‘Unforgettable atmosphere’: AFLW grand final to be held at night

“Hopefully, we get there, they’ll tell me where, and I’ll turn up,” Hawthorn forward Aine McDonagh said after the Hawks’ win over Richmond last Sunday.

Last year’s decider between the Kangaroos and the Lions was held at Ikon Park on a Sunday at 2.30pm – the latest start in the league’s history.

The AFL has previously explored the potential of a twilight or night grand final for the men’s competition, hosting the grand final under lights during the COVID-19 interrupted campaigns of 2020 and 2021.

Moore and Kane confirmed they had received and listened to feedback on this year’s controversial condensed fixture, and said changes would be implemented in 2025.

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The AFLW fixture was condensed to fit its new 11-game home-and-away season into the same 10-week stretch, sparking concerns for heightened risks of injury. The fixture is expected to grow to 12 weeks next year.

“We had a lot of feedback from a lot of people, we listened to it, and there are things that will change next year as a result of that feedback,” Kane said.

“But we had some positivity … There were some players who said they preferred playing instead of training, but overall, we heard the feedback as a collective.”

The first qualifying final will be North Melbourne v Adelaide at IKON Park on Friday night, with Fremantle hosting Essendon on Saturday night in an elimination final, and the Hawthorn-Brisbane Lions qualifying final and Port Adelaide-Richmond elimination final on Sunday.