The AFL grand final could be moved from its traditional afternoon timeslot under the new $2.5 billion broadcast deal.

For 118 seasons the game’s showpiece match has been held on a Saturday afternoon but both free-to-air and pay-television broadcasters have given their support to moving the match.

While accepting the AFL had the right to make the final call, Seven chairman Kerry Stokes said he’d given his “suggestions” to the AFL.

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“Twilight games happen to get more ratings than day games do,” he said.

“And if one wants to be the most watched grand final in Australia it would seem sensible it might be at twilight.

“I hasten to say we have not put any conditions (in the new deal) … the AFL control the schedule and we accept that.”

News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson, sitting alongside executive chairman Rupert Murdoch, supported Stokes on behalf of Foxtel.

“News is a neutral in this twilight debate but we think it’s a jolly good idea,” he said, drawing laughs.

Stokes also gave his support to a Good Friday match, which enjoys strong support from fans but is yet to be locked in.



“We’d love to play football every day of the week, Good Friday included,” he said.

McLachlan heeded the networks’ support for a later grand final start, but was non-committal on a change.

“Half the people in every room want to see a twilight or night grand final, half are traditionalists,” he said.