What can the AFL learn from Melbourne's NFL game | Andrew Dillon - AFL CEO (22.09.26)
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What lessons did the AFL learn from hosting the NFL game in Melbourne?
We're embarking on our biggest week of the year and we lived the NFL week here a couple of weeks ago. Did you learn a few bits and pieces from that?
Yeah, it was what we saw. It was great the way that they worked in with the government and the city of Melbourne and lit up the city. And we've been able to use that as well for the finals for preliminary final week and grand final week. I think they present their game unbelievably well. Any dead time is filled and we've got to marry up though. We've got a different fan base to the fan base that went to the NFL, but I think what they do do is they work really hard.
How did the NFL’s professional organization and fan engagement influence AFL event planning?
They leave nothing to chance. To put that game on, there was multiple, multiple visits from both teams and also the NFL over a long period of time. Super professional organisation, as you'd expect, but also really good to deal with. They know what they want, but they have a really good way of going about their business.
So I think we've seen over the past four or five years, grand final week and day has grown and grown. Do you think there's still more that
can be done? Yeah, absolutely. We...
What strategies are being used to expand the Grand Final week beyond the MCG?
The grand final, we've had 100,000 there for the last X number of years. But what I think we have been able to do, working with the state government and also the City of Melbourne and the MCC, is activate outside the MCG in the days leading up. And even this year, with the NFL coming, some of the activations were brought into place even earlier, which were able to be used on preliminary final weekend. So I think turning... the grand final, which is an amazing game, into an event, which is in the school holidays with our footy festival, which is free for families to come and enjoy player signings and also just interacting during the school holidays. I think the more that we can add to it and turn what is an amazing game into an event, week-long event, is really important.
The
genius of the morning of the NFL game was the MCG campus with the gates set back. And I've never seen the G like that.
Can the AFL adopt a free‑flowing campus model like the NFL for future Grand Finals?
It was just magnificent. You're not going to do that?
We have... For a grand final and for our games with the agreement that we have in place with the MCC where you have an MCC members area and you have an AFL members area. So that free-flowing campus doesn't quite work because of the setup that we have. It doesn't mean that we can't look at potentially looking at the fence being further out, but then maybe having a second layer. Because I think... What we've seen, particularly the Australian Open is a really good example of an event that attracts tens of thousands of people, but they've only got seating for Rod Laver's 12 or 15,000.
How can the AFL increase fan participation by creating precinct‑wide experiences?
They might have Margaret Court's eight or 10, and then they've got Kia Arena and others. So you can get four or five times as many people into the precinct as you actually have watching the tennis. Is that the vision? Yeah, I think the more that we can engage people with our game and people want to engage with our game differently. The game on the field, there's 100,000 and 24 or so will be there on Saturday. But a way to be part of the atmosphere, whether it's live sites and the like, engaging in different ways. We've got lots of fans who like doing that as well.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What lessons did the AFL learn from hosting the NFL game in Melbourne?
0:00–0:36
2
How did the NFL’s professional organization and fan engagement influence AFL event planning?
0:36–1:06
3
What strategies are being used to expand the Grand Final week beyond the MCG?
1:06–2:02
4
Can the AFL adopt a free‑flowing campus model like the NFL for future Grand Finals?
2:02–2:41
5
How can the AFL increase fan participation by creating precinct‑wide experiences?
2:41–3:12
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Whateley
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