Bring back the 3PM Grand Final

The smell of burnt sausages at a backyard barbecue, tales of your uncle Reg scoring four tries in one match, battling the neighbour’s dog after a stray kick went over the fence; these are the memories that used to define many a NRL Grand Final. However, after a switch to a nighttime slot to lift TV ratings in 2001, these memories have become little more than nostalgia.

While most of us just rant and rave about the loss of this once iconic Australian tradition, our Head Honcho, Jeff, has turned words into action. In 2007/2008 he launched his Have-the-Grand-Final-at-3pm-on-a-Sunday Party. It proved to be much more than just a one-man action, with over 700 people registering their support, enough to get on the Senate ballot paper for last year’s election.

Although the cause may seem a long shot to many, due to NRL powerbrokers’ never-ending lust for ratings, Jeff remains hopeful that one day the grand final will return to its rightful timeslot. "News Ltd [half-owner of the NRL] seem to know the cost and the price of everything but sometimes they don't understand the value of what they've got.”