Fev blasts 'horrific' idea after Eddie McGuire goes public with major AFL change
Brendan Fevola has described it as a "horrific" idea that the AFL are reportedly considering moving the grand final back into mid-October. Eddie McGuire, who is a member of the MCG Trust, revealed on Footy Classified this week that AFL powerbrokers are considering moving the grand final from the end of September.
McGuire said the AFL wants to avoid future clashes with the Australian F1 Grand Prix in March, as well as accomodating an NFL fixture and cricket Test match at the MCG in September 2026 and March 2027. It would also involve opening the season with two weekends of State of Origin football, and mean the finals series doesn't clash with rival footy codes.
'This is not an April Fools Day joke, this is being discussed at the highest echelons of the AFL,' McGuire said. 'The grand final move would stop clashes with the Grand Prix at the start of the year, the NFL game for points would fit nicely into the bye weekend between the end of the season and the finals and then the following year, the 150th anniversary Test match between Australia and England.
'Most importantly, it gives players and fans a better start to the season. It also means no clashes with rival codes for the three biggest games – the two prelim finals and the final."
McGuire also revealed it would be "a daylight savings grand final in 2026 which could lead to a night grand final." He added: "The AFL is working with the theme of turning major events into mega events to set up major growth in the game over the next decade."
But Fevola was scathing when discussing the possible changes on Thursday. Speaking on The Fox's Fifi, Fev & Nick radio show, the former Carlton and Brisbane player said: "Everyone knows (it's a) September grand final – the last Saturday in September - and everyone gets excited."
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Fevola said the 2020 twilight grand final was a huge success, but only because everyone was in lockdown during Covid. 'Everyone talks about that grand final. It was such a success, they were at the Gabba, so many people watched. Because we were in Covid, we weren't allowed out. There was nothing else to do.
"We were sitting in our houses. Every TV was on the grand final. (They say) 'let's do a night grand final because the Gabba in 2020 was a record number of viewers'… duh! We had nothing else to watch! Scrap those stats, they're irrelevant. If the grand final was in Brisbane this year, no one would watch it.
"They couldn't be more wrong. This is horrific. September is footy finals. The smell of September, coming into Spring. If you go into October, you're moving into the start of Spring (racing) Carnival.'
Fevola also panned the notion of bringing State of Origin back, declaring: "State of Origin is not going to work. State of Origin was so big, and I loved it as a kid. EJ Whitten was one of the greats and inspired everyone to play for Victoria. (When it was the VFL) you play for Victoria, you play against South Australia. But now, AFL is an Australian competition with every state involved.
"Victoria (now) has to play the All-Stars. I played in that game in 2008. (It was) great, 90,000 (fans), I won the medal, whatever…not the point. You can't play the traditional State of Origin. The State of Origin is so successful in rugby league because it's NSW v Queensland, two rivals that hate each other. Victoria has to play everyone because there's players from all other states, we're a national sport.'
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