The broadcast of the great Bruce McAvaney will be the centerpiece of Channel Seven’s blockbuster coverage of Grand Final day, calling the game from the gabba and having a huge presence on the station’s Cox Plate coverage earlier in the day.
On the same day, on October 24th at 7.30 p.m., the AFL announced a start time for a historic Grand Final. The game’s free-to-air broadcaster confirmed that McAvaney would be traveling from his South Australian base to cover the game.
And Channel Seven is also looking for ways to bring McAvaney’s calling partner Brian Taylor to Queensland for the end of the season.
When asked if McAvaney would be at the Gabba, Lewis Martin, Managing Director of Seven Melbourne said, “Yes … Bruce can get in because he’s from South Australia.”
“Don’t worry, Bruce will live the dream – with a Cox Plate and the Grand Final on the same day.
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“We are in the process of bringing Brian (to Queensland) and how we are working through this result with our broadcast team.”
McAvaney will be part of the station’s coverage of the 100th Cox record – albeit from a distance – with the race scheduled to take place at 4.15pm before switching to football mode. He called games from South Australia remotely.
Martin said Channel 7 was “ready for the grand finale, don’t worry about that.”
“We worked through this extraordinary season one after the other and can now concentrate on the final.
“We don’t lose sight of the task that lies ahead of us. We have a team that will devote its time to the final series and the grand finale.
“But I still take it one hour at a time.”
Possible pregame and halftime entertainment slots have added a new dimension. Martin said, “It’s Queensland, it’s Tony Cochrane and it will be different.”
He couldn’t be more grateful for the hard work of his on-air and off-air team, as well as for the cooperation between the AFL, the clubs, the players and the spectators.
GRAND FINAL, COX PLATE TIMES LOCKED
The AFL Grand Final will be a night only experience for the league to hold the 2020 competition at 7.30pm Melbourne time.
The AFL’s test case for night football for their largest competition could potentially be so successful that the league will never return to an afternoon competition for the Grand Final.
This year, the league has given host channel Channel 7 the best possible chance to maximize that amount from a 6:30 p.m. start time in Queensland to a 7:30 p.m. start with daylight saving time in Melbourne and Sydney.
The Herald Sun announced last month that the Queensland offer had been postponed to a 7pm start time, but the league will be rescheduling the game to 7:30 pm to maximize the audience.
Seven will be hosting the racing’s Cox Plate on the afternoon of October 24th and will be a full hour ahead of the news that night.
Michael Browell, CEO of Moonee Valley Racing Club, confirmed that the Cox Plate will be held in Melbourne at 4.15pm.
“With the announcement that the 2020 AFL Grand Final will take place at 7:30 pm (AEDT), we will now work closely with our broadcast partner Channel 7 to deliver spectacular coverage of an incredible and historic day in Australian sport,” he said .
The organizer Michael Gudinski is working with the AFL on the best possible live entertainment for local artists as the COVID-19 pandemic has ruled out international acts.
Eddie McGuire, President of Collingwood, welcomed the call for a nightly grand final, saying it was the only way the AFL wanted to maximize ratings.
“If we want the AFL Grand Final to be # 1 rating shows of the year, use it during prime time, not when they’re playing the Tarzan films (on a Saturday afternoon),” said McGuire.
“There will certainly be an opportunity for the ratings to go through the roof.”
Tony Cochrane, the Queensland bid leader, believes the league could have up to six million viewers for the competition.
Alastair Lynch, the three-time Brisbane premier legend, told the Herald Sun it was still a spectacular competition even if the dew that plagued many evening games in Queensland was present.
He has covered almost every gabba game this year and hopes his Lions will make it to the only grand final ever played outside of Victoria.
“It was quite humid and there were also a couple of nights when it was reasonably good and the grass in the gabba is quite long so it can get a little wet at times, however
“It won’t affect the spectacle. Players know what to expect and will be prepared for some dew. The gabba is the best he’s seen in 20 years. Speaking to the curators, it’s because they didn’t have the training load that a certain surface carries, so it looks amazing. “
AFL boss Travis Auld said the game would ensure that young fans can keep watching the game while maximizing ratings.
“When making the decision, we had to take into account summer time in parts of the country and ensure that we and our broadcast partner, the Seven Network, had enough time to get to the start.” Mr. Auld said.
“We also knew we could end the game at a time that was convenient for younger football fans. With the shortened seasons this season, the last siren should sound and the Premier 2020 should be officially crowned shortly before 10 p.m. AEDT.
“Historically, the build-up and the anticipation is a very special part of the Grand Final day. We want to make sure we can share the power and atmosphere of the night with as many people as possible across the country.
“A grand final at night is sure to be a fantastic spectacle both for the fans in the stadium and for the millions watching across the country and overseas.”
The 2019 Grand Final was in staggering numbers as Richmond quickly blew up a mind-blowing Greater Western Sydney, drawing 2.2 million viewers for the five-city underground figure.
It was lower than 2018 (2.62 million) and 2017 (2.68 million) as the lowest value since the beginning of the current rating system.
The league and Seven would have been concerned about a 7:10 p.m. start and a potential one-sided game that quickly drops audiences in the shortened competitions this year.
A start at 7.30 p.m. offers seven strong leadership figures and the opportunity to hold onto them until prime time.
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