WAFL commits to Saturday night Grand Final conceptFriday, August 26, 2016 - 5:26 PM

The West Australian Football League has committed to scheduling a future Saturday night Grand Final following an extensive consultation process with WAFL clubs and stakeholders.

WAFC CEO Gavin Taylor said that after assessing feedback from clubs, fans and other stakeholders, the strong support for a Saturday night Grand Final meant it would be high on the agenda for 2017.

“The WAFC, in partnership with the WAFL, is committed to the Saturday night Grand Final concept and exploring all options to ensure this comes to fruition in the future,” Mr Taylor said.

“We want to showcase the WAFL Grand Final by maximising both attendance at the game and the television audience and strongly believe a Saturday night Grand Final will deliver this opportunity.

“Working with our stakeholders on how we can bring this to life in 2017 will be a priority when we commence building the 2017 WAFL fixtures.

“This could include a change to the timing of the season or delaying a decision on the Grand Final date until the week of the event to ensure it does not compete with AFL fixtures,” he said.

A WAFL Grand Final Working Group explored options and sought feedback on potential Grand Final timeslots including Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

The key feedback received during the consultation process was to maintain the integrity of a seven-day break from the Preliminary Final, while also avoiding direct competition with AFL content.

This has resulted in the 2016 WAFL Grand Final being scheduled to remain in the traditional Sunday afternoon timeslot of 2.30pm on September 25 at Domain Stadium.

Mr Taylor said that while there was support for a Saturday night Grand Final as early as this year, the potential clash with AFL Preliminary Finals meant Sunday afternoon was agreed upon as the best option.

“The prospect of playing a Saturday night Grand Final this year was very appealing but competing with an AFL Preliminary Final would have a major impact on attendance and the television audience,” he said.

“We are aiming to re-establish the WAFL Grand Final as a marquee event on the WA sporting calendar and believe this will be best achieved by scheduling it as a stand-alone event.

“We are also excited to announce free entry to the Grand Final for all children under the age of 16, which will also apply to the entire AHG WAFL Finals series.

“We want to add value for families by providing free entry for children this year to all of the finals. We will also have a range of kids’ activities on offer plus the chance to have a kick on the oval and listen to the coaches live at the breaks,” he said.