Grand Final Start Time

[NFC]

I know they've got 3 games to play on the one day, but something has to be done about the start time. IMO 3:10 is far, far too late and it really affects the crowd. Throughout the season the games start at 2:00 and 2:30 and these times are ideal. Now as for the Grand Final, there’s no way it should continued to be played at such a late time.

If the game is looming as a blow-out, a lot of people simply choose to leave because it’s starting to get cold and reasonably late. Don’t give them a choice! If you start the game earlier there’s no reason for people to leave, but by starting the game at 3:10 you’re giving people a reason.

As for the crowd today, I was disappointed. Just over 30k which was the benchmark, but there really should have been 35k today. Hard to see the crowd ever getting above this mark until the Dogs are not involved.

[Mr66]

Does the SANFL allow for extra time in the U19 & ressies GFs?
If they do, this might be the cause of the late start.

[stampy]

i reckon you are right '66 but start the other 2 games accordingly and start the main game at 2.30 at the latest

[saintal]

Well written NFC.

It was the first GF i've attended and i was thinking the same thing.

[cd]

There is no extra time in any grand final - if drawn replayed later.

[eaglehaslanded]

The GF must be moved to saturday at 2pm. There's no reason for the game to be on Sunday given the fact the AFL is finished the week before and it would also give all clubs supporters to get back to their respective clubs and celebrate or comiserate whatever it be without any concern of having to work the next day.

[spell_check]

The GF must be moved to saturday at 2pm. There's no reason for the game to be on Sunday given the fact the AFL is finished the week before and it would also give all clubs supporters to get back to their respective clubs and celebrate or comiserate whatever it be without any concern of having to work the next day.

The reason I think it was moved to Sunday in the first place was because of the one sided Grand Finals that went before it - i.e. the Preliminary was on Sunday, the Grand Final on the Saturday. 1993 was the last Saturday Grand Final. But surely it can't be hard to make the Prelminary on the Friday Night, and the Grand Final on the Saturday?

[smac]

Roughly 5 of 7 GF's are on a long weekend, giving a public holiday monday to follow. Leave it as it is.

I've got 2 days annual leave to follow tonight...

[bulldog pommy]

I know they've got 3 games to play on the one day, but something has to be done about the start time. IMO 3:10 is far, far too late and it really affects the crowd. Throughout the season the games start at 2:00 and 2:30 and these times are ideal. Now as for the Grand Final, there’s no way it should continued to be played at such a late time.

If the game is looming as a blow-out, a lot of people simply choose to leave because it’s starting to get cold and reasonably late. Don’t give them a choice! If you start the game earlier there’s no reason for people to leave, but by starting the game at 3:10 you’re giving people a reason.

As for the crowd today, I was disappointed. Just over 30k which was the benchmark, but there really should have been 35k today. Hard to see the crowd ever getting above this mark until the Dogs are not involved.

How can this be attributed to the dogs playing??

I agree should have been 35k but it was up 5k on last year.

Do you think it would reach 30k if the Eagles were playing North?

[NFC]

Do you think it would reach 30k if the Eagles were playing North?

No.

I'm not bagging the Dogs, it's just that them constantly making the GF hinders the attendance of neutral fans.

[StrayDog]

Fair to say that competing with Bathurst is no way to maximise neutral supporter attendance either.

[Brucetiki]

What I found silly was the use of the yellow ball yet the lights went on 25 minutes into the last quarter and even so they weren't at full capacity.

[FlyingHigh]

I know they've got 3 games to play on the one day, but something has to be done about the start time. IMO 3:10 is far, far too late and it really affects the crowd. Throughout the season the games start at 2:00 and 2:30 and these times are ideal. Now as for the Grand Final, there’s no way it should continued to be played at such a late time.

If the game is looming as a blow-out, a lot of people simply choose to leave because it’s starting to get cold and reasonably late. Don’t give them a choice! If you start the game earlier there’s no reason for people to leave, but by starting the game at 3:10 you’re giving people a reason.

As for the crowd today, I was disappointed. Just over 30k which was the benchmark, but there really should have been 35k today. Hard to see the crowd ever getting above this mark until the Dogs are not involved.

Agree with the starting time NFC. Think we need to go back to 2.20, have that "traditional" feel.

Good on the league for trying the three games on the one day, but it appears an indictment of where the SANFL is, that any supporters (or parents) who go along to watch these games may get counted in the numbers, but a lot seem to leave after their game of interest. Staying arounjd to watch the "main event" has no appeal for a lot of them. Based on that, yesterday's crowd was roughly equivalent to '03, with only two games and three teams playing.

