THE 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final will remain in the traditional 2.30pm AEST afternoon slot.
The AFL Commission met on Wednesday to determine the showpiece game's opening bounce and opted to retain the customary 2.30pm AEST start time following a full review of last year's return to an afternoon fixture.
STATEMENT AFL announces 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final start time
COVID-19 interruptions meant the Grand Final moved to a night slot at the Gabba in 2020, then a twilight fixture at Optus Stadium in 2021, before returning to the traditional afternoon start at the MCG last season.
Last year's Grand Final drew a sell-out crowd of 100,024 people, with the AFL's chief executive Gillon McLachlan reiterating that the League would continue to review the start time for future Grand Finals on a yearly basis.
"The Toyota AFL Grand Final is the biggest and best sporting event in the country. It is our game's biggest moment, and this year the bounce of the ball will again be at 2:30pm AEST," McLachlan said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The Commission will continue to review the start time for future Grand Finals. The AFL's role is to deliver the best possible game experience, both for fans at the ground and for the millions watching the broadcast, and together with our broadcast partner the Seven Network, we remain committed to creating an amazing event, both in the build-up during the week and culminating in 100,000 fans at the MCG.
"The fans this season have been incredible with more than three million fans attending matches across the first nine rounds – the biggest and loudest crowds in the history of the game to this point of the season – and come the last Saturday in September, it will be by far the biggest event of the year."
Speaking earlier this month, the AFL's CEO-elect Andrew Dillon had also strongly hinted towards his support for continuing with an afternoon Grand Final after describing last year's return to tradition as "really good".
The day was celebrated with a headline Grand Final entertainment act, with UK megastar Robbie Williams performing in the moments before Geelong secured its premiership success with an 81-point thrashing of Sydney.
Meanwhile, the Brownlow Medal will return to its traditional Monday evening timeslot in the week before the Grand Final, having been rearranged last year due to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
What time will the 2023 Grand Final start?
AEST 2.30pm – ACT, NSW, QLD, TAS, VIC
ACST 2.00pm – NT, SA
AWST 12.30pm – WA
