How to Successfully Host an AFL Party

Footy season is only a week away, so it’s time for would-be hosts to start planning a fun AFL game day party to bring family and friends together for Round 1.

If it’s your first time, then you’ll need to know some of the ins and outs to pull off an enjoyable party. With a little preparation, and an awesome TV, you’ll be getting 5 star reviews for your efforts. So pay close attention for the next 15 minutes of reading as we go through some key pointers that you’ll need to consider.

Number of Guests

While it can be tempting to invite everyone you know, you need to think about the size of your lounge and the size of your TV. Your guests won’t appreciate peering at the game on a 30” TV, so if you’re going to upgrade this is the perfect time to do it. We recommend at least a 60” TV to be suitable for larger groups watching football and sports matches.

Seating arrangements

With that said, you may want to do a seating run through, to see how many people you can actually fit in your lounge. All your guests will need to have a clear view of the TV, and have somewhere comfortable to sit. No worries if you have to bring in the deck chairs or set up bleachers, just be sure to provide a few cushions for those in the cheap seats.

Half-time Entertainment

A good host always keeps his/her guests entertained and it has never been easier with a TCL Android TV. Keep the mood going by casting music via your phone straight from your Spotify or Soundcloud account to your TV.

Alternatively, our Android TVs have access to one of the world’s biggest libraries of music and entertainment in the form of Google Play Music and Google Play Games respectively so no matter what your guests are after you are sure to be covered. Another classic is half-time trivia and with the YouTube app pre-installed on TCL Android TVs make searching and finding the perfect AFL-themed trivia a piece of cake.

Food for champions

Firing up the BBQ is always a good idea on game day, but start cooking well before the start of the match. Sausages, prawns, steak or kebabs, whatever you chose to throw on the barbie will be well received.

Keep the food coming throughout the game with bowls of chips, dip, mixed nuts and lollies for guests within reaching distance to munch on. Plan to serve some hot food during half-time to keep energy levels up, especially those on the losing side. Hot chips, pies and sausage rolls can all be easily popped into the oven on a timer so they’re ready for when the half-time whistle blows.

Don’t skimp on drinks

Don’t expect everyone to BYO unless you specifically ask them to. A good host will always have drinks on hand for their guests. The types of drinks you offer depends on the mix of your group as well as their known tendencies (if they all drink beer, get beer). You will be pretty safe with full strength or light beers but nowadays premix cans of Whiskey and Coke or Canadian Club and Dry are becoming more popular, again try to buy to the guests tendencies. Don’t forget about the ladies either, add in some red and white wine and a few bubbles to cover the entire field. There is also no harm in purchasing some non-alcoholic soft drink as well as chilling water for those who are after an easier night.

Friendly competitions

A fun competition or two can keep things entertaining. When guests arrive give them a bit of paper and a pen, and ask them to jot down their guesses for things such as the winning margin, first goal scorer and first score (a goal or a behind). A simple gold coin or a small note buy in makes things a little more interesting and for those that do not barrack for the competing teams this could make their night.

A good game for a larger group is to place all the player names into a hat and ask guests to choose one at the start of the game. When a guest’s player kicks a goal, a behind or gets a free kick against them, they have to have a drink.

Enjoy the action on a quality TV

Game day is all about watching the footy, so if you don’t have a TV of decent size and quality then it’s not a good idea to host, end of story. With all the great TVs on the market, the best thing you can do for your AFL party is to get a new set for your lounge (install a second TV outside on the deck near the BBQ and you’ll be a legend!).

What should you look for in terms of TV features that improve sports? Two things: CMR and 4K HDR. CMR stands for Clear Motion Rate which helps to reduce motion display blur and delivers crystal clear vision. While 4K HDR allows you to enjoy vivid colour and razor sharp clarity.

Check out TCL’s Series X 65 inch X7 QLED TV or Series P 85 inch P8M QUHD TV to improve your sports viewing experience. Both TVs feature CMR and HD 4K resolution, along with superior audio, voice search, AI integration and built in Chromecast.

Installing either of these TVs will ensure you can’t go wrong when hosting an AFL game day party this year.