Timing of long weekend affects both the prelim and GF's. Only diehards are going to stay around for a prelim final on a long weekend. Conversely, GF on long weekend gives people coming to Adelaide for the weekend the chance to go to GF too, but on a regular weekend it doesn't. Think this is borne out by the figures in '01, '06 and '07.

[BPBRB]

I know they've got 3 games to play on the one day, but something has to be done about the start time. IMO 3:10 is far, far too late and it really affects the crowd. Throughout the season the games start at 2:00 and 2:30 and these times are ideal. Now as for the Grand Final, there’s no way it should continued to be played at such a late time.

If the game is looming as a blow-out, a lot of people simply choose to leave because it’s starting to get cold and reasonably late. Don’t give them a choice! If you start the game earlier there’s no reason for people to leave, but by starting the game at 3:10 you’re giving people a reason.

As for the crowd today, I was disappointed. Just over 30k which was the benchmark, but there really should have been 35k today. Hard to see the crowd ever getting above this mark until the Dogs are not involved.

Agree with the starting time NFC. Think we need to go back to 2.20, have that "traditional" feel.

Good on the league for trying the three games on the one day, but it appears an indictment of where the SANFL is, that any supporters (or parents) who go along to watch these games may get counted in the numbers, but a lot seem to leave after their game of interest. Staying arounjd to watch the "main event" has no appeal for a lot of them. Based on that, yesterday's crowd was roughly equivalent to '03, with only two games and three teams playing.

Timing of long weekend affects both the prelim and GF's. Only diehards are going to stay around for a prelim final on a long weekend. Conversely, GF on long weekend gives people coming to Adelaide for the weekend the chance to go to GF too, but on a regular weekend it doesn't. Think this is borne out by the figures in '01, '06 and '07.

Fully agree - 3.10 way too late!

As for the crowd - when I saw 30k on the board as the official tally I thought that had to be wrong. Been to the last 3 GF's and this years crowd was a lot closer to 35K IMO

[RustyCage]

I know they've got 3 games to play on the one day, but something has to be done about the start time. IMO 3:10 is far, far too late and it really affects the crowd. Throughout the season the games start at 2:00 and 2:30 and these times are ideal. Now as for the Grand Final, there’s no way it should continued to be played at such a late time.

If the game is looming as a blow-out, a lot of people simply choose to leave because it’s starting to get cold and reasonably late. Don’t give them a choice! If you start the game earlier there’s no reason for people to leave, but by starting the game at 3:10 you’re giving people a reason.

As for the crowd today, I was disappointed. Just over 30k which was the benchmark, but there really should have been 35k today. Hard to see the crowd ever getting above this mark until the Dogs are not involved.

Agree with the starting time NFC. Think we need to go back to 2.20, have that "traditional" feel.

Good on the league for trying the three games on the one day, but it appears an indictment of where the SANFL is, that any supporters (or parents) who go along to watch these games may get counted in the numbers, but a lot seem to leave after their game of interest. Staying arounjd to watch the "main event" has no appeal for a lot of them. Based on that, yesterday's crowd was roughly equivalent to '03, with only two games and three teams playing.

Timing of long weekend affects both the prelim and GF's. Only diehards are going to stay around for a prelim final on a long weekend. Conversely, GF on long weekend gives people coming to Adelaide for the weekend the chance to go to GF too, but on a regular weekend it doesn't. Think this is borne out by the figures in '01, '06 and '07.

Fully agree - 3.10 way too late!

As for the crowd - when I saw 30k on the board as the official tally I thought that had to be wrong. Been to the last 3 GF's and this years crowd was a lot closer to 35K IMO

Have been to many Power games where there was bigger crowds, but was considered only 25000.

[FlyingHigh]

Yeah, I thought there may have been a few more - a lot seemed to be standing for both teams.

Members lower area was just about full, but top section wasn't. Also, Northern grandstand looked fairly sparse. Think it was said on here last time to close that unless numbers warranted it.

[Brucetiki]

Is it the SANFL or BASS that work out the official number. If it's BASS, it would explain alot of the dodgy figures.

[spell_check]

It's probably better if the Grand Final crowds are done this way, as it was done pre 2005:

17s Grand Final and 19s Grand Final on Preliminary Final day - the 19s also have the extra week to finish 1 week earlier in the State Game week

Grand Final day:
11 am Reserves
2.20 pm League

I recall in 2000 that both the 19s and 17s Grand Final were played on the Friday Night before the Grand Final at Norwood, can't recall how it was done in 2001 and 2002 but in 2003 and 2004 the 19s and 17s were at Adelaide on Preliminary Final day.

[NFC]

Grand Final day:
11 am Reserves
2.20 pm League

This I like!

[Mic]

A shame the game didn't end at 3:13.