An MCG grand final at twilight?

COULD this year’s AFL grand final at the MCG be a twilight fixture?

Melbourne great and SEN Breakfast co-host, Garry Lyon, is hearing the timeslot for the 2022 premiership decider is yet to be decided and that a late afternoon start is looming as a real possibility.

The 2020 and 2021 grand finals in Brisbane and Perth were night and twilight fixtures respectively, with last year’s showpiece between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium attracting the highest average TV audience since the 2016 grand final.

“Maybe his [Gillon McLachlan’s] legacy, and this is what I’m hearing, that this AFL grand final is not locked in as a 2.30 and maybe on the way out there might be a twilight grand final,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.

“A 4.30ish start for the AFL like last year.

“They may say that it’s not forever, they may say the maximisation of crowds and giving people the opportunity [is more important]. That hasn’t been ruled out is my understanding.

“This game across my desk and I haven’t made all the calls I need to make, but I think it’s on the agenda, it hasn’t been ruled out and I think it’s a very big chance.”

A decision on the start time for this year’s grand final is expected to be decided at the AFL’s next commission meeting in May, according to Channel 7 AFL reporter Mitch Cleary.

“It’s usually locked in by now. They usually do it before Round 1 or they have at least over the last two or three seasons,” Cleary said on SEN Breakfast.

“I’m on Garry’s line of thinking that it’s taking a little bit longer, it’s something they’re deliberating.

“In terms of the timeline, the AFL and the executive, headed up by Gillon of course and Kylie Rogers as head of commercial, will have a big part to play in this.

“They’ll put a submission to the commission, I expect that to be a big part in the next commission meeting in May, I think we’ll get an answer in the next few weeks.

“In saying that, I reckon this is as stronger a chance as we’ve had of making it a twilight grand final.

“I think what we’ve seen in Brisbane and Perth over the last couple of seasons has really opened the AFL’s eyes to it.”

– BY ALEX ZAIA/ SEN