosen to move last year’s grand final to twilight, it could have outpaced the NRL grand final at a certain point.”
“Sticking to an afternoon start makes it competitive, and should the AFL lose the ratings war to the NRL grand final for the next two years, it will be a significant misstep.”
“This should be of concern to the AFL, as well as to Channel Seven. At the close of the year, the aim is to secure the top television program, an accolade the AFL has held for a long time, but currently does not.”
“After examining the eight primetime matches aired on free-to-air, the NRL has now outshone the AFL by five to three. This marks a battle we haven’t seen before, and I believe many have overlooked its importance.”
Melbourne legend Garry Lyon also weighed in, suggesting that the AFL hasn’t made it any easier for itself by scheduling weaker teams for primetime slots at the season’s outset.
This trend is set to continue, with Carlton slated to appear twice in three weeks on Thursday or Friday nights, and Richmond taking a turn in round seven.
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