A TWILIGHT Grand Final could be introduced as early as 2017 with the AFL Commission split on whether to move the premiership decider from its traditional afternoon timeslot, League CEO Gillon McLachlan says.
Channel Seven retained the exclusive rights to broadcast the Grand Final in the AFL's new $2.5 billion broadcast rights deal announced on Tuesday.
Channel Seven chairman Kerry Stokes said the network had suggested to the AFL during negotiations that a twilight Grand Final would attract higher ratings than an afternoon game, but had not demanded a timeslot change as part of the new deal.
Five-minute guide to the broadcast deal
McLachlan told Canberra's National Press Club on Wednesday that he could not rule out the possibility of a twilight Grand Final being played during the new rights deal.
"It will be a decision for the Commission and without betraying Commission confidences I think there is a diversity of views on that, like there is in every room," McLachlan said.
"Essentially it's 50-50, in my view, in every room. The Commission will make a decision, they're not precluded from doing it and they're not mandated to do it in the broadcast deal.
"I can tell you this year will be a day Grand Final and I can't imagine there not being one the year after that.
"But you can't rule it out (from 2017)."
In a wide-ranging speech, McLachlan said the AFL needed to win over non-traditional fans and talent.
"We have a machine and we need to pivot and focus on new and emerging communities," he said.
"After a positive discussion with the (AFL) Commission, the AFL has also received support from our club CEOs to examine a new zoning system where a region is assigned to each club and the clubs are empowered and funded to develop talent and recruit in indigenous or multicultural communities.
"It would mean carving up areas in our suburbs, inner and outer, (and) regional communities, for clubs to grow their talent base and ultimately their support base.
"The talent developed in those zones will be available to clubs through a priority draft bidding system."
McLachlan said potential young players needed "heroes" they could relate to and looked like them.
"Our game needs to be able to tell stories that all Australians can recognise, men and women, kids and families have arrived here from Sudan, from China, from India, from wherever," he said.
"It must be their story too."
In a reflective address, with many politicians and power-brokers in the room, McLachlan paid tribute to the contribution of indigenous Australia to the sport.
"We created a place where indigenous Australia can be accepted, not just by mimicking white Australia but by bringing something unique that enriches our game as a whole," he said.
"This is still a work in progress but it's profitable to look back and see how far we've come."
