What is "shaping as the biggest year" in Australian Football League history "may be topped off next week when the AFL Commission is likely to discuss a night grand final," according to Greg Denham of THE AUSTRALIAN. The AFL's "groundbreaking" '17 fixture could include for the first time "a twilight timeslot or an even later grand final start." The AFL said that it will make a decision on the timing of this year's grand final before the season starts, and "many believe the time is right to break with tradition and play the decider under lights." Just as the commission has waited until this year to introduce a Good Friday game, "there is a feeling within the sport that the public is ready for a time-shift on the final Saturday in September." If the commission agrees on the change, the premiership decider could start at least two-and-a-half hours later than usual. Commissioners have been in negotiations with major stakeholders, including broadcaster Seven Network, which is entering the first season of a six-year, A$2.5B ($1.9B) rights deal. Speaking last October at the launch of this year's program, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said that a final decision on the grand final time slot would be announced "early this year," before the March 23 start to the premiership season. Of the Western Bulldogs' win over the Sydney Swans, McLachlan said, "It's difficult to think of getting a better grand final than the one we had this year, it's fair to say some people ask: 'How do you improve on that?'" The league acknowledged that the grand final "has been one of the very few, if not the only major team sporting event," still played during daylight hours, but hinted last year that "there's a chance it could change" in '17. The AFL also said that its decision "would not be swayed by the guaranteed boost to television ratings that an evening grand final would attract." However, it "conceded a twilight or night final would provide a better overall spectacle" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/31).
